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16 - The Fall of Objectivity and Objectification

from Part IV - The Erosion of the Epistemological Constitution of Modern Democracy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2025

Yaron Ezrahi
Affiliation:
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Dana Blander
Affiliation:
Israel Democracy Institute
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Summary

In this chapter, Ezrahi argues that the massive discrediting of claims of objectivity has deeply weakened the social authority of professional communities and institutions – governments, scientists, and economists – which have heavily resorted to professionalism in order to seemingly depoliticize decisions and empower their legitimacy. The dual role of objectivity norms and objectification strategies in depoliticizing decisions while concealing value-political choices is scrutinized. The delicate balance between overpoliticization and over-objectification is examined, emphasizing the challenges faced by governments in navigating transparency and political functionality. The chapter traces the interconnected erosion of the transcendental concept of Nature, democratic culture, and the rule of law. The loss of objectivity in law, exemplified by challenges to the Israeli Supreme Court, underscores the broader decline in civic solidarity. The chapter concludes with an exploration of the cultural and epistemological crises facing modern democracy, raising critical questions about resources available for shaping new imaginaries of self-governance and justice, drawing on historical cosmological transformations.

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Can Democracy Recover?
The Roots of a Crisis
, pp. 153 - 158
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2025

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