The Critical Thinker 004: Duty and Democracy (Part 1/2)

Summary

In this episode of 'Critical Thinker,' Kevin Delant explores the vital role of critical thinking in sustaining a democratic culture. He discusses how it empowers individuals to protect themselves from bad arguments and manipulative rhetoric, and emphasizes its importance in maintaining liberal democratic societies. Delant argues that citizens have a civic duty to develop their critical thinking skills to ensure they can effectively assess and participate in the democratic process, which is essential for the survival and prosperity of liberal democracies.

Takeaways

• 🤔 Critical thinking is essential for protecting oneself from bad arguments and manipulative rhetoric, allowing for clear deliberation on personal beliefs and values.
• 🗣️ It serves as a tool for personal empowerment, enhancing one's ability to articulate and advocate for their own goals and values.
• 🏛️ In a liberal democratic society, critical thinking plays a pivotal role in maintaining the balance between democratic governance and classical liberalism, which emphasizes individual rights and freedoms.
• 🌐 Liberal neutrality, a core concept in liberal democracies, suggests that the state should not impose a specific conception of the good life on its citizens, but rather ensure freedom for individuals to pursue their own.
• 🤝 The state's role in a liberal democracy is to safeguard citizens' freedom to pursue their own happiness without infringing on others' rights to do the same.
• 📊 Critical thinking is not only beneficial at an individual level but also crucial for the health of a democratic society, as it fosters informed and engaged citizenship.
• 🔍 It is necessary for citizens to critically assess the laws and policies proposed by elected officials to ensure they align with the populace's interests.
• 💡 The ability to question and analyze the foundations of social norms and policies is a powerful tool that can challenge and change oppressive social orders.
• 🌱 Cultivating critical thinking skills is a civic duty for citizens in a liberal democracy, as it supports the ideals of freedom, equality, and justice.
• ⚖️ The presence of critical thinking and Socratic inquiry in a society can make it more resistant to oppressive policies and beliefs, though it does not guarantee their complete eradication.
• 🌟 The challenges faced by liberal democracies, such as corruption and globalization, underscore the importance of nurturing critical and creative thinking to address contemporary issues.

Q & A

What is the main focus of this episode of the Critical Thinker podcast?

The main focus of this episode is to discuss the role of critical thinking in sustaining a democratic culture, especially within liberal democratic societies.

How does critical thinking serve as a form of self-defense according to the podcast?

Critical thinking serves as a form of self-defense by helping individuals protect themselves from bad arguments and manipulative rhetoric, allowing them to deliberate on their own beliefs and values.

What is meant by critical thinking in the service of personal empowerment?

Critical thinking in the service of personal empowerment refers to the ability of critical thinking to help individuals articulate and advocate for their own goals and values more effectively.

What is the definition of 'liberal Democratic Society' used in the context of this podcast?

In the context of the podcast, 'liberal Democratic Society' refers to a form of government where political power is ideally invested in the people, emphasizing liberty or freedom and governance by the people.

What is the doctrine of liberal neutrality mentioned in the podcast?

The doctrine of liberal neutrality is the view that the state should not impose any particular conception of the good life on its citizens, ensuring freedom for individuals to pursue their own conception of what is valuable and important.

How does critical thinking play a role in maintaining liberal democracies?

Critical thinking is essential in maintaining liberal democracies as it enables citizens to fully participate in the democratic process by critically assessing laws and policies, and it helps in challenging oppressive policies and beliefs.

Do citizens of liberal democracies have a civic duty to cultivate their critical thinking faculties, according to the podcast?

Yes, the podcast suggests that citizens of liberal democracies have a civic duty to cultivate their critical thinking faculties to uphold the principles of freedom, equality, and justice.

What challenges does the podcast mention as threats to liberal democratic governance?

The podcast mentions internal corruption, excessive nationalism, corporate lobbying, geopolitical threats, globalization, war, and resource scarcity as challenges that can undermine liberal democratic governance.

Why are critical thinking and Socratic inquiry considered important for liberal democratic societies?

Critical thinking and Socratic inquiry are important for liberal democratic societies because they support the values of freedom and equality, and they make it harder for oppressive policies and beliefs to gain a foothold.

How does the podcast relate critical thinking to the historical context of women's rights and civil rights movements?

