Political thought : history and prospects

Claude Lefort set out to shed light on the nature of modern democracy by distinguishing between politics, which is essentially concerned with the regime, and the political, which is concerned with its social conditions. Political science misunderstands the profound nature of democracy because it leaves in the shadows the society in which it was formed. Democracy cannot be located in society: it is a form of society. In the Ancien Régime, monarchical power was embodied in the person of the prince. Democracy introduces an upheaval in this perspective: power is no longer embodied, it is an empty place. Conflict is institutionalized, and power in a democracy can only exist in search of legitimacy. Democracy cannot be reduced to a certain number of institutions.