1st Edition
The Routledge Handbook of Political Epistemology
As political discourse had been saturated with the ideas of "post-truth", "fake news", "epistemic bubbles", and "truth decay", it was no surprise that in 2017 The New Scientist declared: "Philosophers of knowledge, your time has come." Political epistemology has old roots, but is now one of the most rapidly growing and important areas of philosophy.
The Routledge Handbook of Political Epistemology is an outstanding reference source to this exciting field, and the first collection of its kind. Comprising 41 chapters by an international team of contributors, it is divided into seven parts:
- Politics and truth: historical and contemporary perspectives
- Political disagreement and polarization
- Fake news, propaganda, and misinformation
- Ignorance and irrationality in politics
- Epistemic virtues and vices in politics
- Democracy and epistemology
- Trust, expertise, and doubt.
Within these sections crucial issues and debates are examined, including: post-truth, disagreement and relativism, epistemic networks, fake news, echo chambers, propaganda, ignorance, irrationality, political polarization, virtues and vices in public debate, epistocracy, expertise, misinformation, trust, and digital democracy, as well as the views of Plato, Aristotle, Mòzǐ, medieval Islamic philosophers, Mill, Arendt, and Rawls on truth and politics.
The Routledge Handbook of Political Epistemology is essential reading for those studying political philosophy, applied and social epistemology, and politics. It is also a valuable resource for those in related disciplines such as international relations, law, political psychology, political science, communication studies, and journalism.
General Introduction Michael Hannon and Jeroen de Ridder
Part 1: Politics and Truth: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives
Introduction to Part 1 Michael Hannon and Jeroen de Ridder
1. Democracy and Knowledge in Ancient Greece Tamer Nawar
2. Identifying Upward: Political Epistemology in an Early Chinese Political Theory Chris Fraser
3. Epistemology and Politics in Islamic Philosophy Anthony Booth
4. Mill, Liberalism, and Epistemic Diversity Paul Kelly
5. Hannah Arendt and the Role of Truth in Politics Yasemin Sari
6. Politics, Truth, Post-truth, and Postmodernism Simon Blackburn
7. Tyranny, Tribalism, and Post-truth Politics Amanda R. Greene
Part 2: Political Disagreement and Polarization
Introduction to Part 2 Michael Hannon and Jeroen de Ridder
8. The Polarization of American Politics Shanto Iyengar
9. Politics, Deep Disagreement, and Relativism J. Adam Carter
10. Epistemic Permissivism and Reasonable Pluralism Rach Cosker-Rowland and Robert Mark Simpson
11. Political Disagreement: Epistemic or Civic Peers? Elizabeth Edenberg
12. Epistemic Networks and Polarization Daniel J. Singer, Patrick Grim, Aaron Bramson, Bennett Holman, Jiin Jung, and William J. Berger
13. Affective Polarization, Evidence, and Evidentialism Emily C. McWilliams
14. The Point of Political Belief Michael Hannon and Jeroen de Ridder
Part 3: Fake News, Propaganda, Misinformation
Introduction to Part 3 Michael Hannon and Jeroen de Ridder
15. What is Fake News? Axel Gelfert
16. The Cognitive Science of Fake News Neil Levy and Robert M. Ross
17. Filter Bubbles, Echo Chambers, Online Communities Hanna Kiri Gunn
18. Modelling How False Beliefs Spread Cailin O’Connor and James Owen Weatherall
19. Regulating the Spread of Online Misinformation Étienne Brown
20. Propaganda, Irrationality, and Group Agency Megan Hyska
Part 4: Ignorance and Irrationality in Politics
Introduction to Part 4 Michael Hannon and Jeroen de Ridder
21. Is Political Ignorance Rational? Ilya Somin
22. Pragmatic Encroachment and Political Ignorance Kenneth Boyd
23. Is Political Irrationality a Myth? Jeffrey Friedman
24. The Irrational Attempt to Impute Irrationality to One’s Political Opponents Keith E. Stanovich
25. Asymmetrical Irrationality: Are Only Other People Stupid? Robin McKenna
Part 5: Epistemic Virtues and Vices in Politics
Introduction to Part 5 Michael Hannon and Jeroen de Ridder
26. Epistemic Vices, Ideologies and False Consciousness Quassim Cassam
27. Engaging Closed-mindedly with your Polluted Media Feed Heather Battaly
28. Virtues and Vices in Public and Political Debate Alessandra Tanesini
29. Vices of the Privileged and Virtues of the Oppressed in Epistemic Group Dynamics José Medina
30. Epistemic Corruption and Political Institutions Ian James Kidd
Part 6: Democracy and Epistemology
Introduction to Part 6 Michael Hannon and Jeroen de Ridder
31. An Epistemic Argument for Democracy Hélène Landemore
32. In Defense of Epistocracy: Enlightened Preference Voting Jason Brennan
33. A Pragmatist’s Epistemic Argument for Democracy Robert B. Talisse
34. Epistemic Norms of Political Deliberation Fabienne Peter
35. The Epistemic Responsibilities of Citizens in a Democracy Cameron Boult
36. The Epistemic Case for Non-Electoral Forms of Democracy Alexander Guerrero
Part 7: Trust, Expertise, and Doubt
Introduction to Part 7 Michael Hannon and Jeroen de Ridder
37. The Role of Scientific Expertise in Democracy Heather Douglas
38. Experts, Public Policy and the Question of Trust Maria Baghramian and Michel Croce
39. Testimony, Deference, and Value Hallvard Lillehammer
40. The Skeptic and the Climate Change Skeptic Alex Worsnip
41. Online Trust and Distrust Mark Alfano and Emily Sullivan.
Index
Biography
Michael Hannon is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of Nottingham, UK. He is author of What’s the Point of Knowledge? (2019), and is writing the forthcoming Routledge book Political Epistemology: An Introduction.
Jeroen de Ridder is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and Professor (by special appointment) of Christian Philosophy at the University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
"As democracies (or their citizens) struggle with populist political traumas upsetting communitarian unity/identity, this timely anthology provides critical insights into the knowledge base supporting political decisions. … Of interest to general readers and researchers in philosophy, psychology, sociology, communication, and politics. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates. Graduate students, faculty and professionals. General readers." - J. Gough, CHOICE