Page:The Spirit of Russia by T G Masaryk, volume 2.pdf/532



URING the great revolution the essence of democracy was accurately defined in the watchwords, liberty, equality, and fraternity, the contrast between democracy and aristocracy being thus expressed. The aristocratic organisation of society rests upon relationships of supraordination and subordination as between individuals and groups within the community, whereas the aim of democracy is that all should rank alike. Aristocracy involves the acceptance of utterly divergent estimates of human values; social inequality is regarded as natural and as historically necessary; men are divided into a minority of rulers and a majority of subjects. Aristocracy is social organisation based upon power; democratic equality implies fraternal and voluntary cooperation.

Aristocracy is not confined to the political, military, economic, and social spheres; in the realms of morals and religion there is likewise inequality; the priest, with his reputedly higher ascetic ethic, is contrasted with the layman; there is also a class contrast between the educated and the uneducated. In addition, aristocracy sometimes manifests itself in the use of a different language by the superior caste (Latin or French, for instance), and is occasionally based upon national distinctions.

Every aristocracy is rendered possible by the existence of a corresponding slavery; on the one hand are the dominant priests and rulers, on the other hand the ruled; the very nature of theocracy is found in an intimate association between rulers and priests. Emperor and pope, tsar and patriarch, do not