(Tartu Ülikool, 2018) Vera, Roberto; Kattago, Siobhan, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Humanitaarteaduste ja kunstide valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Filosoofia osakond
This thesis supports Jan-Werner Müller’s claim that populism is an inescapable consequence
of representative democracy. While it is true that populism cannot be detached from this
form of government, I will argue that alternatives and safeguards against it can already be
found in representative democracy’s framework. The thesis also gives an historical account
of populism and describes the aspects of its appeal. This work turns to the writings of Jean-
Jacques Rousseau, Alexis de Tocqueville, and Carl Schmitt, particularly their concepts of
the general will, the tyranny of the majority, and existential threat, respectively, to analyze
the philosophical roots of populism. Lastly, this thesis not only argues for safeguards against
populism (mainly in the form of active and responsible citizenship, grassroots politics, and
communal organization), but it also proves that those solutions already exist in representative
democracy.
