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Philosophical Considerations of Political Polarization

  • William J. Berger , Daniel J. Singer , Aaron Bramson , Patrick Grim , Jiin Jung and Bennett Holman
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The Political Turn in Analytic Philosophy
This chapter is in the book The Political Turn in Analytic Philosophy

Abstract

This chapter illustrates how philosophy and political science can inform one another by providing an overview of philosophical contributions the authors have made on the topic of political polarization. The authors outline three contributions they have made to understanding political polarization, particularly of the epistemic kind, discussing work that gives clearer terminology for and ways of measuring polarization, precise mechanistic accounts of polarization, and a novel normative view about a possible source of polarization that casts polarization as a possible outcome of rational, but limited, agents interacting. This last contribution illustrates, contra recent work, how dynamics akin to epistemic bubbles and echo chambers can develop without associated epistemic vices. Taken together, these projects can serve as a guide for producing philosophical work which both contributes to a mainstream disciplinary literature as well as informs cross-disciplinary, empirical literatures in the social sciences.

Abstract

This chapter illustrates how philosophy and political science can inform one another by providing an overview of philosophical contributions the authors have made on the topic of political polarization. The authors outline three contributions they have made to understanding political polarization, particularly of the epistemic kind, discussing work that gives clearer terminology for and ways of measuring polarization, precise mechanistic accounts of polarization, and a novel normative view about a possible source of polarization that casts polarization as a possible outcome of rational, but limited, agents interacting. This last contribution illustrates, contra recent work, how dynamics akin to epistemic bubbles and echo chambers can develop without associated epistemic vices. Taken together, these projects can serve as a guide for producing philosophical work which both contributes to a mainstream disciplinary literature as well as informs cross-disciplinary, empirical literatures in the social sciences.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Acknowledgements V
  3. Table of Contents VII
  4. Editor’s Introduction IX
  5. Part I: Analytic Philosophy and Social Involvement
  6. Analytic Philosophy as Philosophical Activism 1
  7. Conceptual Engineering and Neurath’s Boat: A Return to the Political Roots of Logical Empiricism 31
  8. Part II: Mind, Knowledge, and the Social World
  9. Political Epistemology 53
  10. Intellectual Vices in Conditions of Oppression: The Turn to the Political in Virtue Epistemology 77
  11. Epistemic De-Platforming 105
  12. Philosophy of Mind after Implicit Biases 135
  13. Ameliorative Inquiry in Epistemology 151
  14. Part III: Meaning, Politics, and Identity
  15. Tackling Verbal Derogation: Linguistic Meaning, Social Meaning and Constructive Contestation 173
  16. The Power to Shape Contexts: The Transmission of Descriptive and Evaluative Contents 199
  17. Hermeneutical Injustice and Conceptual Landscaping: The Benefits and Responsibilities of Expanding Conceptual Landscaping beyond Failure Reparation 211
  18. The Meaning of ‘Woman’ and the Political Turn in Philosophy of Language 229
  19. Part IV: Epistemology and Polarization
  20. Affective Polarization and Testimonial and Discursive Injustice 257
  21. Philosophical Considerations of Political Polarization 279
  22. Notes on Contributors 299
  23. Index 303
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110612318-015

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Acknowledgements V
  3. Table of Contents VII
  4. Editor’s Introduction IX
  5. Part I: Analytic Philosophy and Social Involvement
  6. Analytic Philosophy as Philosophical Activism 1
  7. Conceptual Engineering and Neurath’s Boat: A Return to the Political Roots of Logical Empiricism 31
  8. Part II: Mind, Knowledge, and the Social World
  9. Political Epistemology 53
  10. Intellectual Vices in Conditions of Oppression: The Turn to the Political in Virtue Epistemology 77
  11. Epistemic De-Platforming 105
  12. Philosophy of Mind after Implicit Biases 135
  13. Ameliorative Inquiry in Epistemology 151
  14. Part III: Meaning, Politics, and Identity
  15. Tackling Verbal Derogation: Linguistic Meaning, Social Meaning and Constructive Contestation 173
  16. The Power to Shape Contexts: The Transmission of Descriptive and Evaluative Contents 199
  17. Hermeneutical Injustice and Conceptual Landscaping: The Benefits and Responsibilities of Expanding Conceptual Landscaping beyond Failure Reparation 211
  18. The Meaning of ‘Woman’ and the Political Turn in Philosophy of Language 229
  19. Part IV: Epistemology and Polarization
  20. Affective Polarization and Testimonial and Discursive Injustice 257
  21. Philosophical Considerations of Political Polarization 279
  22. Notes on Contributors 299
  23. Index 303
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