Psychology of political morality, ethics, and law: the Western Balkans' review

Abstract

The study's objective is to critically explore the relationship between politics, morality, ethics, and law, focusing on the Western Balkans. Like morality, politics is an activity and an effort around the community. As a concern for the community, and the everyday life of the people, morality would be the first kind, the first and most favorable form of politics. It means acting for the community's benefit, especially for the benefit of those who cannot fight for justice independently. Alternatively, if it accepts good and best customs as a regulation of its actions, it would have to be a pure moral derivative. Theoretically, then, politics should be the essence of morality. Human amorality is most prevalent in political parties. A transparent society's struggle should be based on political actors', a power-holders real will to make positive social values such as honesty, responsibility, and efficiency desirable behavior. To act morally also means to self-limit the power that arises from a political position restraint from conformism. It is a society's strategic commitment to preventing corrupt behavior by installing systematic tools in public authorities, corrupt irregularities sanction, and irresponsible individuals punished and prevented from acting in public. Hypocrisy and private interest characterized by civil society's industrial phase are rampant in post-Yugoslav societies. Individuals remain subjects of politics; without them, neither justice nor morality will happen. Affirming the idea of sociopolitical justice and democracy valued by the government's attitude towards the individual is the foundation of the theory of human rights' inalienability.

Keywords

• Political morality psychology
• Ethics
• Law
• Justice
• Political responsibility
• Corrupt behavior
• Transparency
• Western Balkans

References

1. Arapović A., & Lučić A, (2014), Capable and not eligible, Departtization and depoliticization of public administration: a way out of the crisis of responsibility, CCI, Center for Civil Initiatives
2. Bajtal, E., (2011). Kleroetnizacija svijesti kao izdaja morala (Clero-ethnicization of consciousness, as a betrayal of morals). Zbornik Orbis, http://www.orbus.be/zbornik/klero-etnizacija_svijesti.htm
3. Centre for Investigative reporting, Report (2019). https://www.cin.ba/about/
4. Freedom House, 2018., 2017., 2016., Nation in Transit Bosnia and Herzegovina https://freedomhouse.org/report/nations-transit/2018/bosnia-and-herzegovina
5. Freedom House, 2018., 2017., 2016., Nation in Transit Croatia, https://freedomhouse.org/report/nations-transit/2018/croatia
6. Freedom House, 2018., 2017., 2016., Nation in Transit Kosovo https://freedomhouse.org/report/nations-transit/2018/kosovo
7. Freedom House, 2018., 2017., 2016., Nation in Transit Serbia https://freedomhouse.org/report/nations-transit/2018/
8. Giddens, A. (ed.) (2003) The Progressive Manifesto. New Ideas for the Centre-Left. Cambridge, Polity Press

9. Glas Slavonije, (2016). Sve njima nista narodu (All to them, nothing to people). http://www.glas-slavonije.hr/318300/11/Sve-njima-nista-narodu-Kako-su-politicke-elite-umjesto-rada-za-dobrobit-drustva-radile-za-vlastite-interese
10. Hadžić, F. (2020). The Politicization of Religion and the Sacralized Balkan Nations Regarding Bosnia and Herzegovina, Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe, 40(7), 8. https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/ree/vol40/iss7/8
11. Hadžić, F. (2020). Multiculturalism challenges and the culture of fear in the Balkans regarding former Yugoslavia“. International Journal for Research and Analytical Reviews, 7(3), 812-822. http://doi.one/10.1729/Journal.24345
12. Hadžić, F. (2020). The influence of social media on threats to identity, stability and national security; institutional inefficiency and vulnerability of B&H, Defendology, Volume 45-46. 10.7251/DEFEN4520067H
13. Hadžić, F., (2020a). Post-Yugoslav spaces between defective democracies, authoritarianism, and kleptocracies. International Affairs and Global Strategy, 86, 38-52. 10.7176/IAGS/86-04
14. Haidt, J. (2010), Morality, with S. Kesebir. pp. 797–832 in Handbook of Social Psychology (5th ed.), edited by S. Fiske, D. Gilbert, and G. Lindzey. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
15. Hart H. (1994). Pojam prava, (Notion of Law) translation N. Krznarič, Izdavacki centar Cetinje
16. Hein, M. & Fruhstorfer, A. (2016). Constitutional Politics in Central and Eastern Europe, From Post-Socialist Transition to the Reform of Political Systems, Springer VS.
17. Hofstede Insights, (2019). Country Comparison, https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country-comparison/croatia/2019
18. Kelsen, H. (1934). Pure theory and law. Naklada Breza
19. Masciulli, J., Molchanov, M. A., Knight, W. A. (Eds), (2009), The Ashgate Research Companion to Political Leadership (Ashgate, Aldershot)
20. Papić, Ž.. (2002). Bosnia and the Balkans, possibilities, and conditions for recovery, Forum Bosna, Sarajevo, No. 17/02
21. Rawls, J. (1971). Theory of justice, Belknap Press
22. Steinacker, G. (2020). Balkanom vladaju kleptokratoi uz blagoslov EU (The Balkans are ruled by kleptocrats with the blessing of the EU). https://www.dw.com/hr/balkanom- vladaju-kleptokrati-uz-blagoslov-eu-a/a-54321679
23. Teokarević, J. (2009). Democratization of the Balkan Postcommunist Political Systems, Milan Podunavac (ed), State and Democracy. Službeni Glasnik I Fakultet Političkih Nauka, 353-371.
24. Thompson, D. (2007). Political Ethics and Public Office, Harvard
25. Transparency International, (2020). Corruption perception index Report. https://ti-bih.org/
26. Tonkiss, K. (2006). Analysis text and speech: content and discourse analysis. C. Seale, (2nd ed.). In. Researching Society and Culture. (367-383). Lodan:Sage
27. Turiel, E. (2018). Moral Development in the Early Years: When and How, Human Development, 61, 297–308 https://doi.org/10.1159/000492805
28. Vladisavljevič, N. (2011). Constitution and Democracy in the Process of Transformation, Democracy, Consolidation of Democracy and the Example of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Faculty of Political Science
29. Vujić, J., (2019). Korjeni Hrvatske kleptokratije (Roots of Croatian kleptocracy), https://projektvelebit.com/korijeni-hrvatske-kleptokracije/