Justifying democracy

Question 1

Christiano

Answer 1

Intrinsic value of democracy
“In order for people to be treated publicly as equals, they must have an equal say in collective decision making.”
> Individuals can’t be self governing, but they can be treated fairly > this is what is attractive about democracy

Question 2

Anderson

Answer 2

> Democracy has most importantly got intrinsic value > would rather democratic process than non-democratic/easier to get the same results as people enjoy the things that come along with it being a democratic process
Equality in decision making > feedback, discussion, deliberation and mutual respect are all inherent to democracy, creating a civil society where the private matters inform the public
Therefore, public drives priorities
Cites Sen

Question 3

Sen

Answer 3

no mass famine has ever happened in a democratic country

Question 4

Arneson

Answer 4

There is no moral right to having political power over other people’s lives.
> Therefore no moral right to intrinsically value democracy
> Notes the particular symbolism democratic western societies project of democracy
> There are varying degrees of liberty (one of the apparent intrinsic values of democracy)
> On epistocracy: cites violent altercation > some onlookers better equipped at judging than others

Question 5

Brennan (2011)

Answer 5

Restricted suffrage is more just than universal suffrage
There is a moral right to the competence principle for the electorate > because of implications a poor electorate can have on citizen’s life chances
> Wouldn’t accept an ignorant, irrational or morally unreasonable jury
> Although restricted suffrage violates qualified acceptability requirement (all agreeing), the violation of the competence principle in universal suffrage is more unjust because of the instrumental impacts according to Brenann

Question 6

Moraro

Answer 6

> Against Brenann’s
Good outcome of epistocracy is only based on its trustworthiness for seeking the common good
A selfish but politically competent group is more dangerous for the result than a selfish but politically incompetent group, as the first understand how to manipulate system for their benefit
demographic bias > wealthier citizens more likely to take risks
paternalism - do these groups need to be saved?

Question 7

Somin

Answer 7

“Main flaw of epistocracy may be that we don’t have the knowledge to make it work”

Question 8

Estlund

Answer 8

Demographic bias of epistocracy leaves it flawed
> There is epistemic value in deliberation
> Likely that demographic populations share interests
> having a degree is demographically unrepresentative
> E.g. The American south literacy tests
> Bias that leaves it flawed may be latent > simply to do with them not understanding concerns, only human

Question 9

John Stuart Mill

Answer 9

Democracy should be valued for these outcomes:
Epistemologically - deliberation, wide diversity of knowledge
Strategically - Decision makers need to take into account voters lives/opportunities/rights
-Benefits on character - Makes a more moral society, listening to one another, act autonomously