Deliberative democrats ground legitimacy in rational consensus produced by ideal discourse procedures

Evidence

Let U5 examine this model of deliberative democracy closely. In their attempt (0 ground legitimacy on ratio""Iity. these theorists have to distinguish between mere agreement and rational consensus. That is why they assert that the process of public discussion must realize the conditions of ideal discourse. This sets the values of the procedure. which are impartiality and equality, openness and lack of coercion, and unanimity. The combination of those values in the discussion guarantees that its outcome will be legitimate, since it wilJ produce generalizable interests on which all participants can agree. — Chantal Mouffe, The Democratic Paradox, 219

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines the ideal-discourse procedure as the values of impartiality, equality, openness, and unanimity aimed at rational consensus.
• XREF: connects to: Deliberative theorists seek rational consensus, not mere compromise or modus vivendi — Chantal Mouffe, The Democratic Paradox, 401; Deliberative democracy grounds legitimacy in presumed impartiality toward all — Chantal Mouffe, The Democratic Paradox, 399; Rawls and Habermas seek rational consensus to stabilize liberal democracy. — Chantal Mouffe, The Democratic Paradox, 429 (+7 more)

Broader Connections

• Democratic elections legitimize only as outcomes of prior public deliberation, not preference aggregation #expands (0.85) — Jürgen Habermas, A New Structural Transformation of the…, 94
• Rejecting consensus as impossible protects democracy from closure #contradicts (0.85) — Chantal Mouffe, The Democratic Paradox, 146
• Deliberative democracy eliminates pluralism to achieve consensus, leaving it unable to answer Schmitt #complicates (0.82) — Chantal Mouffe, The Democratic Paradox, 225
• Postmodernism treats consensus itself as an illusion produced by discourse #contradicts (0.82)
• Common allegiance to pluralist democratic principles is necessarily a conflictual consensus #complicates (0.80) — Chantal Mouffe, The Democratic Paradox, 464
• Deliberative legitimacy requires considerations neutral across interest groups #qualifies (0.78) — Philip Pettit, Republicanism, 854