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Reasoned Politics
How can we do politics better?
In Reasoned Politics, Magnus Vinding lays out a path toward politics based on ethical reasoning and empirical evidence. He argues that a better approach to politics is both conceivable and realistic. Modern discoveries in political psychology hint at new, improved norms for political discourse and cooperation, while also pointing to concrete ways in which such improvements can gradually be realized.
Having outlined a general framework for reasoned politics, Vinding proceeds to apply this framework to real-world policy issues. Based on an ethical foundation that takes the suffering of all sentient beings into account, he explores various lines of evidence to infer which policies seem most helpful for alleviating severe suffering.
“We missed it, now we have it. The Magnum Opus for a Reasoned Politics for all, humans and animals alike. I heartily recommend it to anyone who is interested in a rational approach to politics.”
— Sabine Brels, international animal lawyer, author of Le droit du bien-être animal dans le monde
“In a time of heated political debate, Magnus Vinding provides a strong case for pursuing reason in politics, while cautioning us about the dangers of giving up on it. Vinding practices what he preaches — the book engages with relevant research from different areas to make its case in a reasoned way. It combines a wide-ranging view with topical applications. Even if not agreeing on every topic, the reader will come out enlightened.”
— Tiago Ribeiro Dos Santos, author of Why Not Parliamentarism?
“A compelling case for a new kind of politics. Politics shouldn’t be conducted in the interests of any one ethnic group or species, but instead to promote the interests of all sentient beings. The text combines a masterly command of the academic literature with a minimum of scholarly clutter. Vinding’s plea for an alliance of reason and compassion deserves the widest possible audience. Highly recommended.”
— David Pearce, author of The Hedonistic Imperative and Can Biotechnology Abolish Suffering?
“Magnus Vinding’s extensively researched and lucidly written work is a welcome antidote to the bold claims and strong opinions that permeate politics and activism. He carefully proposes aims and approaches that may inch us towards a world with less intense suffering of all sentient beings, based on empirical findings from sociology, psychology and other fields. A must-read for any changemaker concerned about how to reduce suffering over the long term.”
— Jonathan Leighton, founder of the Organisation for the Prevention of Intense Suffering, author of The Battle for Compassion: Ethics in an Apathetic Universe
This book is unlike any other I know. Reasoned Politics shows us how we can adopt a form of politics thoughtfully informed by the right kind of values. To do this, we need to clarify our moral priorities and to identify the individual and collective political choices that best honor them. This task requires disciplined reflection, awareness of cognitive biases, patient empirical research, and inclusive deliberation. As Vinding argues, the reduction of suffering, human and non-human, must be central to any plausible political ideal. He then considers the political structures and norms that will advance the reduction of suffering and other paramount values. This leads him to an illuminating discussion of how to understand the concepts of liberty, equality, justice, and democracy. Unlike most political theorists, Vinding never lets his readers forget the urgency of ending our species’ indefensibly cruel treatment of non-human animals. This book is filled with insight, wisdom, and critical information. Vinding models the virtues that he recommends in political discourse: he is observant, clear-minded, humane, sensible, honest, and unafraid. Political theorists should take a break from what they are doing and read Reasoned Politics.
— Jamie Mayerfeld, professor of political science at the University of Washington, author of Suffering and Moral Responsibility and The Promise of Human Rights
In Reasoned Politics, Magnus Vinding lays out a path toward politics based on ethical reasoning and empirical evidence. He argues that a better approach to politics is both conceivable and realistic. Modern discoveries in political psychology hint at new, improved norms for political discourse and cooperation, while also pointing to concrete ways in which such improvements can gradually be realized.
Having outlined a general framework for reasoned politics, Vinding proceeds to apply this framework to real-world policy issues. Based on an ethical foundation that takes the suffering of all sentient beings into account, he explores various lines of evidence to infer which policies seem most helpful for alleviating severe suffering.
“We missed it, now we have it. The Magnum Opus for a Reasoned Politics for all, humans and animals alike. I heartily recommend it to anyone who is interested in a rational approach to politics.”
— Sabine Brels, international animal lawyer, author of Le droit du bien-être animal dans le monde
“In a time of heated political debate, Magnus Vinding provides a strong case for pursuing reason in politics, while cautioning us about the dangers of giving up on it. Vinding practices what he preaches — the book engages with relevant research from different areas to make its case in a reasoned way. It combines a wide-ranging view with topical applications. Even if not agreeing on every topic, the reader will come out enlightened.”
— Tiago Ribeiro Dos Santos, author of Why Not Parliamentarism?
“A compelling case for a new kind of politics. Politics shouldn’t be conducted in the interests of any one ethnic group or species, but instead to promote the interests of all sentient beings. The text combines a masterly command of the academic literature with a minimum of scholarly clutter. Vinding’s plea for an alliance of reason and compassion deserves the widest possible audience. Highly recommended.”
— David Pearce, author of The Hedonistic Imperative and Can Biotechnology Abolish Suffering?
“Magnus Vinding’s extensively researched and lucidly written work is a welcome antidote to the bold claims and strong opinions that permeate politics and activism. He carefully proposes aims and approaches that may inch us towards a world with less intense suffering of all sentient beings, based on empirical findings from sociology, psychology and other fields. A must-read for any changemaker concerned about how to reduce suffering over the long term.”
