In addressing the need to guide society, mankind has come a long way in applying different governance models. The initial model of leadersh...
In addressing the need to guide society, mankind has come a long way in applying different governance models. The initial model of leadership applied by emerging societies was recognized on the basis of talent, then has been replaced by a model of leadership by birth and descent, until we finally arrive at a model of leadership which is based on being elected by society (the majority). What they all have in common is that all leadership models have proven imperfect in delivering reliable, effective, successful governance of society.
Although these models look very different from each other, they are similar in one fundamental feature, which can be traced back to the reason for their lack of adequacy. All of them implement elite-based social governance models.
What are the characteristics of an elite-based social governance model? Under the elite-based governance model, the management of society, i.e. the government, is exercised by a small group of people - the elite - which is able to use the power of society as a resource, able to use the potential created collectively by society. The elite is using, even expropriating the power of society, in addition to and even instead of satisfying the needs of society, practically to achieve their own objectives.
In the process of governing, the elite, in the possession of power, uses society as the resource of empowerment to achieve its own goals.
All the schemes of social governance used by mankind so far have given and continue to give privileges to a negligibly small minority of society, the elite, give the position and the decision-making authority to determine the life of society. However democratic the selection of leaders, however the elite are appointed and entrusted in accordance with majority intent for the task of governing society, for fulfilling the interests of society as a whole, the tragedy of humanity is that, as governing society, the elite, because of the very nature of human characteristic, act in their own interests.
The elite typically reject this criticism. An elite built on authoritarianism tends to respond to criticism by controlling and modifying relevant information and repressing society by force, rather than justifying the social relevance of its activities.
In democratically operating systems, the elite usually reacts to criticism by self-justification, according to which the majority election brings to power the elite whose goals and declared program meet the interests of the majority of society. It is obvious, and experience has shown, that the correlation between the real interests of society and the personal goals of the governing elite is not strictly connected or even necessarily close in democracies either.
Even in democratic systems, there is no guarantee or strict accountability for the elected elite's performance of socially beneficial activities and the fulfillment of promises. While regularly implemented elections provide an opportunity for the majority of society to replace an unsatisfactory leader, the regulation of the elite by the majority of society provides only an indirect mechanism for change, while the inherent problem of the system, the pursuit of the elite's direct interest, remains.
The inherent problem of current political systems is the use and the role of elites in the governance of society. Is there a political system without elites? Is it possible to create a political system without elites? Is it possible to govern without a designated leader?
Obviously, the elite, the potential elite (the social stratum with political ambitions), as well as the shadow elite (the social stratum close to the elite which is able to directly influence political power) are against a system of governance without elites, and are not interested in a system without elites.
But is it even possible to create a functioning system of social governance without the role of the elite? The positive answer is doubtful, because there are no good or even bad examples so far. How would a political system without an elite work?
The fundamental problem with an elite-based system of social governance is that the elite represent the goals of society, in a self-serving way, and use the available potential of society to achieve them.
In a political system without an elite, society itself must represent the goals to be achieved. In this case, society should therefore not elect or appoint an elite, but would directly define and represent the desired goals, independently, without the involvement of the elite. A possible governance model for a society without elites has been described in an earlier thought.
Achieving a system of governance without elites is necessary, and perhaps even possible. However, until it is properly implemented, a reliable, effective and successful method of solving social problems cannot be guaranteed.
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