Pragmatism, social inquiry and the method of democracy

Abstract

Many philosophers have proposed that the tradition of philosophical pragmatism offers a unique perspective on democracy. This chapter discusses one pragmatist view of democracy and democratic citizenship that is grounded in John Dewey’s view of social inquiry, contrasting it with two alternative visions of democracy - élitist democracy, where political and expert élites represent citizens in the political process, and deliberative democracy, where citizens engage in rational discourse and arrive at a reasoned consensus. Although pragmatist views have been likened to the deliberative account, the chapter argues that key differences in the two perspectives have largely been overlooked. However, it also argues, the pragmatist must address the democratic nature of social inquiry, and, in particular, the role of ordinary citizens in its practice. Fashioning democracy through the lens of social inquiry means that the pragmatist will not provide a detailed account of any fixed institutional and constitutional requirements of democracy. However, it proposes that social inquiry involves citizens participating in the improvement of social policy in terms of their everyday practices. This understanding of the connection between social inquiry and actual social practices that gives content to the pragmatist insistence that inquiry requires democracy.