Against Democracy

About “Against Democracy”

Most people believe democracy is a just form of government and that political participation is beneficial. They think it empowers individuals and makes them more virtuous and caring. However, Jason Brennan argues that these beliefs are incorrect. He claims democracy should be judged by its results, which he says are not good enough. Brennan suggests that democracy often leads to the rule of the ignorant and irrational. He also states that no one has a fundamental right to political power, and participating in politics does little good for most people. Social science research, according to Brennan, shows that political participation can make people more irrational and biased. Based on this, he proposes that a system called epistocracy, where the knowledgeable lead, might be better than democracy. He calls for experimentation to explore this possibility.