The podcast relates critical thinking to the historical context of women's rights and civil rights movements by highlighting the importance of independent critical thought in challenging and changing oppressive social norms and policies.

Outlines

00:00

🤔 The Role of Critical Thinking in Democratic Culture

In this episode, Kevin Delant, the host, discusses the significance of critical thinking in maintaining a democratic culture. He emphasizes that critical thinking is not only about self-defense against bad arguments and manipulative rhetoric but also about personal empowerment. It allows individuals to articulate their goals and values effectively. Delant argues that critical thinking extends beyond individual self-interest, as it is crucial for the proper functioning of societies and governments that serve the people. He introduces the concept of 'liberal neutrality,' which suggests that the state should not impose a particular conception of the good life on its citizens but should ensure freedom for individuals to pursue their own conceptions. The episode sets the stage for exploring the civic duties of citizens in liberal democratic societies to be critical and independent thinkers.

05:00

🗳️ Critical Thinking and Civic Responsibility in Democracy

The second paragraph delves into the practical implications of critical thinking in a democratic setup. It highlights the responsibility of citizens to elect representatives and assess the laws and policies proposed by these officials. Critical thinking is deemed necessary for full participation in the democratic process. The discussion extends to the historical tension between democratic rule and classical liberalism, emphasizing the potential for mob rule or oppression of minorities in democracies. The paragraph underscores the importance of independent critical thought in challenging oppressive social orders and cultural norms. It suggests that a society that values critical thinking and Socratic inquiry is less likely to tolerate oppressive policies and beliefs. The host concludes by asserting that the cultivation of critical thinking skills is not just beneficial but a civic duty for citizens in a liberal democracy, especially in the face of various challenges to democratic governance.

Keywords

💡Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is the ability to analyze and evaluate information objectively. In the context of the video, it is presented as a vital skill for individuals to protect themselves from bad arguments and manipulative rhetoric, as well as to articulate their own goals and values effectively. The host emphasizes its role in sustaining a democratic culture by allowing citizens to assess laws and policies critically.

💡Democratic Culture

A democratic culture refers to a societal framework that values the participation of its citizens in decision-making processes and upholds democratic principles. The video discusses how critical thinking is essential in maintaining such a culture, as it empowers citizens to engage actively in the democratic process and hold their representatives accountable.

💡Liberal Democratic Society

A liberal democratic society is characterized by political power ideally vested in the people, with a focus on individual liberty and freedom. The video explains that in such societies, the state is supposed to be neutral, not imposing any particular conception of the good life on its citizens, allowing them to pursue their own definitions of happiness and the good life.

💡Liberal Neutrality

Liberal neutrality is the concept that the state should not favor any particular conception of the good life but should instead ensure that all citizens have the freedom to pursue their own visions of it. The video discusses this doctrine as a key aspect of liberal democratic societies, where the role of the state is to provide the conditions for individuals to exercise their freedoms.

💡Personal Empowerment

Personal empowerment, as mentioned in the video, refers to the process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one's life and claiming one's rights. Critical thinking is portrayed as a tool for personal empowerment, enabling individuals to advocate for their own goals and values with clarity and strength.

💡Mob Rule

Mob rule, or the tyranny of the majority, is a situation where the majority of a society imposes its will on a minority, potentially leading to oppression. The video touches on this concept to highlight the potential dangers within democratic systems and how critical thinking can serve as a safeguard against such abuses of power.

💡Socratic Inquiry

Socratic inquiry is a method of questioning and discussion aimed at stimulating critical thinking and drawing out ideas. The video suggests that this form of inquiry is essential for challenging oppressive policies and beliefs, as it encourages individuals to question the foundations of established social orders.

💡Civic Duty

Civic duty refers to the responsibilities that citizens have towards their community and society. In the video, the host argues that cultivating critical thinking skills is a civic duty for citizens of liberal democracies, as it enables them to participate effectively in the democratic process and uphold the values of their society.

💡Oppressive Social Order

An oppressive social order is a system that maintains power through the subjugation of certain groups or individuals. The video discusses how critical thinking can challenge such orders by questioning the rationale behind social norms and the status quo, as seen in historical liberation movements like women's rights and civil rights movements.

💡Freedom and Equality

Freedom and equality are core values in liberal democratic societies, emphasizing the right of individuals to live without undue interference and to be treated fairly. The video connects these values with the importance of critical thinking, suggesting that a society that values these principles will also value the critical thinking skills necessary to maintain them.

