An Epistemic Theory of Democracy

Robert E. Goodin (Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Australian National University),Kai Spiekermann (Associate Professor of Political Philosophy, Associate Professor of Political Philosophy, London School of Economics)

An Epistemic Theory of Democracy
Format
Hardback
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Country
United Kingdom
Published
17 May 2018
Pages
470
ISBN
9780198823452

An Epistemic Theory of Democracy

Robert E. Goodin (Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Australian National University),Kai Spiekermann (Associate Professor of Political Philosophy, Associate Professor of Political Philosophy, London School of Economics)

Among the many attractive features of democracy is its tendency to track the truth, at least under certain idealized assumptions. That basic result has been known since 1785, when Condorcet published his famous Jury Theorem, but its assumptions have been regarded as too restrictive to apply to the real world. In An Epistemic Theory of Democracy, Goodin and Spiekermann show that those assumptions can be substantially weakened while preserving those same truth-tracking properties. They discuss different ways of making the theorem genuinely applicable to the real world, and use the theorem to assess how various familiar political institutions and practices might best take advantage of the truth tracking potential of majoritarian democracy. The book concludes with a discussion of how epistemic democracy might be undermined, as illustrated by the Trump and Brexit campaigns.

This item is not currently in-stock. It can be ordered online and is expected to ship in approx 4 weeks

Our stock data is updated periodically, and availability may change throughout the day for in-demand items. Please call the relevant shop for the most current stock information. Prices are subject to change without notice.

Sign in or become a Readings Member to add this title to a wishlist.