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BPE Midterm > Chapter 3 > Flashcards

Chapter 3 Flashcards

1
Q

What are the two diff ways to think about democracy?

A

majority rules vs protecting all individuals

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2
Q

What is the Madisonian view of democracy?

A

Democracy requires the protection of minorities and dissenting opinions

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3
Q

Plato argues that democracy is mob rule, what does that mean?

A

most people are uneducated and this is why democracy is disasterous for society

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4
Q

What is plato’s basic weapon against democracy?

A

“Craft analogy” : if you were ill and wanted the advice of on your health you would go to an expert - the doctor

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5
Q

What was Plato’s view on leadership?

A

benevolent dictatorship - defer to experts
they are better at deciding the general will

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6
Q

What is the argument for democracy?

A

democracy is a good decision making process - better than other systems

intrinsic value of democratic process (perception of liberty)

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7
Q

What are the two values democracy expresses?

A

freedom and equality -
freedom = freedom in political decision making
equality = everyone has equal say in political decision making

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8
Q

What is general will, as defined by Rousseau?

A

the common interest
the morally correct outcome

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9
Q

What is particular will, as defined by Rousseau?

A

specific personal interests (exercising your vote in the way suits your interests)

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10
Q

How does Rousseau define censorship?

A

censor corrupted opinions to uphold public morality

–> this is for the common interest

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11
Q

explain rousseau’s idea of civil religion

A

Everyone HAS to participate in civil religion because it serves the common interest by bolstering morality

any religion can be followed as long as it is tolerant of other religions

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12
Q

What are the two arguments for democracy?

A

Democracy is better at identifying the general will
Democracy has intrinsic value because it advances values of freedom and equality

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13
Q

What is Rousseau’s view on the minority/dissenting opinion?

A

dissent should not be allowed it is against the common interest

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14
Q

What are the arguments for participatory democracy?

A

voluntarist assumptions are satisfied

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15
Q

What are the arguments against participatory democracy?

A

takes up too much time
inefficient
who asks the questions that are to be voted ON?

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16
Q

11

A

1

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17
Q

How did Mill think we should mitigate stupidity and ignorance in ballots?

A

GETTING RID OF EQUALITY
plural voting (educated = more vote)

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18
Q

What is the major dilemma of democracy?

A

Majority Rule vs protecting all citizens (tyranny of the majority)

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19
Q

What was Plato’s belief on leadership?

A

benevolent dictatorship
defer to expert rulers/philosopher kings
they can better judge the general will

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20
Q

What is the counterargument to Plato’s philosopher kings (guardians)?

A

they will likely become corrupt

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21
Q

How should Plato’s guardians act?

A

accordance with the general will

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22
Q

What type of government did Plato advocate for?

A

A system of benevolent dictatorship

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23
Q

Argument against democracy

A

people will vote in particular interest rather than public interest

(opinion polling is better at discovering the general will)

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24
Q

What analogy is used to show that democracy does not reveal individual preference?

A

smokers will smoke against smoking in a building because they think it is wrong for others to suffer at their benefit

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25
Q

What are the two different motivations for voting a particular way

A
  1. Personal preference
  2. What you believe is right
26
Q

Explain the issue of mixed motivation voting

A

Should voters vote according to their own interest or for the common good?

27
Q

How should people vote for democracy to be effective?

A

common good and not personal interest

28
Q

What argument did Concordet provide to prove that democracy will reveal the common good?

A

if people have a better chance on average of identifying the common good then majority vote is a good way to identify it.

29
Q

Conditions necessary for Concordet’s argument to work (2)

A
  1. individuals must have a greater than 50% chance of being correct
  2. people must vote in the common interest and not particular
30
Q

Explain the different types of value democracy has

A

valuable in identifying the general will
intrinsically valuable as a process ( perception of liberty)

31
Q

According to Rousseau, what is the difference between general and particular will?

