Egon Friedell on the Dangerous Infallibility of Democracy

„No State can commit so many follies and deeds of violence as the democratic State, for it alone has the organic consciousness of its infallibility, sanctity, and complete legitimacy. Even the most absolute monarchy has limitations of a hundred kinds, in the personal consciousness of responsibility of the ruler (which under democracy is always put on the intangible "will of the people"), in the court clique, in the Church, in the advisers and ministers and "government circles" that inevitably crystallize around every potentate. Moreover, the fear of dethronement, which is theoretically always possible, affects every sole-ruler. But a treacherous circular reasoning protects the rule of the "sovereign people" from any limitation — it is in the right because it is the collective will, and is the collective will because it is in the right.“

Egon FriedellEgon Friedell analyzes democracy as a form of government marked by a dangerous belief in its own infallibility.

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Egon Friedell was an Austrian cultural historian, writer, and actor known for his insightful commentaries on modernity.

This quote presents a critical view of democracy, emphasizing the unique danger arising from its belief in infallible legitimacy.

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Egon Friedell (1878–1938) was an Austrian writer, cultural historian, and philosopher, best known for his work "Cultural History of the Modern Age." He combined historical knowledge with critical analysis and philosophical reflection to present modern history in a new light.