Vytautas Kavolis: Morality and Art – Antidotes Against Vicissitudes of Democracy
The article deals with the Lithuanian–american liberal activist and scientist Vytautas Kavolis’ concept of democracy. It asserts that in approaching the nature of democracy, Kavolis is of opinion that the understanding of democracy as a complex of institutions and procedures is too narrow. First of all, he seeks to enlarge the procedural concept of democracy by two additional factors – democratic moral and aesthetic values. According to kavolis, democratic moral values guarantee a proper functioning of the democratic political system. Meanwhile, the democratic aesthetic values embodied in artworks create psychological support for democratic institutions and moral values in personalities of citizens. In the view of kavolis, also, an efficacy in solving practical problems of social life is an important condition of the vitality of the democratic political system. Finally, the article discusses what role the concept of democracy played in the development of kavolis’ general political theory.
Key Words: Vytautas Kavolis, Lithuanian liberalism, democracy, morality, aesthetization of politics