A

General will: what is in everyones common interest (voting in what your view is the morally correct outcome) Particular will: an individual’s interest (exercising your vote in the way suits your interests)

32
Q

What type of government did Rousseau advocate for?

A

elected aristocracy - the wisest rule in accordance to what they think is the general will

33
Q

Name a key difference between Rousseau’s aristocrats and Plato’s guardians?

A

Rousseau’s aristocrats only administer the law (administering social programs etc)
whereas Plato’s guardians make the laws too.

34
Q

What was Rousseau’s view on inequality?

A

Rousseau wanted a classless society for the general will to affect everyone equally

35
Q

Why will voting for the general will not work?

A

because interest groups form and they will vote for what THEY think is the general will instead of what’s best for everyone

therefore voting will not reveal the general will

36
Q

What is Rousseau’s recommendation to make voting for the general will work?

A

there should either be no special interest groups or a huge amount of them so that one is not too powerful

37
Q

How can we prevent different interest groups from arising according to Rousseau?

A

Through education for civic virtue. (brainwashing)

37
Q

What are the criticisms of Rousseau’s theory? (4)

A
  1. Fascist/Totalitarian overtones 2. Lack of Individualism 3. Censorship 4. Civil Religion = lack of liberty

GENERALLY –> LACK OF LIBERTY

38
Q

1

A

1

39
Q

What are two arguments against Plato / for democracy?

A
  1. Democracy is better at identifying the general will 2. Democracy has intrinsic value because it advances values of freedom and equality
40
Q

According to Rousseau, what is necessary for genuine democracy?

A

A classless society in order for the general will to benefit everyone equally

41
Q

What are three radical criticisms of Rousseau?

A
  1. general will doesn’t actually exist 2. he wanted to kill dissenters 3. freedom can’t be equated with obedience
42
Q

How did Rousseau justify democracy and why is it wrong?

A

rousseau justification of democracy severely limits liberty

43
Q

Why is Roussaeu’s argument for democracy shit?

A

He is able to defend it, but restricts liberty so badly that it is not worth it.

44
Q

What was Rousseau’s view on dissenting citizens?

A

According to Rousseau, the dissenting citizens did not have a place in society

45
Q

Arguments against participatory democracy (3)

A
  1. who ever decides what is voted on is most powerful
  2. takes up to much time
  3. inefficient
45
Q

True or False? Voluntarism is satisfied under participatory democracy.

A

True

46
Q

Who defended representative democracy?

A

John Stuart Mill

47
Q

What were Mill’s thoughts on the purpose of the government?

A

to improve citizens quality of life and manage public affairs

48
Q

What ideal did Mill sacrifice in his vision of democracy

A

Equality → plural voting system / partial disenfranchisement in order to prevent incompetent policy (smarter and wealthier people’s votes count more)

48
Q

What was Mill’s key assumption?

A

People flourish only under conditions of independence & liberty

49
Q

What were Mill’s objections to Plato’s despotic government? (3)

A
  1. inaction amongst populace
  2. no incentive to become politically educated
  3. mindset of state shifts
50
Q

What did Mill believe needed to be true for democracy to flourish?

A

citizens need to be politically educated and must participate in local politics

51
Q

How did Mill think people should vote?

A

In accordance with the general interest

52
Q

What did Mill want for voting so people would vote for the general interest?

A

public voting

52
Q

What are the twin virtues / goals of democracy?

A

Equality and Freedom

53
Q

What is the flaw in Mill’s version of democracy?

A

IT’s highly unequal

PLURAL VOTING

54
Q

What is the flaw in Rousseau’s version of democracy?

A

would only work / could be justified with severe restrictions on freedom so it defeats the purpose

54
Q

What does democracy enable us to do?

A

It allows us to answer the question “what makes our leader’s rule legitimate?” and exercise some control over our rules.

55
Q

What are the two reasons democracy is valued?

A
  1. Decision making progress (extrinsic value) 2. Perception of liberty (intrinsic value)

BPE Midterm (6 decks)

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