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Discursive optimism defended

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  • Maxime Lepoutre

Abstract

This article defends the democratic ideal of inclusive public discourse, as articulated in Democratic Speech in Divided Times , against the critiques offered by Billingham, Fraser, and Hannon. Specifically, it considers and responds to three core challenges. The first challenge argues, notably, that the “shared reasons†constraint should either apply everywhere or not at all, and that, if this constraint is to apply in divided circumstances, its justificatory constituency must be idealized. The second challenge contends that the resistance of hate speech and misinformation to counterspeech cannot adequately be explained by considerations of salience, and therefore cannot adequately by countered (as I suggest) by “positive†forms of counterspeech. Finally, the last challenge objects that the ideal of inclusive public discourse I defend remains, as pessimists allege, excessively idealistic.

Suggested Citation

  • Maxime Lepoutre, 2023. "Discursive optimism defended," Politics, Philosophy & Economics, , vol. 22(3), pages 357-374, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:pophec:v:22:y:2023:i:3:p:357-374
    DOI: 10.1177/1470594X231179665
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Michael Hannon, 2023. "Public discourse and its problems," Politics, Philosophy & Economics, , vol. 22(3), pages 336-356, August.
    2. Berinsky, Adam J., 2017. "Rumors and Health Care Reform: Experiments in Political Misinformation," British Journal of Political Science, Cambridge University Press, vol. 47(2), pages 241-262, April.
    3. Paul Billingham, 2023. "Sharing reasons and emotions in a non-ideal discursive system," Politics, Philosophy & Economics, , vol. 22(3), pages 294-314, August.
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