Democracy and Tradition: A Historical Transformation
The establishment of democratic forms of government played an important role in redistributing and redefining Europe’s traditional socio-cultural foundations. First and foremost, with the destruction of the theocratic bases upon which state, moral, and civic relations had previously been formed, a new perception of "sacred principles" emerged. As noted in one source, "Faith in these foundations became so deeply ingrained in the European soul that even after the destruction of the theocratic foundation of life, they remained untouchable as the well-known 'sacred principles' regulating the structure of existence. Everything—even entirely secular principles such as property rights, private law, and parliamentarianism—are the legitimate heirs of this religious-theocratic spirit..." (source: link txt). This indicates that even after the implementation of democratic institutions, deep-rooted traditional norms and foundations continued to influence society, forming the basis for a secular yet conservative order.At the same time, the transformation of the political system affected the very concept of the individual and the people. Democratic ideas reshaped the notion of citizens’ participation in governance, underlining that the source of power is indeed "the people." However, this process was not without contradictions: traditional elite elements remained significant, as reflected in discussions suggesting that an ideal democracy should essentially be "orderly," preserving certain aristocratic elements capable of ensuring stability and preventing the risk of radical anarchy (source: link txt). Thus, the newest forms of governance did not completely erase the old socio-cultural stereotypes but transformed them, allowing modern society to retain elements of tradition by integrating them into the new democratic structure.Supporting citation(s):"From the birth of the Germanic states in the early Middle Ages ... Faith in these foundations became so deeply ingrained in the European soul that even after the destruction of the theocratic foundation of life, they remained untouchable as the well-known 'sacred principles' regulating the structure of existence. Everything—even entirely secular principles such as property rights, private law, and parliamentarianism—are the legitimate heirs of this religious-theocratic spirit..." (source: link txt)"The notion of the individual and the people in the democratic context holds great significance ... He believed that the safest form would be an 'orderly democracy' incorporating some aristocratic elements." (source: link txt)