Search Result

Srl

Item

ID: 118975

Democracy's dignity / Ober, Josiah

Ober, Josiah	Journal Article
	0 Rating(s) & 0 Review(s)

Publication

2012.

Summary/Abstract

Dignity, as equal high standing characterized by nonhumiliation and noninfantilization, is democracy's third core value. Along with liberty and equality, it is a necessary condition for collective self-governance. Dignity enables robust exercise of liberty and equality while resisting both neglectful libertarianism and paternalistic egalitarianism. The civic dignity required for democracy is specified through a taxonomy of incompletely and fully moralized forms of dignity. Distinctive features of different regimes of dignity are modeled by simple games and illustrated by historical case studies. Unlike traditional meritocracy and universal human dignity, a civic dignity regime is theoretically stable in a population of self-interested social agents. It is real-world stable because citizens are predictably well motivated to defend those threatened with indignity and because they have resources for effective collective action against threats to dignity. Meritocracy and civic dignity are not inherently liberal, but may persist within a liberal democracy committed to universal human dignity.

Key Words

Liberal Democracy ; Meritocracy ; Human Dignity ; Civic Dignity ; Neglectful Libertarianism

In Basket

Export

ID: 121092

Democracy's wisdom: an Aristotelian middle way for collective judgment / Ober, Josiah

Ober, Josiah	Journal Article
	0 Rating(s) & 0 Review(s)

Publication

2013.

Summary/Abstract

A satisfactory model of decision-making in an epistemic democracy must respect democratic values, while advancing citizens' interests, by taking account of relevant knowledge about the world. Analysis of passages in Aristotle and legislative process in classical Athens points to a "middle way" between independent-guess aggregation and deliberation: an epistemic approach to decision-making that offers a satisfactory model of collective judgment that is both time-sensitive and capable of setting agendas endogenously. By aggregating expertise across multiple domains, Relevant Expertise Aggregation (REA) enables a body of minimally competent voters to make superior choices among multiple options, on matters of common interest. REA differs from a standard Condorcet jury in combining deliberation with voting based on judgments about the reputations and arguments of domain-experts.

Key Words

Aristotle ; Epistemic Democracy ; Collective Jugdment ; Relevant Expertise Aggregation (REA)

In Basket

Export