Resumen

HERNANDEZ ARTEAGA, Laura. The theory of democracy in Ágnes Heller. Estud. polít. (Méx.) [online]. 2025, n.66, pp.1-19.  Epub 07-Ago-2026. ISSN 0185-1616.  https://doi.org/10.22201/fcpys.24484903e.2025.66.94080.

The paper reconstructs the democratic theory of Ágnes Heller, a Hungarian philosopher whose work intertwines ethics, politics, and intellectual biography. Starting from her Marxist formation and subsequent shift toward a “reflective post-Marxism,” it examines the philosophical foundations that shape her democratic conception: Kantian moral autonomy, the Aristotelian notion of the good citizen, and the integration of emotions into political judgment. Heller conceives democracy as a normative project of modernity, grounded in symmetrical reciprocity, rational deliberation, and respect for human dignity. The study analyzes her proposal of “The Great Republic,” a model that balances direct democracy and multi-party representation. It also addresses her interpretation of the liberalism-democracy relationship, where freedom and equality are understood as complementary values requiring institutional protection through strong constitutions. Finally, it examines her notion of “Orbanism” as a form of elective autocracy and a threat to liberal constitutionalism, in dialogue with her defense of an active, morally committed, and deliberative citizenry.

Palabras llave : Ágnes Heller; liberal democracy; rationality; Great Republic; good citizen.

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