Islamic Mysticism Elzahraa Hassane

Review Question 2.2:

 What do you consider to be the three most important principles of democracy?

One of the most important principles of democracy is that everyone should have equal access to
political influence through representative government. One of the features of the representative
government is that in a developed kind of democracy, one of the fundamental rights of the
people is the ability to use their voting power to remove those in power on behalf of the majority
in a nonviolent and peaceful manner. Another important principle of democracy is that everyone
should have fundamental rights and liberties guaranteed by the constitution which is a written
document that establishes the legitimacy of the executive branch and lays out its core practices,
constraints, and institutions.
Karl Popper classifies the theory of democracy into three main parts, the classical theory of
democracy which is the theory of the rule of people, and the realistic theory , and thirdly some
practical applications of his theory. 1
Historian James T. Kloppenberg analyzes three controversial principles of democracy:
autonomy, popular sovereignty, and equality. Regarding the concept of "popular sovereignty,"
only the will of the people may be considered legitimate. Whereas the second principle
“autonomy “ refers to self-rule. The Greek terms for "self" and "rule" or "law" serve as the
etymological foundation for the word "autonomy." Autonomous people are in charge of
themselves, which indicates that they are both independent of other people's wills and sovereign
masters of their own. 2
The third contentious democratic principle is equality. The conflict is caused by inherent
contradictions within the idea of equality itself, in addition to the well-known conflict between
the values of equality and individual autonomy. Because equal opportunity is not feasible in
circumstances of great inequality, the well-known contrast between equality of opportunity and
equality of result once again obscures the bigger issue. 2
The institutional structures of many democratic cultures are diverse and complex, just like the
discourse on democracy. Instead of fiercely defending one value above another, it necessitates
carefully analyzing the competing values. Democracy is best understood as a way of life, rather
 Islamic Mysticism Elzahraa Hassane

than just a collection of political institutions, as evidenced by its evolution throughout the
centuries.

1 Political and Economic Forms of Modernity, entitled “Democracy in Modern Societies”. Also read: “Karl Popper
on democracy,

2 JAMES T. KLOPPENBERG 2017 The three principles of democracy [excerpt]. Oxford University Press's
Academic Insights for the Thinking World.