Highlights

Critical thinking is essential for sustaining a democratic culture.

Critical thinking helps protect from bad arguments and manipulative rhetoric.

It allows for self-defense and personal empowerment in expressing one's values.

The importance of critical thinking extends beyond individual self-interest to community and societal levels.

Liberal Democratic societies are characterized by freedom and governance by the people.

Liberal neutrality suggests the state should not impose a specific conception of the good life on citizens.

The state's role is to ensure maximum freedom for citizens to pursue their own good.

Critical thinking is necessary for full participation in the democratic process.

Democratic societies face potential issues like mob rule and the tyranny of the majority.

Independent critical thought is crucial for social movements like women's rights and civil rights.

Critical thinking can challenge and change oppressive social orders.

Oppressive policies find it harder to gain a foothold in societies that value critical thinking.

The value of critical thinking is intertwined with the ideals of liberal Democratic governance.

Citizens have a duty to cultivate their critical thinking faculties for the betterment of liberal democracies.

Challenges to liberal democracy make the case for critical thinking even stronger.

The survival and flourishing of liberal democracy depend on the exercise of critical and creative thinking.

Transcripts

this is the critical thinker episode

[Music]

4 hi everyone welcome to the show I'm

Kevin delant your host and on this

episode we're going to continue our

discussion of why critical thinking

matters and this time we're going to

focus on the important role that

critical thinking plays in sustaining a

democratic

culture the last two episodes we've been

talking about the value of critical

thinking in terms of rational

self-interest on the one hand it can

help to protect us from Bad arguments

and manipulative rhetoric and in so

doing give us a space to think and

deliberate about what we really believe

and care about that's critical thinking

functioning as a kind of self-defense it

can help us with our defensive game but

last episode we also talked about how it

can help us with our offensive game and

by that I mean that it can help us to be

more articulate and effective

spokespeople for our own goals and

values it can give us a voice and a

strength of influence that we might not

otherwise have that's what I'm calling

critical thinking in the service of

personal

empowerment now this is all well and

good but the value of critical thinking

doesn't stop with individual

self-interest if we look past our noses

we see that we're not isolated islands

that we live in community with other

people and these communities form a

society with institutions and

governments that are designed to serve

the needs of the people or at least

that's the way it's supposed to work in

so called liberal Democratic societies

what I want to talk about in this

episode is the role of critical thinking

specifically in Liberal Democratic

societies and what duties we as citizens

have to try to be critical and

independent thinkers now just to clarify

when I say liberal Democratic Society

I'm not using the term liberal in the

sense in which the term is commonly used

in political discussions where it's

contrasted with conservative like when

we say that Michael Moore is a liberal

and Rush Limba is a conservative or

pro-choice activists are liberal and

pro-life activists are conservative or

support for Universal healthc care is

liberal and opposition to it is

conservative that's not what the term

liberal means in this context when we

call a society a liberal Democratic

Society we're using the older sense of

the term where liberal refers to Liberty

or freedom and Democratic refers to rule

or governance by the people so we're

talking about forms of government where

political power is invested ideally in

the people and they get to elect

officials whose job it is to represent

their interests and make policies and

laws that serve those interests these

are democratic societies ruled by the

people what makes them liberal

democracies is a specific conception of

what the role of the state is with

respect to its citizens and part of this

role is captured by what is sometimes

called the doctrine of liberal

neutrality now what does this mean

liberal neutrality is the view that

individual citizens should be free to to

pursue their own conception of the good

life their own conception of what is

ultimately good and valuable and

important that is the state doesn't

impose any particular conception of the

good life on its citizens it's neutral

on this question that's what neutrality

means here so what's the job of the

state the job of the state is to ensure

that you have as much Freedom as

possible to pursue your own good your

own happiness consistent with everyone

else having the same freedom to pursue

their own good that's the liberal part

the freedom part

now when it's phrased like this it

sounds more like classical 18th and 19th

century liberalism which is closer to

libertarianism than to Modern 20th and

21st century liberalism and that's

partly right we're talking about

liberalism as it was understood by

people like John Mill and Thomas Hobbs

and John Lock and Thomas Jefferson which

has a Libertarian slant to it but it's

not entirely right this concept of

liberal neutrality is also consistent

with the welfare liberalism of someone

