Description

A classic book now available on audioWith narration by Christopher Ragland who presents a bracingly provocative critique of one of our most cherished ideas and institutionsMost people believe democracy is a uniquely just form of government They believe people have the right to an equal share of political power And they believe that political participation is good for usit empowers us helps us get what we want and tends to make us smarter more virtuous and more caring for one another These are some of our most cherished ideas about democracy But Jason Brennan says they are all wrongIn this trenchant book Brennan argues that democracy should be judged by its resultsand the results are not good enough Just as defendants have a right to a fair trial citizens have a right to competent government But democracy is the rule of the ignorant and the irrational and it all too often falls short Furthermore no one has a fundamental right to any share of political power and exercising political power does most of us little good On the contrary a wide range of social science research shows that political participation and democratic deliberation actually tend to make people worsemore irrational biased and mean Given this grim picture Brennan argues that a new system of governmentepistocracy the rule of the knowledgeablemay be better than democracy and that its time to experiment and find outA challenging critique of democracy and the first sustained defense of the rule of the knowledgeable Against Democracy is essential reading for scholars and students of politics across the disciplinesFeaturing a new preface that situates the book within the current political climate and discusses other alternatives beyond epistocracy Against Democracy is a challenging critique of democracy and the first sustained defense of the rule of the knowledgeable