The Marketplace of Ideas

That ' s a common metaphor for the political process. I haven ' t been able to find out who coined the  specific phrase,  but the underlying idea goes back at least as far as John Milton ' sAreopagiticaof 1644 and for  modern political theorists is probably most associated with John Stuart Mill ' sOn Liberty of 1859. The basic idea is that if unrestrained speech and debate are allowed in the public sphere, truth and logic will ultimately win out because they have more inherent value than falsehood and irrationality. This idea was famously influential with the authors of the U.S. constitution and is the basis of the First Amendment. I have always doubted this model of putatively democratic politics as a debating society.  People are much too inclined to motivated reasoning and logical fallacies; and most do not have the informational background, methodological expertise or time and energy to distinguish truthful from tendentious claims. These problems are greatly compounded by the informational institutions that govern the public sphere -- precisely the so-called free press which is also protected by the First Amendment, but which inevitably promotes motivated points of view and includes irresponsible actors who promote falsehood. At least it is possible, in principle, to respond to Fox News with reasoned presentation of facts and logic, although Fox News viewers aren ' t likely to hear you. The propaganda organs of the right no longer even t...
Source: Stayin' Alive - Category: American Health Source Type: blogs