Abstract
The relevance of this work was determined by the acute problem of value-based attitudes towards the world in modern conditions, articulated in the concepts of post-truth, the destruction of grand narratives of the past, and widespread fatigue and disappointment. This has led to the devaluation of traditional values and an axiological crisis. The aim of the work was to reveal the vulnerable aspects of democracy and their impact on the dynamics of values, globalisation and localisation processes of the present day. To achieve this aim, a set of methods was used, in particular, comparative, analytical, empirical, and causal. The research was conducted in the context of a sociocultural approach, based on the principles of systematicity and development. The research found that the instability of the world, permanent crises, and global challenges that characterise the modern era have led to significant sociocultural and political changes, which have become a serious test and threat to the democratic world. Leaders of political processes have increasingly appealed to the emotional and irrational sphere, defining it as the value base for political action. This has resulted in the global spread of manipulative practices, populist slogans, aggressive demagoguery, fear politics, and growing authoritarian tendencies in the socio-political sphere. Democracy, being limited in its ability to counter such practices, had at its disposal mainly means of dialogue, agreements, and deals that required prior consent, responsibility of the parties, and the willingness of all actors to comply with the terms of the agreements. This demonstrated the vulnerability of democracy, within which fertile ground was created for radicals and political criminals who viewed the stability of democratic values as weaknesses of democracy and used them to seize power, achieve immoral goals, and localise the population in closed communities through intimidation, violence, and political speculation. To counter this, the local unification of communities based on markers of patriotic nationalism seemed to be the most acceptable strategy, taking into account humanity's need for security and, at the same time, looking to the future. The results achieved can be used in educational and social work as separate topics in courses on ethics, philosophy, political science, etc.