Why the all affected principle is groundless

TY - JOUR

T1 - Why the all affected principle is groundless

AU - Lippert-Rasmussen, Kasper

AU - Bengtson, Andreas

PY - 2021/12

Y1 - 2021/12

N2 - The all-affected principle is a widely accepted solution to the problem of constituting the demos. Despite its popularity, a basic question in relation to the principle has not received much attention: why does the fact that an individual is affected by a certain decision ground a right to inclusion in democratic decision-making about that matter? An answer to this question must include a reason that explains why an affected individual should be included because she is affected. We identify three such reasons in the literature - to wit, interest protection, self-government and welfare - and show why they all fail. We then propose two alternative reasons, equal relations and fairness, and show why they are also deficient. Surprisingly, the all-affected principle then appears groundless, which supports withholding belief in the all-affected principle or(/and) investing future research in identifying the thus-far unidentified reason why being affected grounds a claim to inclusion.

AB - The all-affected principle is a widely accepted solution to the problem of constituting the demos. Despite its popularity, a basic question in relation to the principle has not received much attention: why does the fact that an individual is affected by a certain decision ground a right to inclusion in democratic decision-making about that matter? An answer to this question must include a reason that explains why an affected individual should be included because she is affected. We identify three such reasons in the literature - to wit, interest protection, self-government and welfare - and show why they all fail. We then propose two alternative reasons, equal relations and fairness, and show why they are also deficient. Surprisingly, the all-affected principle then appears groundless, which supports withholding belief in the all-affected principle or(/and) investing future research in identifying the thus-far unidentified reason why being affected grounds a claim to inclusion.

KW - Democracy

KW - Democratic inclusion

KW - The all-affected principle

KW - The all-subjected principle

KW - The problem of constituting the demos

KW - COERCION

KW - DEMOCRACY

KW - the all-subjected principle

KW - the problem of constituting the demos

KW - democracy

KW - AFFECTED INTERESTS

KW - EQUALITY

KW - RULE

KW - the all-affected principle

KW - democratic inclusion

U2 - 10.1163/17455243-20213473

DO - 10.1163/17455243-20213473

M3 - Journal article

SN - 1740-4681

VL - 18

SP - 571

EP - 596

JO - Journal of Moral Philosophy

JF - Journal of Moral Philosophy

IS - 6

ER -