The right to revolt: the European and Russian contexts

Abstract

Does a person have the right to revolt, or the right to public expression of disagreement? Such a right exists, and people use it periodically. In order to minimise the destructive effects of the implementation of this right, the ruling elite creates special institutions whose function could be to create a certain buffer between the individual and the government. The ruling elite is not interested in responding to the requests of the individual, as well as in private delegitimisation, because the individual’s satisfaction is associated with serious economic and reputational losses for the government. Historical experience shows that, regardless of the cultural tradition, a person can express their right to revolt, where concerned about the search for truth. From the author’s point of view, this ambitious quest for a particular individual, as well as the request on his part to official institutions, is, to some extent, associated with the cultural context. The author confirms this with examples, by drawing parallels between the European and Russian experiences.