Politics of fear: investigating the role of potential use of power in restricting citizen's freedom

Abstract

This thesis investigates the implications of political fear emotion. It aims to investigate the potential consequences of political fear. This study examines the emotion of fear in relation to both ethics and politics. While fear enables individuals to escape threats and dangers, thereby facilitating their survival through functional outcomes, it also possesses a quality that significantly complicates their lives. Under the influence of the power that generates fear, individuals find themselves compelled to engage in actions they would otherwise not undertake. Within the realm of politics, where power hierarchies are most visible, the power representing political authority influences the actions of citizens who do not possess an equivalent level of power through the means of fear. This situation generates negative ethical and political consequences in the domain of politics where power is not determined by law. This study argues that the emotion of political fear is utilized by the political authority, which represents political power and its potential for exerting power to restrict the freedom of citizens. In order to establish a strong foundation for the arguments in this thesis, the description of fear in the classical and modern periods is initially presented. Considering the relationship between the emotion of fear and politics, and therefore power and freedom, a comprehensive definition of fear is put forward. The various components of the emotion of fear and how they contribute to its qualitative nature are demonstrated. Based on these findings, it is emphasized that the use of power is one of the creative elements of fear. Along with this claim, it is highlighted that not only the direct use of violence but also the possibility of power usage generates the emotion of fear. Consequently, it is proposed that the emotion of fear has the potential to reveal authoritative structures with power in politics. While acknowledging the necessity of the limited use of power for ordered and peaceful societies, it is revealed that the arbitrary usage and accessibility of power lead to political fear among citizens, thereby limiting their freedom. As political authorities with power, which cause citizens to experience political fear, have the capability to manipulate their decisions and actions, it is argued that the created atmosphere of political fear undermines personal autonomy. It is concluded that for citizens to live in a free society, they need to be free from political fear. To make freedom possible, it is claimed that the power of political authorities that produce or have the potential to produce political fear should be restricted. To eliminate political fear, this power needs to be limited by rational institutions or dispersed among citizens. Only through this process can it be demonstrated that freedom, which is eradicated by political fear, can fully emerge. Citizens have a need for freedom because freedom is a vital necessity by having its intrinsic value, and people would otherwise suffer without it.