Illusions and reality of public deliberation

Abstract

This work sets out to analyse the model of deliberative process developed by Haidt in his theory of Social Intuitionism. Specifically, I intend to submit to analy­sis the two illusions which, according to Haidt, govern public deliberation. I shall argue that those illusions do not exist in reality, but result from an erroneous ap­proach to the deliberative process. In his proposal, Haidt forgets to acknowledge the epistemic dimension of deliberation and the place occupied by moral emotions in the communicative process. In my opinion, this emotional dimension of deliberation should be defended from deliberative democracy.