Extended Essays 2021

Introduction - Democratic Perversions?

On 6 January, 2021, headlines sensationally reported that the United States Capitol, considered

the symbol of democracy, was attacked by its own citizens. The attack was an attempt to

prevent the lawful processing of election results. A typical headline read, “Hundreds of the

president’s supporters stormed the Capitol in the most dramatic challenge to US democracy

since the civil war. ” 1 The outstanding feature was that the mob’s violent attack on the Senate’s

processing of the election results was inspired by Donald Trump, the incumbent President. As

a student of political philosophy, I recalled Aristotle’s observation that “man is a p olitical

animal” , which I interpret as politics is driven by irrationality and impulses. 2 Consequently, I

was fascinated by the motivations of the president and his followers, who had convinced

themselves that notions patriotism justified their circumventing of democratic laws.

The events of that day are globally consequential, because the United States is widely

considered as the cradle of modern democracy. This pervasive sentiment was eloquently

captured by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1940 when he declared, “w e defend and

we build a way of life, not for America alone, but for all mankind." 3 Notably, Roosevelt’s

quote is inscribed on a wall in The Capitol. I found myself wondering what Roosevelt would

have thought of Trum p’s rally that incited citizens. Prior to the riot, Trump exhorted the

following action.

And we fight. We fight like hell. And if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore. … So we're going to, we're going

1 " Maga Mob's Capitol Invasion Makes Trump's Assault On Democracy Literal". 2021. The Guardian . 2 Abbate. 2016. ""Higher" And "Lower" Political Animals: A Critical Analysis Of Aristotle's Account of The Political Animal". Journal Of Animal Ethics 6 3 President Franklin D. Roosevelt, fireside chat on national defense, May 26, 1940. The Public Papers and Addresses of Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1940, p. 240 (1941).

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