ALATTVALÓ VAGY POLGÁR? A demokratikus legitimitásról etikai nézőpontból
SUBJECT OR CITIZEN?

Summary/Abstract: The aim of the paper is to make clear distinction between legitimacy and loyalty. The long history of theories of justice provides considerable viewpoints for this study. Political power can ensure loyal subjects for itself without providing institutional channels for managing peacefully the interest- and value-confl icts, and without seeking mutual advantages for the members of society. The modern state’s bases of legitimacy are either merely ideological or democratic. A responsible citizen never could be satisfi ed with a rule or system of power based on purely ideological assumptions. The analysis is also trying to demonstrate the factors threatening and challenging democratic legitimacy, both on the level of institutions and the attitudes of individuals. The character of an infl uential politician, the elite, and the majority of citizens are all integral parts 166 ABSTRACTS of a desirable democratic ethos. The system based on democracy and the rule of law is far from being perfect, but this is the only way to respect the members of a modern political community as moral agents with human dignity.

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