Philosophy as a Moral Guide
Avishai Margalit, a prominent contemporary thinker, presents us in his essay ‘Poisoned Pacts’ a fundamental dilemma: What is the price we are willing to pay to reach agreements with others? His perspective highlights the importance of values that we must not negotiate, which prompts us to reflect on our identity.
Democracy: A Commitment with Limits
Margalit interprets democracy as a space of compromise where various ideologies can coexist. However, he notes that there are situations that require non-negotiable red lines. Renouncing these principles is not only a moral issue, but can lead to an erosion of collective identity.
Poisoned Pacts and the Costs of Accepting Them
These compromising compromises may seem attractive at the time, especially in the face of political pressure. However, Margalit warns that the long-term costs, both personal and societal, can be irreparable, undermining the foundations on which we build our lives and communities.
The Threshold of Decency in Politics
Margalit’s thinking also leads us to consider the distinction between a ‘decent society’ and a ‘just society’. Without decency, justice loses its essence. This is relevant to analyze the power relations that prevail in contexts such as Catalonia, where political pacts must be carefully rethought to avoid humiliation and rights violations.
The Current Context in Catalonia
The recent situation in Catalonia perfectly illustrates the challenges that Margalit describes. With early elections that have forced ERC to make complicated choices, the debate about its strategy turns cruel. It is a time when the danger of poisoned pacts is back at the forefront, with ERC valuing an alliance with the PSC that some see as a betrayal of pro-independence values.
The Consequences of Resignation
Accepting an agreement with the PSC would imply accepting a situation that relegates loyalist ideals to self-determination and, consequently, worsens the political landscape with which one has to live. If fundamental values are ignored, this type of pact becomes a form of self-arbitration of political commitment.
A Call to Reflection and Courage
The ERC decision, far from being a simple administrative matter, affects the identity and credibility of the party and of Catalan sovereignty in general. Modernizing the debate, it is crucial that activists and citizens reassess what they are really willing to accept as the price of their politics. The pacts cannot be seen as a magical solution that forgets the radical political deception that can be imposed in their acceptance.
The Risk of Assimilation
Margalit makes a clear warning about the dangers of assimilationism. History shows us that agreements that seem reasonable can lead to mental submission, which leads people and institutions to accept oppression as the new normal, instead of resisting the offensive against their freedom.
The art of Resilience
In the end, strengthening the values of independence and dignity is not only an act of resistance to oppression, but an affirmation of who we are as a community. In the current period, it is essential that citizens, militants and leaders remember that true courage and freedom come from those who rise in the face of injustice, without committing themselves to pacts that can prove self-destructive.