John Stuart Mill and Epistemic Democracy

John Stuart Mill's book "Epistemic Democracy" explores the epistemic, or cognitive, character of democratic institutional practices and the protection of basic liberties. Ivan Cerovac identifies the epistemic criteria within these proposals and uses them to unify Mill's political thought. The book discusses the epistemic role of wide democratic participation and institutional mechanisms to filter the public will, and how Mill tries to resolve the conflict between political and epistemic values. Cerovac characterizes Mill as a political instrumentalist and epistemic democrat and compares his theory to contemporary accounts of epistemic justification. The book emphasizes Mill's normative considerations regarding franchise and the exercise of political power and discusses how to implement the epistemic ideal in real-world politics.

Format: Hardback
Length: 206 pages
Publication date: 28 February 2022
Publisher: Lexington Books

John Stuart Mill and Epistemic Democracy delves into the epistemic, or cognitive, nature of democratic institutional practices and the safeguarding of fundamental liberties in Mill's political thought. By mapping Mill's theory of representative democracy and engaging with his more contentious issues, Ivan Cerovac identifies the epistemic criteria within these proposals and employs them as a foundation for unifying Mill's political philosophy. The book explores the epistemic significance of widespread democratic participation on the one hand and the institutional mechanisms employed to shape public opinion, such as political representation, plural voting proposals, partisanship, and the division of epistemic and political labor, on the other. It analyzes how Mill navigates the conflict between political and epistemic values. Characterizing Mill as both a political instrumentalist and an epistemic democrat, Cerovac situates Mill's theory within a broader explanatory framework and compares it to contemporary accounts of epistemic justification. Emphasizing Mill's normative considerations regarding franchise and the exercise of political power over others, this book discusses the practical implications of implementing the epistemic ideal in real-world politics. It is a captivating read for anyone interested in democratic decision-making.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781793636768