Constructing the Theory of Epistemic Democracy: A Response to Anti-Democratic Arguments.

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K12715
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 06010:Politics-related
• Research Institution: Waseda University
• Principal Investigator: Satoshi Uchida 早稲田大学, 政治経済学術院, その他(招聘研究員) (70755793)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 認知デモクラシー論 / 熟議デモクラシー論 / 現代政治理論

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study attempted to clarify the epistemic values of democracy in order to refute the anti-democracy argument that "democracy is nothing but foolish majority rule. First, we clarified the epistemic value and function of deliberation as a justifying practice among people, referring to findings from disciplines other than political theory, such as cognitive psychology. We then argued that in the world of politics, where uncertainty and value pluralism are inevitably apparent and latent, a democracy equipped with a deliberative process that equally and continuously includes people with diverse perspectives has a higher probability of producing better epistemic outcomes than any other form of polity.

Free Research Field

政治学・現代デモクラシー論

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

まず、学術的意義としては、デモクラシーの正当化をめぐって認知的正当化論と道徳的正当化論を二項対立的かつ相互排他的に捉える見方に抗して、本研究は人々の間でなされる終わりなき正当化実践としての熟議をデモクラシーの中核に据える視座の下、その両者を相補的に捉える道筋を提示していることが挙げられる。
これに加えて本研究は、昨今台頭しつつある専門家支配への淡い期待に対して警鐘を鳴らしているという点で、より広範な社会的意義を有する。多様なパースペクティヴを備えた人々を継続的かつ平等に包摂する熟議過程の認知的価値を解明する本研究の視座は、専門家支配が独善、視野狭窄に陥る危険性をも射程に収めている。