51ƷCenter for Global Humanities presents “Is Democracy Just?”
As Americans, we are raised to believe that democracy is the ideal form of government. It gives us all an equal share of political power. It is intrinsically just. According to scholar Jason Brennan, however, the outcomes of past and present democracies don’t match this lofty rhetoric. Brennan thinks we should explore other, potentially better, forms of government.
Drawing from his controversial book Against Democracy, Brennan will visit the 51Ʒ Center for Global Humanities to present a lecture titled “Is Democracy Just?” The lecture will take place Friday, November 17 at 6:00 p.m. at the WCHP Lecture Hall in Parker Pavilion on the 51ƷPortland Campus.
Brennan will explain why democracy lends itself to the rule of the ignorant and irrational, and will argue instead for epistocracy, the rule of the knowledgeable.
The Robert J. and Elizabeth Flanagan Family Chair of Strategy, Economics, Ethics, and Public Policy at Georgetown University, Brennan is the author of seven books on politics, government and ethics. Upon the 2016 release of Against Democracy, reviews and articles about it ran in The New Yorker, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and many other national publications.
This is the fourth lecture of the 2016-2017 series for the Center for Global Humanities. In total, nine scholars will visit this academic year, presenting lectures that are free, open to the public, and streamed live online.
To learn more about the Center for Global Humanities, visit www.une.edu/cgh
To apply, visit www.une.edu/admissions
