LESSWRONG
Community
LW

3055
Event

5

Epistocracy & Plural Voting

by kaleb
1 min read
0

5

Last Thursday at 11:30 PM to Last Friday at 2:30 AM GMT
Quantum Nano Centre, Waterloo, ON, Canada
The host has requested RSVPs for this event
1 Going0 Maybe0 Can't Go
kaleb

Posted on: 22nd Oct 2025

Subscribe to group

5

New Comment
Everyone who RSVP'd to this event will be notified.
Moderation Log
More from kaleb
View more
Curated and popular this week
0Comments
Kitchener-Waterloo Rationality

please note that this is not at the usual location

From 7:10-7:25 I will loiter around the Peter Russel Rock Garden: see https://plus.codes/86MXFFC4+JF

Unfortunately, I believe we need Greg to let us into the room proper. If you know where the entrance to the IQC is, you can go there for 7:30, otherwise you would be best served meeting me in the rock garden.

Description

Since the birth of democracy, people have been complaining about ignorant, misinformed voters. Perhaps then, those with more education and information should have more votes? This was the opinion of JS Mill, and it has more recently been discussed under the name Epistocracy.

What do you think?

Mandatory Readings

I'm not your boss.

Optional Readings

 
Against Democracy - A review
(Especially the first section titled 'Brennan’s argument')
https://quillette.com/2020/03/22/against-democracy-a-review/

 

JS Mill - Considerations on Representative Government 
Go to Chapter 8 - 'Of the Extension of the Suffrage' and CTRL+F "plural voting"
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/5669/5669-h/5669-h.htm#link2HCH0008

 

Are knowledgeable Voters Better Voters?
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/356448949_Are_Knowledgeable_Voters_Better_Voters

 

Why not Epistocracy?

https://philosophy.brown.edu/sites/default/files/papers/WhyNotEpistocracy.pdf