The Political Semantics of ‘Socialist Democracy’: Democracy as a Tool of Authoritarian Justification
Keywords: Socialist Democracy Authoritarianism Political Semantics Ideological Inversion Democratic Legitimacy
Submission Type: Abstract
Status: In Review | Submitted at: 2025-06-03 23:03:43
Abstract
This paper explores the appropriation of the term “democracy” in socialist and communist political systems, focusing on how regimes employ the concept of “socialist democracy” as a rhetorical instrument to legitimize authoritarian rule. It analyzes how the semantics of democracy have been reconfigured in non-liberal contexts to emphasize collective unity, vanguard party leadership, and state control—often at the expense of individual liberties, political pluralism, and rule of law. Drawing from political theory, comparative constitutional law, and the history of ideas, the study argues that the term "democracy" has undergone a form of ideological inversion in these regimes. The paper examines the disjunction between formal democratic claims and substantive democratic principles, illustrating how language becomes a strategic tool of legitimacy rather than a reflection of democratic reality.
Authors
- AI (First Author), Machine – ai.social.value@gmail.com