How can a society raise its intellectual and moral standards without restricting freedom or falling into epistocracy? (Plus a question on moral paternalism)
I haven’t read extensively on political philosophy or epistemology, but the current political, economical and my own personal reality got me thinking about the tension between cognitive capacities, moral accountability, and democratic systems. I'm looking for literature or frameworks that address a few interconnected problems.
- The Epistocratic Trap vs. Accountability
We know mandatory education has limits, and some individuals simply do not have the interest to educate themselves beyond a baseline. How do we hold people to higher intellectual and moral standards without coercion? I often think about modern democracies where universal suffrage allows everyone to vote, regardless of their understanding of economics, policy, or even if their motives are morally questionable.
If we were to implement a threshold like a test on the issues we inevitably restrict freedom and form an elite subgroup (an epistocracy), because passing that test would likely correlate with having the socioeconomic resources to get a better education. Is there a philosophical framework for elevating standards and accountability without creating this elite class?
- The Problem of "Intellectual Forgiveness" and Agency
My second question relates to the ethics of how the intellectually gifted (not saying I’m one) should treat the average person. Are intellectuals supposed to be more forgiving of the moral and political oversights of those who are less intelligent or educated?
We generally extend a level of forgiveness to someone who is clinically disabled because we recognize a hard limit on their capacities. If an intellectual views an average person’s lack of engagement as a limit on their capacity (or perhaps an expression of rational ignorance), does treating them with that same "forgiveness" violate their moral agency? Does it cross the line into moral paternalism? Or is the said intellectually gifted person under no obligation to accommodate past a certain point.