Peace Is Not Agreement: Why Democracy Depends on Shared Reality and Mutual Legitimacy

Peace Is Not Agreement: Why Democracy Depends on Shared Reality and Mutual Legitimacy

Peace is often mistaken for agreement or calm. In reality, democracy depends on something deeper: a shared enough sense of reality and the ability to recognise each other as legitimate participants in public life. This article explores how misinformation, fractured trust, and declining empathy are weakening those foundations, and why that matters for peace.