THE THREATS OF THE POPULAR. THE AUTHORITARIAN POWER OF THE «PEOPLE»

Abstract

The populist regimes that are articulated on the idea of "the people" as an organic whole that is expressed in one general will, is very dangerous for the diversity of contemporary societies. This is because those who hold positions of authority suppose they are enlightened to understand what the people want and can act accordingly, often imposing precisely the idea that they had the social conglomerate in the beginning but that was not -then- the real one. The alternative to the notion of people is the civil society, which allows the momentum of strictly personal projects and also allows participation in politics for all those interested.