Research Workshop on Democratic Reason

Politics, Collective Intelligence, and the Rule of the Many

April 30, 2010, McGill University, Montreal

 

 

The Groupe de recherche en philosophie politique de Montréal is pleased to announce a one-day workshop dedicated to the 2010 winner of the Annual Montreal Political Theory Manuscript Workshop Award, “Democratic Reason: Politics, Collective Intelligence, and the Rule of the Many,” by Hélène Landemore of Yale University. We are hoping that this draft manuscript will be the catalyst for a lively and fruitful discussion.

 

Format: To maximize the quality of discussion, participants are expected to have read the manuscript beforehand. The workshop comprises three sessions of an hour and forty-five minutes each, dedicated to chapters 3 to 8 of the manuscript. Each session will begin with two ten minute critiques, each of one chapter of the manuscript, followed by a brief response by the author and general discussion.

 

Registration: The workshop is open to everyone, but attendance is by registration and limited in number. Those wishing to attend should RSVP the workshop coordinator Nina Valiquette Moreau <nina <dot> valiquette <AT> mail <dot> mcgill <dot> ca>.

 

Manuscript: Click here for access to manuscript. Access requires a password, which all participants will receive upon registration. (Note: If you are experiencing difficulty opening the pdfs successfully, ensure that your browser is opening the file with the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader.)

 

Program:

 

Friday, April 30, 2010

 

Thomson House, McGill University

 

9:45 am:

Welcome

 

10:00 – 11:45 am:

The Paradox of Democratic Authority

Political Cognitivism

 

 

Chair:  

Dominique Leydet (philosophie, UQÀM)

 

 

Commentators:

Arash Abizadeh (politics, McGill)

Pablo Gilabert (philosophy, Concordia)

                                               

11:45 am – 1:00pm:

Lunch Break

 

 

1:00 –  2:45 pm:

(Selective) Genealogy of the Collective Intelligence Hypothesis

First Mechanism of Democratic Reason: Inclusive Deliberation

 

 

Chair:

Hasana Sharp (philosophy, McGill)

 

 

Commentators:

Jacob Levy (politics, McGill)

Daniel Weinstock (philosophie, Montréal)

 

2:45 –  3:00 pm:

Coffee Break

 

 

3:00 –  4:45 pm:

Second Mechanism of Democratic Reason: Majority Rule

Making Democracy Smarter: Polls, Information-Markets, Wiki-Deliberation

 

 

Chair:

Catherine Lu (politics, McGill)

 

 

Commentators:

Stuart Soroka (politics, McGill)

Jurgen De Wispelaere (philosophie, CREUM)

 

5:00 pm:

Reception

 

7:00 pm:

Dinner