The political history of the twentieth century can be viewed as the history of democracy s struggle against its external enemies: fascism and communism. This struggle ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet regime. Some people think that democracy now faces new enemies: Islamic fundamentalism, religious extremism and international terrorism and that this is the struggle that will define our times. Todorov disagrees: the biggest threat to democracy today is democracy itself. Its enemies are within: what the ancient Greeks called 'hubris'. Todorov argues that certain democratic values have been distorted and pushed to an extreme that serves the interests of dominant states and powerful individuals. In the name of democracy and human rights , the United States and some European countries have embarked on a crusade to enlighten some foreign populations through the use of force. Yet this mission to help others has led to Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo, to large-scale destruction and loss of life and to a moral crisis of growing proportions. The defence of freedom, if unlimited, can lead to the tyranny of individuals. Drawing on recent history as well as his own experience of growing up in a totalitarian regime, Todorov returns to examples borrowed from the Western canon: from a dispute between Augustine and Pelagius to the fierce debates among Enlightenment thinkers to explore the origin of these perversions of democracy. He argues compellingly that the real democratic ideal is to be found in the delicate, ever-changing balance between competing principles, popular sovereignty, freedom and progress. When one of these elements breaks free and turns into an over-riding principle, it becomes dangerous: populism, ultra-liberalism and messianism, the inner enemies of democracy.

The political history of the twentieth century can be viewed asthe history of democracy's struggle against its externalenemies: fascism and communism. This struggle ended with the fallof the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet regime. Somepeople think that democracy now faces new enemies: Islamicfundamentalism, religious extremism and internationalterrorism and that this is the struggle that will define ourtimes. Todorov disagrees: the biggest threat to democracy today isdemocracy itself. Its enemies are within: what the ancient Greekscalled 'hubris'.Todorov argues that certain democratic values have beendistorted and pushed to an extreme that serves the interests ofdominant states and powerful individuals. In the name of'democracy' and 'human rights', the UnitedStates and some European countries have embarked on a crusade toenlighten some foreign populations through the use of force. Yetthis mission to 'help' others has led to Abu Ghraib andGuantanamo, to large-scale destruction and loss of life and to amoral crisis of growing proportions. The defence of freedom, ifunlimited, can lead to the tyranny of individuals.Drawing on recent history as well as his own experience ofgrowing up in a totalitarian regime, Todorov returns to examplesborrowed from the Western canon: from a dispute between Augustineand Pelagius to the fierce debates among Enlightenmentthinkers to explore the origin of these perversions ofdemocracy. He argues compellingly that the real democratic ideal isto be found in the delicate, ever-changing balance betweencompeting principles, popular sovereignty, freedom and progress.When one of these elements breaks free and turns into anover-riding principle, it becomes dangerous: populismultra-liberalism and messianism, the inner enemies ofdemocracy.

1 Democracy and its Discontents 1The paradoxes of freedom 1External and internal enemies 4Democracy threatened by its own hubris 72 An Ancient Controversy 12The main characters 12Pelagius: will and perfection 14Augustine: the unconscious and original sin 19The outcome of the debate 223 Political Messianism 29The revolutionary moment 29The first wave: revolutionary and colonial wars 33The second wave: the Communist project 37The third wave: imposing democracy by bombs 45The Iraq war 48The internal damage: torture 50The war in Afghanistan 53The temptations of pride and power 57The war in Libya: the decision 59The war in Libya: the implementation 62Idealists and realists 67Politics in the face of morality and justice 714 The Tyranny of Individuals 78Protecting individuals 78Explaining human behaviour 81Communism and neoliberalism 87The fundamentalist temptation 91Neoliberalism's blind spots 97Freedom and attachment 1015 The Effects of Neoliberalism 104Blame it on science? 104The law retreats 109Loss of meaning 113Management techniques 116The power of the media 125Freedom of public speech 128The limits of freedom 1346 Populism and Xenophobia 139The rise of populism 139Populist discourse 142National identity 147Down with multiculturalism: the German case 150Britain and France 153The debate about headscarves 156One debate can hide another 162Relations with foreigners 166Living together better 1687 The Future of Democracy 173Democracy, dream and reality 173The enemy within us 179Towards renewal? 184Notes 189Index 197