LECTURE

Democracy, Expertise and the “Marketplace of Ideas”

MON 24 FEBRUARY, 20:00

Auditorium, Minderbroedersberg 4-6

Prof. Lisa Herzog

Professor of Political Philosophy, Dean Faculty of Philosophy; Director Centre for Philosophy, Politics and Economics, University of Groningen

The relation between democracy and expert knowledge (about Corona, 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.