Autocracy/Democracy

Abstract

This paper examines the distinction between autocracy and democracy, proposing that these political systems are best understood at the level of civilizations, where cultural traditions provide methodological access to their core principles. It traces the historical connection between autocracy and theocracy, showing how the divinization of rulers—exemplified by doctrines such as the “divine right of kings”—enabled universal claims and underpinned practices of expansion and colonialism. Within this framework, the paper contrasts the relative stability and social welfare associated with aristocratic rule against the volatility and arbitrary power of opportunistic autocracy. The Russian Empire’s transformation into the Soviet Union is analyzed as a paradigmatic case, illustrating how one autocratic form was replaced by a more ruthless successor without producing substantive benefits for the population. In counterpoint, the paper develops the concept of “authentic revolution,” drawing on classical Greek thought and the emergence of the polis as a juridical state grounded in self-awareness, collective responsibility, and mutual consent. Such a revolution aims to safeguard human freedom and rights. By contrast, “second liberation” movements such as Marxism are critiqued for subordinating individual rights and institutions to collective control, thereby undermining the very freedom they claim to achieve.