Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1177/0162243910366154
Title (Primary) A democracy paradox in studies of science and technology
Author Lövbrand, E.; Pielke jr., R.; Beck, S.
Source Titel Science, Technology & Human Values
Year 2011
Department UPOL
Volume 36
Issue 4
Page From 474
Page To 496
Language englisch
Abstract Today many scholars seem to agree that citizens should be involved in expert deliberations on science and technology issues. This interest in public deliberation has gained attraction in many practical settings, especially in the European Union, and holds the promise of more legitimate governance of science and technology. In this article, the authors draw on the European Commission's (EC) report "Taking the European Knowledge Society Seriously" to ask how legitimate these efforts to "democratize" scientific expertise really are. While the report borrows from deliberative democrats' normative accounts of legitimacy, the authors identify a tension between the principles for legitimate rule prescribed by deliberative democratic theory and the report's celebration of diversity and dissent. While this inconsistency suggests that the legitimacy of deliberative governance arrangements is justified on empirical rather than normative grounds, it remains an open question whether studies of science and technology offer enough empirical support for such a justification. In this article, the authors address this pressing question and propose three possible responses.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=10929
Lövbrand, E., Pielke jr., R., Beck, S. (2011):
A democracy paradox in studies of science and technology
Sci. Technol. Hum. Values 36 (4), 474 - 496 10.1177/0162243910366154