Reconceptualization of the theoretical legacy of V.L. Tsymbursky: political legitimation in the context of digitalization of international relations

The aim of the article is to reconceptualize the political science heritage of V.L. Tsymbursky in the context of digitalization of legitimation, international relations and geopolitics. At the same time, political science reconceptualization was originally understood as a refinement, adjustment of the previous political science conceptual schemes in the changed conditions. The principles of discourse analysis of three analyzed arrays of specialized literature (works of the Tsymbursky himself, studies of other authors on the works of Tsymbursky, works in the field of legitimation and digitalization) and Case Study of modern facts of legitimation of political regimes in the context of digitalization of international relations were used as a basic methodological toolkit for reconceptualization. The analysis made it possible to conditionally divide the geopolitical schemes of a political scientist into «island» and «cyclical» schemes, as well as highlight a specific scheme of «fact-recognition». Reconceptualization of the «Island of Russia» and «Great Limitroph» schemes is determined by the possibility of adapting to the analysis of the phenomenon of digital sovereignty associated with the consolidation of «island» features of regimes in the information space and the conditions of information wars of regimes in limitrophic countries. It has been determined that the schemes «Abduction of Europe» and «Extra-long military cycles» can be useful in identifying the correlations of crises of legitimizing formulas with constitutional cycles and cycles of foreign policy activity of the regimes. In parallel, it was found that the most important, umbrella, interdisciplinary nature is precisely the «fact-recognition» scheme. It allows you to link the analysis of digitalization of international relations, sovereignty with the theory of legitimation. As conclusions, it is indicated that the digitalization of international relations has led to an exaggerated role of external legitimation of the regime, «sovereignty of recognition» by other regimes, weakening the meaning of «sovereignty of fact» and reducing the monopoly of internal legitimation. The digitalization of international relations was also found to have shaken the former monopoly of top-down political legitimation. The factors of information, fake wars, challenges of digital diplomacy forced the elites to look for ways to establish an upward legitimation of their regimes, allowing elements of an empowerment strategy. The theoretical significance of the carried out political science reconceptualization is seen in the serious prospects for adapting Tsymbursky's geopolitical schemes to the actual analysis of modern digitalization of various forms of political legitimation and international relations.

Algorithmization of Power: Digital Metamorphoses of Political Regimes and Sovereignty

The work opens the thematic issue «Digitalization and Novus Ordo Seclorum: International Relations and Geopolitics in Digital». The purpose of the article is to determine the features of the most fundamental phenomenon rooted in the digital metamorphosis of political regimes, sovereignty and geopolitics - the algorithmicization of power. As the main methodological optics, the principles of discourse analysis of scientific literature (including the works of the thematic issue) and the techniques of scriptwriters are used. The work emphasizes that algorithms are becoming a carrier of «structural violence» (an invisible, but real threat of sanctions against those who disagree with the current rules of digital communication). The power of algorithms is revealed in the fact that they begin to determine to the citizen what is best for him and what is not, including in the political sphere. At the same time, the one who owns the management algorithms that build communication processes and determine the interface, communication functionality, he has algorithmic power. Such accompanying phenomena of the algorithmicization of power as sociotechnical reality, predictive analytics, network policy, political interface, filtering bubbles and affordances are considered. It has been determined that in the new socio-technical reality (the phygital world), algorithms occupy the most important place, since it is they that fasten the Social with the Technical. The conclusions emphasize that digital sovereignty presupposes several components - the regime has its own network policy (communication arenas) and a political interface (software serving these communication arenas). The theoretical significance of the article is seen in the author's thesis, according to which algorithms, being constituent elements of software, bring the policy of ensuring digital sovereignty closer to different technologies of political legitimation of the regime - internal and external, top-down and bottom-up. In addition, the paper proposes scenarios for the evolution of algorithmic power. In addition, the practical significance of the study is seen in the fact that the work proposes scenarios for the evolution of algorithmic power.

