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Title:\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>Democratic Instrumentalism and the Threat of Authoritarian<\/span>ism<\/span><\/p>\n

Abstract:<\/strong> The instrumentalism of the title says roughly that the form of governance that would be feasibly best in any circumstances is any one whose establishment and operation would bring about consequences morally no worse than those of any other that might instead be put in place.\u00a0 I stipulate that the consequences to be assessed exclude any possible noninstrumental value that attaches to all members of the society having an equal vote or equal opportunity for\u00a0 political influence (EOPI).\u00a0 This allows, components of democratic institutions such as protection of\u00a0 freedom of speech and association do have such value that weighs on the scales. \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 Authoritarians favoring nondemocracy might be reasonable liberals, social democrats, or conservatives.\u00a0 Does instrumentalism favor democracy always or almost always in our time?\u00a0 The stipulated exclusion is incorrect if all having equal vote or EOPI really in themselves have noninstrumental value. This exclusion applies only to political power, not power generally, but might be supported by a general claim: The distribution of power over others is normatively neutral in itself and matters only insofar as it gives rise to good or bad consequences.\u00a0 No person has a moral claim to power over others except on the basis, that person\u2019s having the power will be fair in its effects on those affected.\u00a0 The discussion surveys relevant arguments advanced by Niko Kolodny, Daniel Viehoff, and Jeremy Waldron.<\/span><\/p>\n

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