New Books in Political Science

Michael Fuerstein, "Experiments in Living Together: How Democracy Drives Social Progress" (Oxford UP, 2024)

Jan 1, 2025

Michael Fuerstein, a philosophy professor at St. Olaf College and author of "Experiments in Living Together," explores how democracy can drive social progress. He discusses the philosophical foundations of democracy and its role in moral discovery. Fuerstein examines transformative experiences like parenthood and societal changes that shape identity and decision-making. He also critiques traditional views of equality, addressing issues like racism and labor force participation, and suggests innovative solutions for combating democratic backsliding.

01:10:07

Episode guests

Michael Fuerstein

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Quick takeaways

Democracy's intrinsic value lies in fostering social and moral discovery, rather than solely producing defined social goods like stability.

Michael Fuerstein's unique journey into philosophy is marked by a blend of practical experiences and academic exploration of democratic theory.

The discussion highlights the threat of democratic backsliding and emphasizes the need to restore democratic norms for ongoing social progress.

Deep dives

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Intro

3min

Philosophy, Music, and Democracy

13min

The Dynamics of Preference Change in Democratic Processes

2min

Transformative Experiences and Democratic Progress

30min

Evaluating Social Values Through Experiments in Living

3min

Reevaluating Equality and Freedom

8min

Exploring Democratic Backsliding and Future Experiments in Governance

6min

Various kind of philosophical considerations have been offered in favor of democracy. By some accounts, democracy realizes some intrinsic value, such as equality or collective autonomy. According to other views, democracy’s value is more instrumental: it tends to produce or promote certain social goods like stability, prosperity, and peace. However, a longstanding alternative tradition locates democracy’s value in its capacity to make social and moral progress. Here, the idea isn’t so much that democracy produces an already-identified social good, but rather that democracy fosters a kind of social and moral discovery.

In Experiments in Living Together: How Democracy Drives Social Progress (Oxford UP, 2024), Michael Fuerstein draws on normative and empirical considerations in proposing a systematic account of democracy’s capacity to foster progress.

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New Books in Political Science

Michael Fuerstein, "Experiments in Living Together: How Democracy Drives Social Progress" (Oxford UP, 2024)

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Discussion Forums for Engaging Conversations

Democracy and Social Progress

Philosophical Journey into Democracy

Transformative Experiences and Social Change

Challenges of Democratic Backsliding

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts