Kazio Griniaus demokratijos samprata

LTTekste nagrinėjama Kazio Griniaus plėtota demokratijos samprata, kuri parodo šio politiko idėjines slinktis ir santykį su kitomis XX a. pradžioje aktualiomis politinės teorijos idėjomis bei ideologijomis. Nagrinėjant K. Griniaus demokratijos idėją atkreipiamas dėmesys į tai, kaip jis interpretavo demosą, kokie teoriniai veiksniai skatino demokratijos įtvirtinimą ir kokios problemos kyla ją išlaikant. Šios K. Griniaus interpretacijos yra susiejamos su jam aktualių autorių politinėmis teorijomis. [Iš leidinio]Reikšminiai žodžiai: Kazys Grinius; Demokratija; Idėjų istorija; Valstiečiai liaudininkai; Tauta.

ENThe text analyses the concept of democracy as elaborated by Kazys Grinius, thus exhibiting the ideological slips of the author and the representatives of the Peasants’ Union, distinction of the concept from other ideological interpretations of democracy, and its relation with the ideas of political theory that prevailed in the early 20th century. K. Grinius is viewed as an ideologist of democracy whose activities significantly contributed to the establishment of the principles of political thinking in the Lithuanian society and to the framing of peculiar understanding of democracy that was distinct from other influential interpretations of the concept, namely Christian democracy and social democracy. Positivistic construction of the social world, which allows the interpretation of democracy as a natural slip of the progressive society, is among the key intellectual factors accountable for the said differences. Although such interpretation was in a way akin to that of social democrats, K. Grinius was to a greater degree affected by the criticism of Socialism inspired by K. Kautsky and H. Spencer, which predetermined his peculiar theory of democracy. The belief that democratization should be sought gradually rather than by way of revolutionary reorganizations is among its basic elements. The peculiar relation between the commons, the lower classes, and the intellectuals is equally important – although the establishment of democracy is first and foremost associated with the granting of full rights to the former, the latter ought to understand their mission in teaching the peasants to respect the principles of democracy. The study also dwells on the changes that K. Grinius’ understanding of democracy underwent with respect to the evolution of Lithuania’s statehood resulting in the emphasis on different aspects of democratic theories.On the one hand, K. Grinius considered it important to speak about the demos of democracy, which varied during different periods of time and encompassed the entire population of the Russian Empire, Lithuanians as an ethnic nation, the Lithuanian society in general and peasants in particular. On the other hand, with the restoration of Lithuania’s statehood, which led to the actual domination of the Lithuanian nation and peasants as a social group, certain elements that not only point out that democracy is about equal political and to a certain extent economic rights, but also allow speaking about certain institutional conditions necessary for the establishment of democracy, started showing through in K. Grinius’ theory. There we should distinguish the elite entrusted with democratic procedures and the legal system, educated citizens eager to govern the state, and intellectuals responsible for the democratic training of the latter. [From the publication]