The concept of deliberation as proposed in the co-authored paper by Ackerman, Fishkin and others proposes a brand new national holiday that will allow citizens to participate in large scale deliberative voting. This allows them to gain a better understanding of the upcoming big elections and ask questions about their policy proposals. In the paper co-authored by Ackerman and Fishkin, it is proposed that deliberation days will give candidates an opportunity to present more thorough and informed policy proposals as they’ll be closely scrutinized. Through my Aristotelian background, I will examine how this idea fits into Aristotle’s view of democracy. Aristotle’s ideal form is polity – a mix of democracy, oligarchy and other forms of government. Aristotle views these two forms as deviant, but when combined they make the ideal form of government. Aristotle argues that the majority of a society’s population should be characterized by virtue, modest wealth and ambition. Aristotle argues that a majority of people in the middle class are less likely to be reluctant to hold a position and more eager to do so. (Aristotle. Sinclair Saunders. 1992) Aristotelian ideas about citizens holding office and sharing it among themselves would be most effective in a society with a majority of middle class people. There would be no conflict because they are all peers, equals, and share similar interests.
Aristotle states that because most people share the same needs and desires, they will not act in their own best interest, but instead, consider what others think, as the power is shared. The importance of the middle classes of people comes from the fact that both extreme wealth and poverty are corrupting, and can blind people’s reason. Overall, the theory focuses on a moderate leisure-class that shares the power in democratic fashion. It doesn’t value the inclusion of the poor or wealthy in the process of decision-making as they only serve their own needs. Aristotle deems involvement with the government as a key factor in being a good person, but limits who is allowed to call themselves a citizen. Deliberation Day has many aspects that are in line with Aristotelian philosophy, but there are also those which contradict it. Deliberation day’s overall goal is to get citizens involved in government and more informed.
Because it is a holiday that would include a pay cut, the people are more likely to be interested in participating. Aristotle praised the role of citizens in supporting and contributing positively to their state. Aristotle would value discussion between equals and peers, so this approach would benefit all citizens. Aristotle makes it clear that deliberation is important in the chapter 14 of book 4 of “The Politics”, which is a part of Aristotle. Sinclair & Saunders, 1992). However, it is pointed out that Aristotle does not believe everyone should be involved in deliberations. This is contrary to the inclusive approach of Deliberation Day. Aristotle believes that not all should participate in deliberation, but many. This view is largely based on Aristotle’s limited concept of citizenship. If we apply Aristotelian deliberation to the modern context, where citizenship is much more encompassing, then it fits very well. Aristotle is very concerned with virtue, which involves education. He is often conflicted when he writes about the importance of empowering the majority to ensure a fair society. However, he also stresses the dangers of allowing people with less virtue to gain power. He is constantly wary of people’s lack of insight and understanding, which can lead them to make decisions out of selfish interest. This societal problem can be solved by the concept of deliberation days. It educates and informs people about important decisions and matters that face them.
There will always be people who vote with no regard for the good of the community or their own interest, but they are in a very small minority. Aristotle’s system of voting is democratic, so the majority views will prevail. The citizens will then be better informed and more aware of policies and proposals from candidates. Aristotelian reasoning can be used to ensure that power is not given to too many people. Deliberation day is more feasible because it fixes a flaw in Polity. This would also require adapting these ideals and views into a contemporary concept while allowing some flexibility.
Aristotle argues that the virtue of a person is what determines who holds power in government and plays a major role. Aristotle’s thinking states that men and women with the highest moral and intellectual qualities should hold a position of authority in society. It is hard to discern virtue and many people gain power through wealth and nobility. Citizens are asked to question the candidates on their plans. This allows for more detail about these plans. Candidates should have clear policies that they can support with evidence and concrete plans. Deliberation Day creates a transparent environment for elections, which allows candidates’ virtues to be revealed or not. Citizens can determine a person’s character by spending time with them. Deliberation Day increases the chances of putting people with virtue in positions of power that support Aristotle’s ideal of a polity. Even though deliberation days is a fascinating concept, it would be difficult to implement. In order to raise the capital required, it would be necessary to cut other important areas of spending or increase taxes to offset the costs. It would be economical to close all the factories for a day. Randomly grouping people could lead to people traveling to their deliberative voting. Aristotelian thought would reject these inconveniences as they would be unproductive and unreasonable. They would also encourage him to restrict participation to those who can afford to do so without upsetting the entire society.
Aristotle is a great thinker and his works are a good way to understand the concept. By evaluating his aspirations and goals for polity then examining the ways that deliberation can either help or hinder these, it becomes clear that this is one way to achieve polity. It is true that his ideas are most effective when applied to a modern context. However, they were not effective during Aristotle’s time due to his limited view of citizenship. Aristotle did offer a way of achieving an ideal state in theory, but it was not seen to be as crucial in Aristotle’s view.