Title: Human Nature vs. Democracy
Subtitle: A Case for Ethics and Evidence in Politics
Subject Classification:  Politics and Government, Philosophy, Psychology  
BIC Classification: JPA, HPQ, PSA
BISAC Classification: POL010000, POL033000, PHI019000
Binding: Hardback, eBook
Planned publication date: Dec 2026
ISBN (Hardback): 978-1-83711-958-5
ISBN (eBook): 978-1-83711-959-2

e-books available for libraries from   Proquest  and   EBSCO   with non-institutional availability from  GooglePlay

For larger orders, or orders where you require an invoice, contact us  admin@ethicspress.com

Description

The author uses his background in human biology and psychology to discuss the relevance of philosophical and political issues around democracy raised in past and recent literature, and to highlight the prospects of using scientific knowledge for evidence-based socialization of the "human factor".

Modern liberal democracy is praised in a universalistic Western view as the best political system, and a quasi-prerequisite for full acceptance by the community of traditional hegemonial States. However, democracy is fully developed in only less than five percent of States globally, and in decline in most Western countries. In this book, democracy is presented as a political system in danger due to its intrinsic flaws and tendency to self-destruction. The major flaw is that “human nature” is not adequately considered in democracy’s conception. Its citizens, “We, the people”, as individuals and as crowds, are liberated into a dangerous ideology prioritizing “freedom from society” over “membership in society” and thereby creating libertinism, hedonism and polarization, in divided and broken societies.

The book presents proposals to resolve the rapidly growing crisis, including education of citizens into the ethics of reciprocal altruism, grounded in evidence from biological sciences and humanities, professionalization of politics, and a fundamental change of politics towards evidence-based decision-making.

Biography

Author(s):  Dr Ludwig M. Auer is an Emeritus Professor of neurosurgery, a neuroscientist, and an author on political philosophy and ethics. He lives in the UK.

Reviews

This title is currently being reviewed. Please check back for further updates in due course.