Jason Brennan, an American philosopher and business professor, discusses the faults and flaws of democracy, highlighting the challenges posed by political complexity and individual knowledge limitations. He explores the societal appeal and skepticism towards democracy, delves into the sociological meaning of the right to vote, compares voting to medical practice, and questions the feasibility and competence of democratic systems. The analogy of seat belt laws is used to discuss individual choice and the wider societal consequences of not voting.
Democracy can lead to governance by uninformed individuals, unaware of the intricate issues at stake.
Empirical evidence challenges the theory that individuals vote based on values and understanding of how the world works.
Democracy often falls short of the competence principle, as voters select representatives based on social and identity-related reasons rather than competence.
Deep dives
Defining Democracy
Democracy is defined as any political system in which power is equally distributed among all members of the polity, with an inclusive understanding of membership. The concept of fundamental power and the extent of democracy are still debated.
The Obvious and Dubious Nature of Democracy
Democracy is seen as an obvious and desirable concept, with the argument that it prevents exploitation and benefits the majority. However, the complexity of political decisions raises doubts about the ability of the masses to make informed choices. Critics argue that democracy can lead to governance by uninformed individuals, unaware of the intricate issues at stake.
Democracy as a Symbol of Equality
The perceived philosophical ascendancy of democracy stems from a widespread skepticism of authority and a desire for equality. Democracy provides the story that people rule themselves, thus avoiding unequal power dynamics. The symbolic value and expression of equality associated with democracy are deemed highly compelling by proponents, even though practical challenges exist in achieving genuine equal representation and decision-making.
Democracy as a flawed theory of political decision-making
The theory of democracy posits that individuals form their political preferences based on values and understandings of how the world works, and then vote for the party or candidate that aligns with their preferences. However, empirical evidence challenges this theory, showing that a majority of the public does not have strong ideological values and often votes based on social identity or attachment to a particular party. Voter knowledge is also limited, with many citizens lacking basic information on political issues. This undermines the idea that democracy converts the popular will into effective government and raises questions about the legitimacy and efficacy of democratic decision-making.
The competence principle and the need for better decision-makers
A critique of democracy is the competence principle, which argues that those in power have an obligation to act competently and in good faith when making decisions that affect others. However, democracy often falls short of this principle, as voters select representatives based on social and identity-related reasons rather than an informed assessment of competence. To address this, alternative approaches to decision-making, such as random selection, are suggested to improve the quality of decision-makers. While these alternative systems are not perfect and may still be subject to manipulation, the focus should be on finding a system that is comparatively better and leads to improved outcomes.
Jason Brennan is an American philosopher and business professo at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University.
Brennan writes about democratic theory, the ethics of voting, competence and power, freedom, and the moral foundations of commercial society. (Wikipedia.) He speaks in this episode about the faults and flaws of democracy, and why people are often not as good as voting as they think they are.