The democratic king: The role of ritualized flattery in political discourse

Research has shown that personality cults are a strategy to further political legitimation. They function to secure a leader’s position in the absence of democratic legitimation methods by using excessive flattery towards the leader. Habitual public flattery towards democratic leaders has not received scholarly attention, even though it can provide insight into the danger authoritarian discursive rituals can have on democratic processes. By applying a ritual perspective to a comparative case study analysis, this paper illustrates how political flattery is not just an instrumental means for self-promotion in the political order, but also a manipulative and antidemocratic exploitation of epideictic rhetoric. Furthermore, the implicit requirement for ritualized flattery hinders accountability and deliberative decision-making, and the process of integrating differences of opinion or interest towards a collective and impartial political practice. Leaders who surround themselves with sycophants encourage opinion- and action-conformity to whatever pleases that specific leader.

Social Control of Women’s Body as Cultural-Political Legitimation in “Putri Cina” Novel

This research aimed to describe the depiction of the female body’s domination as a form of political-cultural legitimacy raised in Sindhunata’s work entitled Putri Cina. Michel Foucault’s theory of discourse was applied as the approach to reveal how sexuality was closely related to power practices. The discourse presented in the novel was dissected by qualitative methods, descriptive qualitative, and interpretative data analysis techniques. The results show that the two main characters of this novel are Chinese women who experienced oppression in Java. The existence of a cultural identity crisis, abjection, passivity, and not subversion represents the figure of alienated women. This perspective is intertwined with how indigenous men perceive Chinese women figures. Sindhunata describes the unequal construction of sexuality between men and women and the discrimination of the Chinese race as repeated during the kingdom era, pre-independence, to the New Order era.

Different Levels of Ethnic Kinship: The Next Step in Cross-Border Minority Issues?

This article serves as a comprehensive literature review on cross-border minority issues in Europe, and after a thorough analysis, we discuss the role of ethnic kinship in such matters. After exploring the literature, we conclude that the theoretical frameworks deployed so far seem to be appropriate in cases of direct ethnic kinship (i.e. when the observed groups are, ethnologically speaking, the same, except for obvious regional differences), but they are insufficient for indirect ethnic kinship (i.e. when the observed groups are, ethnologically speaking, differentiated, but remain ideologically attached because of various reasons related to common history, linguistic background, identity or ancient ancestry). We provide some examples of indirect kinship, explain why the levels of political legitimation are different for all actors involved and present a new theoretical framework to study ethnic kinship not as binary, but as a phenomenon with different levels.

Legitimität, Sicherheit, Autonomie

This book examines the current dynamic and momentous development of European security policy. In doing so, it provides an important and original contribution to both practical philosophy and to the fields of security studies and European studies. Using concrete analyses and by offering possible solutions to certain problems, the book develops an approach that is embedded in reality and which, at the same time, insists on theory and normativity. It focuses on the characteristics of new security technologies and ways in which security is understood as well as their influence on the ‘Copernican Revolution’ of the modern age, through which individuals and the protection of their fundamental rights have become the focus of political legitimation.

Authority, legitimacy, and contestation in global governance

As global governance institutions appear increasingly contested by state and non-state actors alike, understanding their origin, operation, and impact is becoming ever more urgent. This symposium uses Michael Zürn's A Theory of Global Governance: Authority, Legitimacy, and Contestation (OUP, 2018) as a springboard to explore the state of global governance theory. A Theory opens new terrain and advances bold and original arguments, including the contention that global governance is itself best understood as a political system. It analyzes a cycle from rising authority beyond the state through the 20th century, to ensuing legitimation problems toward the century's end, to the politicization and contestation triggered by such problems. A book of such ambition inevitably elicits queries within diverse international relations research communities. This symposium features seven articles from diverse traditions in engagement with A Theory's understanding of global contestation, authority, and legitimacy. These are followed by a response from Zürn. An introduction situates A Theory within extant research on global governance, highlights its endogenous theory of global politics, and identifies the stakes of deepening research on the sources of global authority, contestation, and political legitimation.