Reflections on the theory and practice of the democratic state

Abstract

This translation is the first Ukrainian rendering of Karl Popper’s lecture Reflections on the Theory and Practice of the Democratic State, delivered on June 9, 1988, in Munich at the invitation of Hoffmann Bank. The English text was first published in the collection: K. Popper, The Lesson of this Century: With Two Talks on Freedom and the Democratic State. London and New York: Routledge, 1997, pp. 65–80.
In this lecture, Popper reflects on the essence of democracy, emphasizing its role not as the rule of the people, but as the most effective means of preventing tyranny. He analyzes the limits of state power, the importance of freedom of speech, and the need to protect democratic institutions from authoritarian threats. This work is an important contribution to the political philosophy of the 20th century and remains relevant today.