Post-traditional order contesting the hierarchy of legitimacy

"The notion of a post-traditional order is linked to the growth of scientific rationality as a critical methodology which undermines its own basis. In modern society no authority can hope to stand simply on the traditional basis of its position in the hierarchy of legitimacy. Any claim to know what is best can be called into question. Government and experts must always be able to justify themselves and can no longer expect to call upon the kind of deference [...] that Almond and Verba saw as characteristic of successful democratic culture (Almond & Verba:1963)."

(Peter Taylor-Gooby, p.7)

Almond, G & Verba, S. 1963 The Civic Culture, Political Attitudes and Democracy in Five Nations, Princeton, New Jersey, USA: Princeton University Press.
[2] Peter Taylor-Gooby. (2001). Risk, Contingency and the Third Way: Evidence from the BHPS and Qualitative Studies. Volume 35 Issue 2, Pages 195 - 211.

Fig.1 David Kelly & Tony Blair (http://vorige.nrc.nl/multimedia/dynamic/00295/davidkelly_295522a.jpg http://businesstoday.lk/cpanel/uploader/943/BREAK-THE-DEADLOCK.jpg.JPEG)

[Anthony Giggens' risk society theory suggests that globalisation, the post-traditional social order and social reflexivity are key to social changes affecting modern society.]

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