Early Career Work in Progress Seminar (Tuesday - Week 3, HT26)
Tuesday 3 February, 4.30pm - 6:00pm
Ryle Room (20.339), Schwarzman Centre
Jordan Scott (University College): 'Persuasion in Politics: A Pessimistic Proposal'
Abstract: In politics, trying to persuade the undecided can be a baffling exercise. Their judgments can often be volatile, and change on the basis of small, largely irrelevant, reasons. Yet the very same people can often be incredibly resistant to active attempts at persuasion. This paradoxical behaviour has been taken by some to be evidence of irrationality on the part of the undecided. At the very least, it’s (optimistically) thought that if we can get the undecided to be open to arguments/evidence and engage in dialogue, then they are far more likely to be swayed by the truth. In this paper, I argue that this optimism is not warranted. Being politically undecided typically comes with being in a particular kind of rational bind: one which means most attempts to genuinely persuade the undecided are doomed to fail. It also suggests that the seemingly volatile behaviour, including choosing on the basis of bribes, whims, and even spite, will often be quite rational.
Registration: If you do not hold a university card, please contact the seminar convenor or admin@philosophy.ox.ac.uk at least two working days before a seminar to register your attendance.
