Justo Serrano Zamora: Liberal Epistemologies, Participatory Initiatives, and the Current Existential Crisis of Democracy

RMZ Science Works · May 7, 2025 · 41m

In my talk, I explore two main responses to democracy’s current existential crisis and their mutual relation. On the one hand, many argue that we should address the phenomenon of post-truth and its negative effects on democratic politics by cultivating citizens’ capacity to build their own, autonomous, judgements. On the other hand, many defend the need of participatory initiatives as a way of bringing citizens to identify with their political institutions. I argue that participatory initiatives are often jeopardized by the epistemological assumptions that draw from the current liberal…