❖ Democracy — An Illusion of Participation
Democracy stands among the most glamorous and deceptive constructs of modern civilization. It gives the illusion that the public is involved in every decision and that what transpires reflects the will and desires of the people. However, the reality is far different. The driving force behind democracy is not public opinion, but rather the epistemological framework of capitalism — a system where decisions are made not through mass consent, but by predefined capitalist principles.
❖ System of Life and Capitalist Epistemology
Every ideology that functions as a system of life provides an epistemological framework through which every aspect of life is structured. In the capitalist system, this framework is comprised of social sciences. Through these sciences, capitalism maintains and expands its structure. The state functions not on public opinion, but on economic and political doctrines established by capitalist epistemology.
❖ Responsibilities of the Capitalist State
Under this framework, the capitalist state is responsible for:
➊ Formulating policies that convert non-capitalist societies into market societies.
➋ Ensuring the supremacy of capitalist law and order, i.e., human rights.
➌ Promoting capitalist knowledge systems.
➍ Resisting forces that oppose this structure.
➎ Handling what the market fails to manage.
➏ Supporting marginalized groups exploited by the market.
➐ Regulating exploitation caused by capital accumulation.
➑ Subordinating the state to global capitalism through privatization and liberalization (globalization).
➒ Obeying global regulatory bodies tasked with preserving the capitalist order.
❖ General Will vs. Public Will
The true objective of democracy is not public will, but rather the promotion of "general will", defined as the expansion of capital and liberty. This general will is interpreted through the lenses of social sciences and human rights. If the public majority opposes privatization or liberalization, their opinion is deemed “wrong” because the system does not accept opinions that oppose its epistemological core.
❖ The Role of Media
The media maintains the illusion that everything is driven by public voting, prompting the average citizen to visit polling booths every few years with false hopes. This process sustains the illusion of empowerment, even as real power lies elsewhere.
❖ The Attempt to Islamize Democracy
In our context, many intellectuals accepted this foreign system and attempted to give it an Islamic veneer. They tried hard to present democracy as Shariah-compatible, but history has proven otherwise. Wherever democracy spread, it replaced indigenous traditions with its own principles and reshaped societies accordingly.
✿ Summary
❶ Democracy does not follow the public will, but adheres to capitalist epistemology.
❷ The state exists to promote capitalism, not to fulfill public desires.
❸ Media and politics sustain the illusion of democracy to manipulate public perception.
❹ Efforts to Islamize democracy have failed, as the system is inherently incompatible with traditional values.
