Irrational publics and the fate of democracy / Stephen J.A. Ward.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Ward, Stephen J. A. (Stephen John Anthony), 1951- author.

Series:

McGill-Queen's studies in the history of ideas ; 91.

McGill-Queen's studies in the history of ideas ; 91

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Irrationalism (Philosophy)--Social aspects.

Irrationalism (Philosophy).

Irrationalism (Philosophy)--History.

Democracy.

Physical Description:

x, 440 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm.

Place of Publication:

Montreal ; Kingston ; London ; Chicago : McGill-Queen's University Press, [2024]

Summary:

"Across cultures, democracies struggle with intolerant groups, misinformation, social media conspiracies, and extreme populists. Egalitarian cultures cannot always withstand this swing towards the irrational. In Irrational Publics and the Fate of Democracy Stephen J. A. Ward combines history and evolutionary psychology for a comprehensive view of the problem, arguing that social irrationality is likely to occur when social tensions trigger a person's enemy stance: ancient extreme traits in human nature such as aggressiveness, desire for domination, paranoia of the other, and us-versus-them tribalism. Analyzing eruptions of public irrationality--from apocalyptic medieval crusades and Nazi doctors in extermination camps to suicidal cults--Ward presents his evolutionary theory of public irrationalism, demonstrating that human nature has both extreme Darwinian traits promoting competition and sociable traits of cooperation and empathy. The issue is which set of traits will be activated by the social ecology. Extreme traits, once adaptive when humans were hunter-gatherers, have become maladaptive and dangerous. Catalyzed by intolerant media and demagogues, the swing towards the irrational weakens democracy and may lead to human extinction through nuclear holocaust. Irrational Publics and the Fate of Democracy concludes with practical recommendations on what society should do to resist the engines of unreason within and without us."-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Irrational Intolerance

The Revenge of the Imperfect

The Tangle of Modernity

Makers of Other Worlds

Surreal Worlds, Logical Worlds

Apocalypse Soon

Fascist Mind

Paranoid Tribes

American Helter-Skelter

Engines of Unreason

Constructing the Enemy.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 407-435) and index.

Other Format:

Online version: Ward, Stephen J. A. (Stephen John Anthony), 1951- Irrational publics and the fate of democracy.

ISBN:

0228020026

9780228020028

9780228020035

0228020034

OCLC:

1375547882

Publisher Number:

90100896575

CIPO000000804