Anonymity and Democracy

Absence as Presence in the Public Sphere

Authors

  • Hans Asenbaum University of Canberra
  • Caio Dayrell Santos Federal University of Minas Gerais
  • Lucas Veloso Federal University of Minas Gerais

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21878/compolitica.2021.11.2.584

Keywords:

Anonimity, Public Sphere, Democratic Theory

Abstract

Embora o anonimato seja uma característica central das democracias liberais - não apenas no voto secreto, mas também no financiamento de campanhas, publicação de textos políticos, protestos mascarados e pichações - até agora não foi conceitualmente fundamentado na teoria democrática. Ao invés disso, é tratado como um conceito autoexplicativo relacionado à privacidade. Para superar essa omissão, este artigo desenvolve uma compreensão complexa do anonimato no contexto da teoria democrática. Com base na literatura diversa sobre o anonimato na participação política, explica o anonimato como uma performance de identidade altamente dependente do contexto que expressa sentimentos privados na esfera pública. O caráter contraditório de seus elementos centrais - negação e criação de identidade - resulta em três conjuntos de liberdades contraditórias. O anonimato permite (a) inclusão e exclusão, (b) subversão e submissão e (c) honestidade e fraude. Este caráter contraditório das affordances do anonimato ilustra o papel ambíguo do anonimato na democracia.

Author Biography

Hans Asenbaum, University of Canberra

Pós-doutorando no Centro para Democracia Deliberativa e Governança Global do Instituto de Governança e Análise de Políticas da Universidade de Canberra, Austrália.

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Published

2022-02-22

How to Cite

Asenbaum, H., Santos, C. D., & Veloso, L. (2022). Anonymity and Democracy: Absence as Presence in the Public Sphere. Compolítica, 11(2), 129–166. https://doi.org/10.21878/compolitica.2021.11.2.584

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Artigo de autor convidado