Abstract:

This study presumes that the giant technology corporations that dominate the Internet are becoming a historical power factor competing with governments. The so-called netocracy has already reached a level of influencing people that may have a real threat to the survival of governments and states. It analyses info-technology revolution as a trend and phenomenon that shape state power, the “new separation of powers”, which state governments have to face. Netocrats behind internet-based intelligent applications are becoming more efficient and successful power structures than the states. It is dubious whether any national or regional regulation and sanctioning will be able to limit the web’s technology titans’ power and influence over the people. Regarding the states and governments it is vital for the future whether they can move from the physical reality to digital (virtual) space where its citizens are living more intensively and in an increasing number. The so-called “digital state” is not simply a convenience, efficiency or service development issue. The “digital state” is the issue of the future existence of the state. It concludes that as far as netocracy progresses in governing and manipulating net-addictive people, the vision of the end of the history of state as a kind of archetype in state-theoretical thinking is becoming more and more realistic.
Keywords: government, post-state, dystopia, netocracy, cyberspace, digitalization, internet, power

References:

[1] BARD, A. and SÖDERQVIST, J., Netocracy: The New Power Elite and Life After Capitalism, Pearson FT Press, 2002.

[2] Aristotle, Politics, Gondolat, Budapest, 1994.

[3] Ch. B. de Montesquieu: The Spirit of Laws, Cosimo Inc, 2011.

[4] FUKUYAMA, F., The End of History and the Last Man, Free Press, 1992.

[5] FUKUYAMA, F., The Imperative of State-building Journal of Democracy; Apr 2004. 15.

[6] CLAEYS, G., Dystopia: A Natural History, Oxford University Press, 2017

[7] LOCKE, J., Two Treatises of Government, Cambridge University Press; 3rd edition (1988)

[8] HARARI, J. N., Homo Deus (2016)

[9] HARARI, J. N., Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow, Animus publisher. 2016.

[10] CSÍKSZENTMIHÁLYI, M., A fejlődés útjai, (The Roads to Development) Libri, 2007. (original edition 1993.)

[11] SAMU, M., Államelmélet, (The Theory of State) Budapest, Püski, 1992. 23.

[12] KIS, N., Anti-politics, Populism and Political Psychology, Comparative Politics Russia, 2018 T. 9 No2, p. 83-93.

[13] KAGAN, R., The Return of History, New York, Knopf, 2008.

[14] HUNTINGTON, S. P., The Clash of Civilizations, Simon&Schuster, 1997.

[15] St. Augustine, De Civitate Dei, Kairosz kiadó 2006.

[16] HOBBES, T., The Complete Works of Thomas Hobbes, Sold by Amazon Digital Services LLC, 2011.