« previous next »
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Democracy is not a truth machine  (Read 2493 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Suppressed

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 12,921
  • Gender: Male
    • Avatar
Democracy is not a truth machine
« on: March 19, 2018, 01:19:29 am »
http://www.philosophersbeard.org/2010/11/democracy-is-not-truth-machine.html?m=1

Monday, 5 December 2011
Democracy is not a truth machine

In a democracy people are free to express their opinions and question those of others. This is an important personal freedom, and also essential to the very idea of government by discussion. But it has also been held to be instrumentally important because in open public debate true ideas will conquer false ones by their merit, and the people will see the truth for themselves. In other words, democracy has an epistemic function as a kind of truth machine. From this it follows that in a democracy there should be no dogma: no knowledge protected from public challenge and debate. Yet this whole argument is founded on embarrassing misconceptions of  the nature of truth and of the working of democracy.

[...]
Logged
+++++++++
“In the outside world, I'm a simple geologist. But in here .... I am Falcor, Defender of the Alliance” --Randy Marsh

“The most effectual means of being secure against pain is to retire within ourselves, and to suffice for our own happiness.” -- Thomas Jefferson

“He's so dumb he thinks a Mexican border pays rent.” --Foghorn Leghorn

Online DB

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 13,175
Re: Democracy is not a truth machine
« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2018, 01:27:02 am »
Quote from: Suppressed on March 19, 2018, 01:19:29 am
http://www.philosophersbeard.org/2010/11/democracy-is-not-truth-machine.html?m=1

Monday, 5 December 2011
Democracy is not a truth machine

In a democracy people are free to express their opinions and question those of others.

[...]

Isn't the first sentence blantently wrong?

That isn't true in either Canada or Britain (just for a start). Freely expressing your opinions can be called hate speech and get you fined and/or put in prison on short order.

Sorry, stopped reading after that.
« Last Edit: March 19, 2018, 01:27:40 am by DB »
Logged

Offline WingNot

  • Resident TBR Curmudgeon
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7,659
  • Gender: Male
Re: Democracy is not a truth machine
« Reply #2 on: March 19, 2018, 01:27:49 am »
The truth is out there.
Logged
"I'm a man, but I changed, because I had to. Oh well."

Online Bigun

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 51,495
  • Gender: Male
  • Resistance to Tyrants is Obedience to God
    • The FairTax Plan
Re: Democracy is not a truth machine
« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2018, 01:28:35 am »
I could care less about a "democracy"!  I would hate to have to live in one!
Logged
"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
- J. R. R. Tolkien

Offline endicom

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10,113
Re: Democracy is not a truth machine
« Reply #4 on: March 19, 2018, 01:51:02 am »
Quote from: DB on March 19, 2018, 01:27:02 am
Isn't the first sentence blantently wrong?



Yes, blatantly. Democracy is at the whim of the majority.





Logged

Offline Weird Tolkienish Figure

  • Technical
  • *****
  • Posts: 18,162
Re: Democracy is not a truth machine
« Reply #5 on: March 19, 2018, 07:21:16 am »
Quote from: DB on March 19, 2018, 01:27:02 am
Isn't the first sentence blantently wrong?

That isn't true in either Canada or Britain (just for a start). Freely expressing your opinions can be called hate speech and get you fined and/or put in prison on short order.

Sorry, stopped reading after that.

Yep.
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up
« previous next »