Democracy and Moral Conflict [Hardcover]

Robert B. Talisse (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521513545 | ISBN-13: 978-0521513548 | Publication Date: October 12, 2009

Why democracy? Most often this question is met with an appeal to some decidedly moral value, such as equality, liberty, dignity or even peace. But in contemporary democratic societies, there is deep disagreement and conflict about the precise nature and relative worth of these values. And when democracy votes, some of those who lose will see the prevailing outcome as not merely disappointing, but morally intolerable. How should citizens react when confronted with a democratic result that they regard as intolerable? Should they revolt, or instead pursue democratic means of social change? In this book, Robert Talisse argues that each of us has reasons to uphold democracy - even when it makes serious moral errors - and that these reasons are rooted in our most fundamental epistemic commitments. His original and compelling study will be of interest to a wide range of readers in political philosophy and political theory.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"....In this book Talisse offers a timely and highly readable contribution to the debate surrounding moral pluralism in a democracy. Suitable for both academic audiences and the wider interested public, it carefully blends rigorous analysis of modern scholarship with an acute awareness of the state of today's political culture and discourse...."
--Roberto Sirvent, Hope International University, Philosophy in Review


"....Talisse's brief book is a minor masterpiece of concise argumentation in which he advances a genuinely novel defense of democracy.... powerful punch packed...."
--Terrence Ball, Arizona State University, Notre Dame Philosophical Review


"....This substantive yet compact book is highly engaging. It deserves sustained attention. It will be fascinating to see where the discussion of the important issues that Talisse addresses goes from here."
--Andrew F. Smith, Drexel University, Res Publica


"Robert Talisse's Democracy and Moral Conflict presents a remarkably ambitious philosophical proposal.... Democracy and Moral Conflict is a highly accessible work, written in a wonderfully lucid manner with lively examples drawn from contemporary American politics."
--Simon Căbulea May, Virginia Tech, Ethics


"....Robert Talisse's Democracy and Moral Conflict, however, is one of the few contributions that rolls up its sleeves and actually tries to do some epistemology. This creates an intriguing read for epistemologists and political philosophers alike."
--Kristoffer Ahlstrom-Vij, University of Copenhagen, The Philosophical Quarterly


"....Robert B. Talisse's book, Democracy and Moral Conflict, remains one of the most important attempts to solve the problem of democratic legitimacy in the context of the pluralism that characterizes modern society. Unlike many other contemporary epistemic conceptions of democracy, which settle for more modest objectives, Talisse's theory addresses the difficult task of offering a detailed epistemological explanation of what is the epistemic foundation of democracy and how it is supposed to work."
--Viorel Ţuţui, Logos & Episteme

Book Description

How should citizens react when confronted with a democratic result that they regard as intolerable? Should they revolt, or instead pursue democratic means of social change? In this book, Robert Talisse argues that each of us has reasons to uphold democracy that are rooted in our most fundamental epistemic commitments.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 216 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (October 12, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521513545
• ISBN-13: 978-0521513548
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,742,531 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Robert B. Talisse is Professor of Philosophy and Chair of the Philosophy Department at Vanderbilt University. He writes about political philosophy, with special interest in democratic theory, liberalism, pluralism, and social epistemology. In his 2009 book, *Democracy and Moral Conflict* (Cambridge University Press), Talisse argues that there are shared epistemic principles underlying even our most vehement moral disputes, and that these principles are robust enough to sustain democratic commitments despite deep moral conflicts. In 2011, Talisse and frequent co-author Scott Aikin published *Reasonable Atheism* (Prometheus), which argues that religious believers must regard atheism as a morally sound and intellectually respectable position. In his most recent book, *Pluralism and Liberal Politics* (Routledge, 2012), Talisse argues that pluralism is a nonviable conception of morality and is in any case incapable of supporting any attractive vision of liberal politics.

Talisse is currently working on a book with Scott Aikin about public political argumentation. Other projects include a book-length overview of political philosophy for Routledge and a book about offensiveness. Talisse is co-host of the podcast, *New Books in Philosophy*, and a monthly columnist for the blog *3 Quarks Daily*.