The moral principles of democracy Reflections based on catholic social teaching

Abstract

Democracy is an expression of subjectivity of the society and thus deserves recognition. Nowadays, however, democracy is threatened with a separation from universal values and alliance with moral relativism. The result of this process is the reduction of democracy to mere procedures. This may lead to the tyranny of the democratic majority. Democratic procedures require fundamental values which are the basis of social consensus, agreement and cooperation for the common good. Christianity is an important source of these values. Universal values are also rooted in the Gospel and Christians participating actively in a democratic process play a crucial role in their transmission.