What is it about?
Jason Brennan has argued that republican political theory, which is defined by minimising domination, is compatible with epistocracy, rule by the knowledgeable. This article argues that while epistocratic republicanism is possible, it does not seem as secure as democratic republicanism.
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Why is it important?
Epistocracy and republicanism have emerged as major challengers to liberal democracy. There is a temptation for republicans to eject democracy, but this would not be wise. Republicans ought to be democrats.
Perspectives
I wrote this article because reading Brennan’s Against Democracy’s argument that epistocratic republicanism was possible seemed flimsy and needed to be rebutted. Republicanism has often veered into elitism and this has often been to its detriment.
Dr Gwilym David Blunt
City University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The case for epistocratic republicanism, Politics, November 2019, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/0263395719889563.
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