Politics

Abstract

Løgstrup firstly argues that the differences between the estate-based society of Luther’s time and our modern society mean that we cannot simply apply Luther to today’s problems. Løgstrup turns to specific political issues: state funding of culture, the influence of non-governmental organizations and pressure groups, and the rules of diplomacy in foreign policy. One particular problem related to Luther concerns the right of resistance, since Luther and the Reformers clearly forbade rebellion. But today, due to the structure of power in democracies, we not only have a right of resistance, but a duty to resist oppressors. Løgstrup discusses the problem of how to maintain high standards (e.g. in education and culture) in a democratic society, because democracy involves the risk that the knowledge of experts will be set aside by the will of the uninformed many. Løgstrup also discusses democracy’s risk of becoming a utopian trust in progress and development.