What Democracy Do We Want?

My answer:

Democracy can have different forms.  Representative democracy, which we have now in most countries, gives over our power to those who can devote the time to study the issues and make the best decision for us.  Participative democracy, in which we are directly make decisions (eg via referenda) about our society and laws, demands that we take more responsibility ourselves, which if we are to do properly could take a lot of our time.  Since our culture demands we devote most of our time-energy to our jobs and families this does not seem feasible to most people. However, increased education levels, pending automation benefits, and decreasing willingness to trust others to run our affairs will, I believe, lead over the longer term (next 50 to 100 years), to cultural norms that will no more countenance letting others make decisions for us than we would now willingly accept slavery. This leaves open the question how we collectively can make decisions that are both wise and respecting of individual rights. I think we will solve this problem in a anti-monolithic way: through many and diverse small organizations (but with shared liberal values) that bring people together to pursue common interests.

 

...Philip