Ethics and Responsibility in Political Demagogy: A Conceptual Review and Practical Implications

Cici Kumalasari; Muhammad David; Panggih Nur Adi; Siti Zahara Saragih

doi:10.55227/ijhess.v4i4.1520

Authors

Cici Kumalasari Faculty Keguruan Ilmu Pendidikan, Universitas Labuhanbatu
Muhammad David Study Program Sistem Kelistrikan Kapal, Politeknik Pelayaran Malahayati,
Panggih Nur Adi Faculty Keguruan Ilmu Pendidikan, Universitas Labuhanbatu
Siti Zahara Saragih Faculty Keguruan Ilmu Pendidikan, Universitas Labuhanbatu

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55227/ijhess.v4i4.1520

Keywords:

Ethics, Responsibility, Political Demagogy

Abstract

This research examines ethics and responsibility in the practice of political demagogy with the aim of understanding the conceptual and practical impact of this phenomenon. Political demagogy is defined as a practice in which leaders use manipulative rhetoric to influence the masses in favour of specific political interests. This research found that demagogy is characterised by emotional manipulation, distortion of facts, and populist rhetoric that exacerbates the polarisation of society. From an ethical perspective, demagogy violates the principles of honesty and transparency and exploits public fear and discontent, which can undermine trust in democratic institutions and increase social instability. The responsibility of political leaders is crucial in this context. Leaders are expected to maintain integrity, put the public interest first, and encourage constructive dialogue, as well as protect democratic institutions from the damage caused by demagogy. The research also identifies several practical steps needed, including improved political education and media literacy, as well as strengthened regulation against disinformation. Overall, this research emphasises the importance of a deep understanding of ethics and responsibility in politics to prevent the misuse of demagogy and ensure the health of democracy. With a comprehensive approach, society can be protected from the negative impacts of demagogy, and democracy can be better sustained.

References

Bishop, R. (2024). How to Echo: Knowing Things Well in a Polarized World. Experiments in Democracy, 1(1), 33-55.

Cohen, J. L. (2019). Populism and the Politics of Resentment. Jus Cogens, 1, 5-39.

Calhoun, C., Gaonkar, D. P., & Taylor, C. (2022). Degenerations of democracy. Harvard University Press.

Davis, A. (2020). Media, democracy and social change: Re-imagining political communications.

Demenchonok, E. (2018). Michel Foucault's Theory of Practices of the Self and the Quest for a New Philosophical Anthropology. Value Inquiry Book Series, 316.

Froehlich, T. J. (2019). The role of pseudo-cognitive authorities and self-deception in the dissemination of fake news. Open Information Science, 3(1), 115-136.

George, A. S. (2024). Weaponizing WhatsApp: Organized Propaganda and the Erosion of Democratic Discourse in India. Partners Universal Multidisciplinary Research Journal, 1(1), 22-36.

Giereło-Klimaszewska, K. (2019). Political Fact-Checking in the Czech Republic on the Example of demagog. cz and manipulatori. cz Portals. Mediatization Studies, 3.

Guriev, S., & Papaioannou, E. (2022). The political economy of populism. Journal of Economic Literature, 60(3), 753-832.

Hammond, K. R. (2019). Toward increasing competence of thought in public policy formation. In Judgement And Decision (pp. 11-32). Routledge.

Huberts, L. W. (2018). Integrity: What it is and Why it is Important. Public Integrity, 20(sup1), S18-S32.

Just, M., & Crigler, A. (2020, May). Populism: The Achilles heel of democracy. In Perspectives on Populism and the Media (pp. 125-144). Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG.

Lawler McDonough, M. (2018). The evolution of demagoguery: An updated understanding of demagogic rhetoric as interactive and ongoing. Communication Quarterly, 66(2), 138-156.

Lowenthal, L., & Guterman, N. (2021). Prophets of deceit: A study of the techniques of the American agitator. Verso Books.

Macagno, F. (2022). Argumentation profiles and the manipulation of common ground. The arguments of populist leaders on Twitter. Journal of Pragmatics, 191, 67-82.

Macrine, S. L. (Ed.). (2020). Critical pedagogy in uncertain times: Hope and possibilities. Springer Nature.

Miklaszewska, J. (2019). Freedom of speech in modern political culture. AVANT. Pismo Awangardy Filozoficzno-Naukowej, (1), 77-88.

Moravčíková, E. (2020). Media manipulation and propaganda in the post-truth era. Media Literacy and Academic Research, 3(2), 23-37.

Pabst, A. (2019). The demons of liberal democracy. John Wiley & Sons.

Petersen, M. B. (2020). The evolutionary psychology of mass mobilization: How disinformation and demagogues coordinate rather than manipulate. Current opinion in psychology, 35, 71-75.

Patapan, H. (2019). On populists and demagogues. Canadian Journal of Political Science/Revue canadienne de science politique, 52(4), 743-759.

Pearcy, M., & Clabough, J. (2018). Demagogues and the “Guardrails of Democracy”. Social Studies Research and Practice, 13(3), 345-356.

Phippen, A., Bond, E., & Buck, E. (2021). Effective strategies for information literacy education: combatting ‘fake news’ and empowering critical thinking. In Future Directions in Digital Information (pp. 39-53). Chandos Publishing.

Rubin, L. G. (2018). Demagogy and the Decline of Middle-Class Republicanism: Aristotle on the Trump Phenomenon. Trump and Political Philosophy: Leadership, Statesmanship, and Tyranny, 51-73.

Skinnell, R. (2019). Using democracy against itself: Demagogic rhetoric as an attack on democratic institutions. Rhetoric Society Quarterly, 49(3), 248-263.

Steudeman, M. J. (2019). Rethinking rhetorical education in times of demagoguery. Rhetoric Society Quarterly, 49(3), 297-314.

Somer, M., & McCoy, J. (2018). Déjà vu? Polarization and endangered democracies in the 21st century. American Behavioral Scientist, 62(1), 3-15.

Szakacs, J., & Bognar, E. (2021). The impact of disinformation campaigns about migrants and minority groups in the EU. Policy Department for External Relations Directorate General for External Policies of the Union. https://www. europarl. europa. eu/meetdocs/2014_2019/plmrep/COMMITTEES/INGE/DV/2021/07-12/IDADisinformation_migrant_minorities_EN. pdf.

Pearcy, M., & Clabough, J. (2018). Demagogues and the “Guardrails of Democracy”. Social Studies Research and Practice, 13(3), 345-356.

Van Heertum, R. (2021). Neoliberalism, neopopulism, and democracy in decline: The university under attack on multiple fronts. Whiteness, power, and resisting change in US higher education: A peculiar institution, 103-127.

Verstraete, M., Bambauer, J. R., & Bambauer, D. E. (2022). Identifying and countering fake news. Hastings LJ, 73, 821.

Wlezien, C., & Soroka, S. N. (2020). Political institutions and the opinion–policy link. In Assessing Political Representation in Europe (pp. 191-216). Routledge.