Knowledge on democracy and knowledge in the democracy

Abstract

Topic of the article is the role of knowledge within democratic order. Author points out the difference between knowledge on democracy and knowledge in the democracy Arguments are given for the thesis that possession of rational knowledge on democracy still does not mean that actor will fallow this knowledge in practice. In what follows author outlines social and individual psychological factors undermine cognitive components of democracy. Reasons why instrumental knowledge prevails in democracy could be found in ever increasing complexity of society, emotional structure of personality and its value orientation, and in personal interpretation of collective interests. Other reasons could be found in component of democracy on the level of pragmatics and of interests. For realization of particular interests knowledge of personal implicit kind will be more often used than rational-scientific one. At last, giving up of theoretical knowledge on democracy could be explained by the social pressure toward acceptance of pragmatically knowledge. In final part of the article author envisages the prospects of democracy in the near future.