Democracy and Conflict: Kenneth Arrow's Impossibility Theorem and John Dewey's Pragmatism

According to Kenneth Arrow's impossibility theorem, a society with diverse individual preferences can only be ordered by dictatorship. John Dewey argued that voting and electoral mechanisms do not define democratic self-government and that social conflict is a discovery and transformation process. Political scientists have focused on decision-making through democratic "deliberation" since the 1980s, but preferences are grounded in habits that resist adjustment in response to discourse alone. Preference conflict is distinguished from Marxist and later models as a discovery and transformation process.

Format: Hardback
Length: 253 pages
Publication date: 15 December 2023
Publisher: Lexington Books

The economist Kenneth Arrow's groundbreaking work in 1951 established a profound insight: a society composed of diverse individual preferences can only be effectively ordered through the authoritarian regime. His impossibility theorem remains an axiom of contemporary welfare economics, standing unchallenged since its inception. In contrast, the American philosopher John Dewey, who passed away in 1952, held a different perspective. He argued that voting and electoral mechanisms alone do not constitute democratic self-government. Dewey's comprehensive conception of social conflict addressed the issue of preference diversity and provided a resolution to Arrow's impossibility.

Since the 1980s, political scientists have delved into the realm of democratic "deliberation" as a means of decision-making. Dewey recognized that conversation alone was insufficient to resolve conflicts within a democratic society. Conflict, he argued, is accompanied by discourse, but preferences are deeply rooted in habits. Social habits, while resistant to adjustment solely through discourse, demonstrate a remarkable capacity for transformation during the process of conflict resolution.

This distinction sets preference conflict apart from Marxist and later models, which perceive it as a static and inevitable outcome of economic systems. Instead, preference conflict is viewed as a discovery and transformation process. It advances an original and updated theory of social conflict in a democratic context, relevant to the challenging situations we face today, ranging from discrimination to climate change and political polarization.

Through Dewey's lens, we gain a deeper understanding of the dynamics that shape our societies. We recognize that the process of resolving conflicts is not merely a matter of voting and elections, but a complex interplay of discourse, habits, and social transformation. By embracing Dewey's broader conception of social conflict, we can develop more effective strategies for promoting social harmony, inclusivity, and progress in a democratic world.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781793654281