Against Democracy
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.45 (971 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0691178496 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 312 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2014-02-22 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
"Crowdsourcing is not consent of the governed" according to David Wineberg. The day after the Brexit referendum, the top internet search requests were for “benefits of EU membership”. This compactly explains Jason Brennan’s thesis in Against Democracy. Democracy is an operating system, nothing more. If you give it bad input…. His main argument boils down to governance being instrumental. If there is a better instrument than democracy, then we should use it and reap the benefits. Because in democracy, “knowledge and rationality do not pay, while ignorance and irrationality go unpunished”. A US senator is worth an average of $1Crowdsourcing is not consent of the governed David Wineberg The day after the Brexit referendum, the top internet search requests were for “benefits of EU membership”. This compactly explains Jason Brennan’s thesis in Against Democracy. Democracy is an operating system, nothing more. If you give it bad input…. His main argument boils down to governance being instrumental. If there is a better instrument than democracy, then we should use it and reap the benefits. Because in democracy, “knowledge and rationality do not pay, while ignorance and irrationality go unpunished”. A US senator is worth an average of $14 milli. milli. Thought provoking Jim Harbison Though many of the premises of this book will cause those of us rooted in a democratic tradition to shudder at first blush, the author makes us think with his persuasive arguments. And he causes us to think more widely outside the box, even if our eventual view may still be that democracy is best. Be prepared to do some careful thinking and evaluation of where your democratic beliefs come from.. Must Read for Political Theorists Paul D. Long An outstanding review of the historical and current defenses of democracies and the weakness to satisfy the principle of competency. Brennan offers a proposal for an epistocracy, a theory which advocates elimination of the voters who are ill-informed or not informed at all. Relying on the consequentialism of Mill he advocates a government which produces good policy based on the best available evidence. Only the "vulcans," the most rational and well-informed citizens will be the most influential in policy decisions.This is a great read for those interested in the current attacks on the electoral
Featuring a new preface that situates the book within the current political climate and discusses other alternatives beyond epistocracy, Against Democracy is a challenging critique of democracy and the first sustained defense of the rule of the knowledgeable.. These are some of our most cherished ideas about democracy. Given this grim picture, Brennan argues that a new system of governmentepistocracy, the rule of the knowledgeablemay be better than democracy, and that it's time to experiment and find out.A challenging critique of democracy and the first sustained defense of the rule of the knowledgeable, Against Democracy is essential reading for scholars and students of politics across the disciplines. And they believe that political participation is good for usit empowers us, helps us get what we want, and tends to make us smarter, more virtuous, and more caring for one another. Just as defendants have a right to a fair trial, citizens have a right to competent government. Furthermore, no one has a fundamental right to any share of political power, and exercising political power does most of us little good. But Jason Brennan says they are all wrong.In this trenchant book, Brennan argues that democracy shoul
He is the author of The Ethics of Voting (Princeton), and Why Not Capitalism?. Jason Brennan is the Flanagan Family Chair of Strategy, Economics, Ethics, and Public Policy at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University. . He writes regularly for Bleeding Heart Libertarians, a blog
The case for elitism in governance never read so well."--Zocalo Public Square"Meticulous and crisply written."--Tom Clark, Prospect"Mercilessly well-argued."--Niko Kolodny, Boston Review. Sure to cause howls of disagreement, but in the current toxic partisan climate, Brennan's polemic is as worth weighing as any other."--Kirkus"Important."--Ilya Somin, Washington Post Volokh Conspiracy"Against Democracychallenges a basic precept that most people take for granted: the morality of democracy. In the current toxic partisan climate, Brennan's polemic is as