Is a democratic society a social society?

If this notion has existed since Plato, who developed its theory, it only appeared in the deep and full sense that we understand in our Western societies from the French Revolution onwards. Since that period, citizens are now free and equal in rights.

Democracy then becomes, according to Abraham Lincoln’s famous phrase, “government of the people, by the people, for the people.”
Democracy therefore designates a political state characterized by equality of rights. Every person in a democratic regime has the right to identical treatment, this right being guaranteed by formal rules.
Democracy also designates, and above all, a social state, defined by the standardization of lifestyles. It implies the disappearance of social classes and an increase in social mobility.
Finally, let us not forget that democracy is also a state of mind. Thus, the spirit of equality is defined as the tendency of individuals in democratic societies to consider themselves as equals regardless of real inequalities.

But today, do we live in a society in accordance with these democratic values?

In an article published in the MAUSS review in 2005, the philosopher Fabrice Flipo wonders if sustainable development is the future of democracy. Let us indulge in thinking that sustainable development can be a factor of democratization. It can also be a factor of awareness of the seriousness of the situation we find ourselves in