Liberalism and the problem of knowledge : a new rhetoric for modern democracy
In this witty and provocative study of democracy and its critics, Charles Willard debunks liberalism, arguing that its exaggerated ideals of authenticity, unity, and community have deflected attention from the pervasive incompetence of "the rule of experts." He proposes a ground of communication that emphasizes common interests rather than narrow disputes. The problem of "unity" and the public sphere has driven a wedge between libertarians and communitarians. To mediate this conflict, Willard advocates a shift from the discourse of liberalism to that of epistemics. As a means of organizing the ebb and flow of consensus, epistemics regards democracy as a family of knowledge problems - as ways of managing discourse across differences and protecting multiple views
x, 384 pages ; 24 cm.
9780226898452, 9780226898469, 0226898458, 0226898466
33967621
Introduction: The Yankee Way to Knowledge
pt. I. The Public and Its Problems: One More Time. 1. Authenticity and the Rhetoric of Trauma. 2. Romancing the Gesellschaft: Community and the Fallacy of Common Ground. 3. Commensuration and Unificationism. 4. Foucault's Trap. 5. Pluralism, the Public, and the Problem of Knowledge. 6. Democracy in America: A Thought Experiment
pt. II. Discourse across Differences. 7. Epistemics. 8. The Uses of Argument Fields. 9. Fields as Organizations. 10. A Theory of Presumption. 11. Desperately Seeking Dewey. 12. Epilogue: A Rhetoric for Modern Democracy