Providential Democracy: An Essay on Contemporary Equality

Starting from the premise that a democratic nation bases its legitimacy upon a community of citizens made up of individuals who are free and equal from the civil, juridicial, and political standpoint, this work examines the concept of providential democracy, essentially giving priority to real equality – social and economic – as well as the formal equality of citizen-individuals. The author argues that the existence and aims of a Providence State – the redistribution of part of a nation's wealth among the national population – in fact weakens the community of citizens; and the emergence of a united Europe even further degrades the historical ties between the nation and its citizens.