Jason Brennan, “The Ethics of Voting” (Princeton UP, 2011)
Sep 30, 2011
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Political philosopher Jason Brennan challenges the notion of a moral duty to vote and explores the ethical implications of voting decisions, including the duty not to vote. He discusses the concept of the common good, civic virtue, and the ethics of buying and selling votes, arguing for informed and ethical choices in the electoral process.
Specialization beyond politics allows for diverse contributions to the common good, not limited to political engagement.
The 'ethics of participation' includes refraining from harmful collective actions, even if individual votes are inconsequential.
Voting well involves strategic choices for the common good, contrasting with immoral, ignorant, or irrational voting practices.
Deep dives
Defining Civic Virtue and Its Application
Civic virtue is seen as the disposition to promote the common good over private interests. This definition also applies outside political participation - in private activities like art, business, and personal interactions. By specializing in diverse areas, individuals can contribute to the common good through various endeavors, not limited to political engagement. Specialization enables mutual benefit and allows individuals to repay societal debts.
Ethical Considerations in Voting Participation
In the face of inconsequential individual votes, the concept of an 'ethics of participation' is explored. Using a thought experiment of sharpshooters, the clean hands principle is introduced - suggesting that ethical obligations exist even if individual actions don't alter outcomes. This principle extends to voting ethics, highlighting scenarios where abstaining from harmful collective actions is morally imperative.
The Duty Not to Vote
Despite individual votes having minimal impact, there is an argument for a duty not to vote in certain situations. When participation in collective activities yields harmful results but individual actions are inconsequential, individuals may have an ethical obligation to refrain from contributing to such activities. This challenges the conventional view of duty solely linked to voting.
Specialization and Repayment of Social Debt
Specialization in various activities beyond politics, such as art and business, enables individuals to contribute to the common good in different ways. By focusing on personal strengths and areas of expertise, individuals can repay societal debts through diverse means, showing that civic virtue is not limited to political engagement alone.
Essence of Good Voting
Voting well entails choosing a candidate that aligns with what you justifiably believe will benefit the common good. This includes considering strategic voting based on the voting behaviors of others and the potential outcomes such as gridlock. Conversely, bad voting involves making decisions based on deeply immoral beliefs, significant ignorance, or irrationality, instead of justifiable beliefs for promoting the common good.
Discussion on Voting Ethics and Obligations
The podcast delves into the ethical obligations related to voting, emphasizing different forms of unethical voting practices. It distinguishes three types of wrongful voting – unexcused harmful voting, fortuitous voting, and fringe voting. In exploring whether to accept payment for voting or introducing money into the voting process, the argument centers on the absence of inherent wrongness in receiving compensation for voting aligned with one's justifiable beliefs, as compared to voting for self-interest or exploiting others.
It is commonly held that citizens in a democratic society have a civic duty to participate in the processes of collective self-government. Often, this duty is held to be satisfied by voting. In fact, the sentiment is commonly expressed that voting is always a good thing for citizens to do,...
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