like John R and contemporary Progressive

liberals who argue that Justice requires

a certain amount of redistribution of

wealth from the rich to the poor what's

that issue between welfare liberals like

RS and Libertarians is just what is

required for individuals to actually

have and be able to exercise their basic

rights and freedoms there's a real

disagreement here but it's a

disagreement about what liberal Freedom

demands and how it can best be achieved

not about the value of Freedom per se

and not about the importance of liberal

neutrality on these issues they're in

agreement they're all very ation on a

theme within the family of liberal

Democratic political philosophies so

getting back to critical thinking there

are two questions I want to ask one what

role does critical thinking play in

maintaining liberal democracies and two

do citizens of liberal democracies have

a civic duty to cultivate their critical

thinking faculties I'll give you my

answers up front the answer to one is a

big one and the answer to two is yes now

to my mind this is obviously true but I

know it's not to a lot of people

certainly not to my students so here it

goes ideally democracy is government by

the people for the people we the people

are charged with electing officials to

represent our needs and interests and if

we don't like how they govern we have

the power and the responsibility to vote

them out of office now as Citizens We're

not normally involved in drafting laws

and policies but we're responsible for

assessing the laws and policies that our

elected and appointed officials propose

and vote on and doing the well requires

both an informed citizenry and a

citizenry capable of critically

assessing arguments pro and con that

pertain to the laws and policies in

question so that's one obvious reason

why critical thinking is important it's

important because it's necessary to

participate fully in the Democratic

process but I think it goes even deeper

than that there's always been a kind of

tension between Democratic Rule and

Classical liberalism liberalism

emphasizes respect for individual rights

and Liberties freedom of thought and

expression and so so on but democracy

carries with it the potential for Mob

rule the tyranny of the majority or the

privileged classes and the state

sanctioned oppression of minority

classes think of the status of women or

people of color or indigenous peoples or

gays and lesbians in ostensibly

Democratic countries over the past 150

years now when we think about the

women's rights movement or the civil

rights movement or other Liberation

movements what I want to do is consider

the importance of independent critical

thought in making those mov possible

when it was illegal for women and people

of color to vote and participate as

equal citizens in government and Society

the cultural norms and social pressures

of the time made it easier to follow

along and not question the rationale for

those Norms so think now about what it

would mean to ask at that time how can

this situation be rationally Justified

what are the arguments for this position

are they good arguments are all the

premises plausible does the conclusion

actually follow do do they rely on

background assumptions that can be

challenged in asking these questions

we're just doing Elementary argument

analysis but in this context these are

subversive dangerous questions they

threaten an entire social order so it's

probably not surprising that in social

groups that are deeply invested in

perpetuating an oppressive social order

this kind of critical inquiry isn't

going to be valued it's going to be

controlled or suppressed if it's seen as

asking people to question the

foundations of the EST lished social

order George Orwell wrote about this at

length in his essays and novels Socrates

was put to death for asking questions

that challenge the worldview of the

established authorities of his day now

my claim is not that teaching critical

thinking will magically wipe away

oppression and human Injustice of course

there's no guarantee that simply raising

these questions is going to cause the

scales to fall from people's eyes and

see the air of their ways my claim is

simply that it's harder for oppressive

policies and beliefs to gain a foothold

in in a Democratic Society that openly

supports the value of critical thinking

and Socratic inquiry not that it's

impossible just that it's harder so to

the extent that we care about freedom

and equality and justice and the ideals

of liberal Democratic governance I think

we should also care about critical

thinking and the values of Socratic

inquiry I think they go hand inand you

can't value one without valuing the

other now I also think it's obvious that

we in fact live in a very non-ideal

world where principles of liberal

Democratic governance can be undermined

by internal corruption excessive

nationalism corporate lobbying

geopolitical threats globalization War

resource scarcity you name it but I

think these challenges just make the

case for critical thinking even stronger

if liberal democracy survives and

flourishes through this Century it will

be because we somehow manage to Foster

and exercise our capacity for critical

and creative thinking in tackling the

problems of our time now we've been

talking about the importance of critical

thinking for Liberal democracy the

second question I wanted to ask was in

light of all this do we as citizens have

a duty to cultivate our rational

critical thinking faculties