‘CAN IT BE THE CASE THAT ALL THESE PEOPLE ARE WRONG?’- A DISCCUSSION CONCERNING THE EPISTEMIC VALUE OF DEMOCRACY

Öz

This paper will analyze the arguments in favor of the epistemic value of democracy, which holds that apart from being a fair from of government, democratic decision making procedure tends to produce correct decisions. The paper will focus especially on the views of Helene Landemore, who is one of the most prominent representatives of this approach. After examining the views of Landemore that are centered on the concept of ‘democratic reason’, this approach will be placed in a context by comparing it with different approaches within the democratic theory concerning the relationship between democracy and truth. Lastly, it will be concluded that although it faces some difficulties or deficiencies concerning how to treat the concept of truth, epistemic democracy provides an especially powerful argument in favor of showing why democracy should embrace pluralism and hence of strengthening the tie between democracy and liberalism.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Epistemic Democracy,Democratic Reason,Deliberation,Majority Rule,Helene Landemore

‘BU KADAR KİŞİ YANILIYOR OLABİLİR Mİ’? - DEMOKRASİNİN EPİSTEMİK DEĞERİ ÜZERİNE BİR TARTIŞMA

Öz

Bu yazıda demokrasinin epistemik değerine, yani demokratik karar alma usulünün adil bir yönetim biçimi olmanın yanı sıra, doğru kararlar üretmeye de meyilli olduğuna dair iddialar incelenmektedir. Yazıda özellikle epistemik demokrasi yaklaşımının önemli bir temsilcisi olan Helene Landemore’un görüşleri ele alınmaktadır. Landemore’un ‘demokratik akıl’ kavramı çerçevesinde şekillenen fikirleri ele alındıktan sonra bu yaklaşım, demokrasi ve doğruluk ilişkisine dair farklı pozisyonlarla karşılaştırılarak demokrasi teorileri içerisinde bir bağlama oturtulmaya çalışılmaktadır. Sonuç olarak, epistemik demokrasi yaklaşımının doğruluk kavramıyla kurduğu ilişkide bazı sorunlar ya da eksiklikler olduğu tespit edilmekle birlikte, bu yaklaşımın özellikle demokrasinin neden çoğulculuğu benimsemesi gerektiğine dair önemli bir argüman sunduğu ve böylece demokrasi ile liberalizm arasındaki bağı sağlamlaştırdığı savunulmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Epistemik Demokrasi,Demokratik Akıl,Müzakere,Çoğunluk Kararı,Helene Landemore

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