Spheres of power

The Crisis of Legitimacy of liberal democracy and its global architecture

Abstract

The Great Recession, the coronavirus pandemic and, now, the return of war to Europe, have increased the tension between those who defend the importance and urgency of a unipolar system of governance, and those who, on the contrary, criticize its possibility or desirability and promote the primacy of the State and the national interest. This article examines the main advantages and challenges presented by these two options and identifies a common denominator in both, namely the presence of a welfare state with growing totalitarian temptations. These are, in short, spheres of power of different orders, but underpinned by the same democratic and liberal-inspired principles; elements that have been rapidly undermined by the way in which the most recent crises have been dealt with or by the way in which an architecture of global governance is being constructed that seeks to overcome the State as the source of sovereignty and, therefore, of political authority. Finally, some philosophical-political formulas are added to help overcome this totalitarian temptation of the democratic system in any sphere of power.