Rational Ghosts: Enlightenment Democracy's Failure

Philosophics — Philosophical and Political Ramblings · Oct 2, 2025 · 20m

The provided source, an essay titled "Rational Ghosts: Why Enlightenment Democracy Was Built to Fail," presents a significant critique of modern democratic systems, arguing that they are founded upon an unrealistic assumption of the perfectly rational, informed citizen. The author asserts that this concept of the "rational ghost" ignores psychological realities, such as cognitive biases, and mathematical limitations, referencing Arrow's Impossibility Theorem, which proves the failure of voting systems to accurately translate public preference. Furthermore, the critique highlights sociological…