Book abstract

This book explores the political dimensions of knowledge in democratic-cum-capitalist societies – a highly relevant topic in times of “fake news” and distrust of experts. It develops the perspective of “democratic institutionalism” for exploring the possibility of epistemic improvements in democratic societies. Three key mechanisms for the social coordination of knowledge in complex societies are 1) markets, 2) expert communities, and 3) democratic deliberation. Many current problems can be understood as misapplications of these mechanisms to areas where they do not belong. In particular, market mechanisms have been far too influential and need to be reined in. My core thesis is that rather than leaving knowledge to markets, citizens need to adopt a “democratic institutionalist” approach in order to preserve democratic institutions and to enable the coordination of knowledge. The book combines philosophical arguments with insights from political science, law, psychology, and history of ideas, integrating various discourses into a “bigger picture.”

Invited Commentators

Chapter I: Introduction – presented by Lisa Herzog

Chapter II: Knowledge: social, practical, political – commentary by Eyja Brynjarsdóttir (University of Iceland)

Chapter III: Markets, deliberators, experts – commentary by Jeroen de Ridder (VU Amsterdam)

Chapter IV & VII: The rise of free market thinking and putting the market in its place – commentary by Stefan Sciaraffa (McMaster University)

Chapter V: What’s wrong with the “marketplace of ideas”? – commentary by Rudolf Schüssler (University of Bayreuth)

Chapter VI: Democratic institutionalism – commentary by Jack Knight (Duke University)

Chapter VIII: Experts in democracies – commentary by Alfred Moore (University of York)

Chapter IX & XI: The epistemic infrastructure of democracy and Defending democracy – socially, institutionally, pragmatically – commentary by Thomas Christiano (University of Arizona)

Chapter X: The epistemic benefits of social justice – commentary by Johannes Steizinger (McMaster University)

Timetable in Eastern Standard Time, GMT-5

(starting time in Amsterdam time: 16.00)

March 28

10.00-10.15     Welcome and round of introductions

10.15-10.30     Presentation of the book project by Lisa Herzog

10.30-11.00     Chap. II (20 min commentary, 5 min response, Q&A)

11.00-11.15     Short break

11.15-11.45     Chap. III (20 min commentary, 5 min response, Q&A)

11.45-12.15     Chap. V (20 min commentary, 5 min response, Q&A)

12.15-12.30     Short break

12.30-13.00     Chap. VI (20 min commentary, 5 min response, Q&A)

March 29

10.00-10.30     Chap. IV & VII (20 min commentary, 5 min response, Q&A)

10.30-11.00     Chap. VIII (20 min commentary, 5 min response, Q&A)

11.00-11.15     Short break

11.15-11.30     Chap. IX & XI (20 min commentary, 5 min response, Q&A)

11.30-12.00     Chap. X (20 min commentary, 5 min response, Q&A)

12.00-12.30     Concluding discussion