Ignorance and Irrationality in Politics

A Workshop at the University of Nottingham
June 10-11, 2019

A common belief is that democracies require informed voters if they are to function well. But when the price to be adequately informed is too high, it makes sense for voters to guide their beliefs by their desire for comfort, affiliation, and belonging. Does this conflict with the epistemic demands of democracy? If it is true, as some political scientist and psychologists allege, that political belief-formation is primarily driven by social identities and ‘tribal’ allegiances, does this make us irrational? What is required for epistemically responsible belief formation in the domain of politics?

The workshop will explore two issues: the extent and causes of citizen ignorance, and whether (and in what ways) belief formation in politics is epistemically irrational, even if it may reflect instrumental rationality on the part of citizens.

All takes were recorded. Click links below.

MONDAY JUNE 10

EPISTEMIC ASYMMETRIES IN POLITICAL COGNITION
Robin McKenna 
Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Liverpool

DEMOCRACY AND POLITICAL IGNORANCE
Ilya Somin
Professor of Law at George Mason University

SCIENCE FUNDING AND THE MAKING OF IGNORANCE
Zeynep Pamuk
Supernumerary Fellow in Politics at St. John’s, Oxford

TUESDAY JUNE 11

FEELING DISCOMFORT: ACTIVE IGNORANCE AND ANGER
Alessandra Tanesini
Professor of Philosophy at the University of Cardiff

EVIDENTIALISM AND POLITICAL POLARIZATION
Emily Colleen McWilliams
Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Duke Kunshan

EMPATHETIC UNDERSTANDING AND DELIBERATIVE DEMOCRACY 
Michael Hannon
Assistant Professor of Philosophy, University of Nottingham

THE PERILS OF PERCEPTION: SYSTEMIC DRIVERS OF MISPERCEPTIONS
Bobby Duffy
Director of the Policy Institute, King’s College London

This event was made possible thanks to the generous support of the following associations: