Democracy, Expertise and the 'Marketplace of Ideas'

The relation between democracy and expert knowledge (about COVID-19, for example) appears to be under pressure. Democracy builds on an assumption of equality. But does this justify a rejection of the authority of expertise? How can democratic societies integrate the knowledge of experts without becoming technocratic?

This talk discusses one popular model – the “marketplace of ideas” – and exposes its deficits, to then suggest another model – an “infrastructure” model – for how expert knowledge can be sustainably integrated into democratic decision-making, without undermining democratic values.

About the speaker: 
Lisa Herzog is Professor of Political Philosophy at the University of Groningen. She is also Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy and Director of the Centre for Philosophy, Politics and Economics.