— Jonathan Leighton, founder of the Organisation for the Prevention of Intense Suffering, author of The Battle for Compassion: Ethics in an Apathetic Universe
This book is unlike any other I know. Reasoned Politics shows us how we can adopt a form of politics thoughtfully informed by the right kind of values. To do this, we need to clarify our moral priorities and to identify the individual and collective political choices that best honor them. This task requires disciplined reflection, awareness of cognitive biases, patient empirical research, and inclusive deliberation. As Vinding argues, the reduction of suffering, human and non-human, must be central to any plausible political ideal. He then considers the political structures and norms that will advance the reduction of suffering and other paramount values. This leads him to an illuminating discussion of how to understand the concepts of liberty, equality, justice, and democracy. Unlike most political theorists, Vinding never lets his readers forget the urgency of ending our species’ indefensibly cruel treatment of non-human animals. This book is filled with insight, wisdom, and critical information. Vinding models the virtues that he recommends in political discourse: he is observant, clear-minded, humane, sensible, honest, and unafraid. Political theorists should take a break from what they are doing and read Reasoned Politics.
— Jamie Mayerfeld, professor of political science at the University of Washington, author of Suffering and Moral Responsibility and The Promise of Human Rights
328 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2022
About the author
Magnus Vinding
28 books87 followersMagnus Vinding is the author of Suffering-Focused Ethics: Defense and Implications (2020), Reasoned Politics (2022), Essays on UFOs and Related Conjectures (2024), and Compassionate Purpose: Personal Inspiration for a Better World (2026).
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March 29, 2023The book can be downloaded for free here:
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April 15, 2022
Compared to other works from Magnus Vinding, this book didn't seem to push my personal intellectual boundaries and levels an interest contra his many others. However, this is largely due to the topic area and my previously aligned sense of agreement with the large majority of the sentiments presented here. When one zooms out and compares this work to others in this space, the epistemic humility with which this case for reason/compassion in politics comes across as nothing short of truly refreshing. Humble in its presentation, but radical in its implications when enough readers take it seriously.
May 7, 2026
2022.02.04–2022.03.14
(For transparency: I’ve worked for a nonprofit organization co-founded by the author, and I was among those who gave feedback on this book before publication.)
After reading an early draft as well as the finished book, I agree with all the blurbs. This is a thoroughly compassionate, carefully researched, and refreshingly nuanced approach to politics. Full marks from me.
But I hope to read critiques by others, not least because I might have the same blindspots as the author.
For a brief post explaining why it was written, see here.
Contents
Vinding M (2022) Reasoned Politics
Introduction
0.1 Problem: Unreasoned Politics
0.2 Remedy: Realistic Steps in a Better Direction
0.3 What Is Reasoned Politics?
0.4 Outline
Part I: A General Framework
1. The Two-Step Ideal of Reasoned Politics
1.1 The Normative Step
1.2 The Empirical Step
1.3 Openness as a Foundational Value
1.4 Who Should Engage in This Process?
1.5 Is This Unrealistic?
1.6 How the Two-Step Ideal Changes Things
1.7 From Here to There
Part II: Descriptive Groundwork and Its Implications
2. Political Psychology
2.1 The Social Intuitionist Model of Moral Judgment
2.2 A Modular Mind
2.3 Moral Foundations Theory
2.4 Genes, Brains, and Personality
2.5 The Importance of Environmental Factors
2.6 Groups and Identity
2.7 Zooming Out
3. Political Biases
3.1 Irrelevant Factors Influencing Our Politics
3.2 Motivated Reasoning and Partisan Bias
3.3 Political Ignorance and Overconfidence
4. Implications of Our Political Psychology and Biases
4.1 Don’t Trust Immediate Intuitions
4.2 Beware Motivated Reasoning
4.3 Resist the Pull of Loyalty Signaling
4.4 Reduce Political Overconfidence
4.5 Be Charitable
4.6 Not A Hopeless Endeavor
4.7 Change Social Incentives
4.8 Reduce Zero-Sum Politics
4.9 Candidate Tools: Mindfulness and Basic Probability Heuristics
5. The Importance of Culture
5.1 A Cultural Species
5.2 Opaque Institutions
5.3 Cultural Differences in Human Psychology
5.4 WEIRD Psychology
5.5 Explanations and Clarifications
6. Implications of the Importance of Culture
6.1 Human Nature Is Tricky
6.2 Optimal Policy Is Culture-Dependent
6.3 Consider the Long-Term Effects of Institutions
6.4 The Opacity of Institutions Implies Prudence
6.5 Experiment-Based Politics
6.6 Reasoned Politics Is Unnatural
6.7 More Research Needed
Part III: Reducing Suffering in Politics
7. Suffering Reduction as a Core Value in Politics
7.1 A Strong Moral Duty to Reduce Suffering
7.2 Support for the Moral Importance of Suffering
7.3 Suffering as a Priority in Politics: Historical Precedent
7.4 The Next Step
7.5 Clarifying the Question
8. Notes on Consequentialist Politics
8.1 Marginal Realism vs. Broad Idealism
8.2 Empirical Uncertainty
8.3 The Long-Term Future
8.4 Taking Human Psychology Into Account
8.5 The Necessity of Rule Following
8.6 Moral Software Amenable to the Human Mind
8.7 Being Realistic and Strategic
8.8 Not Just Formal Institutions
8.9 Awareness of People’s Reaction to Suffering
8.10 Showing That We Care vs. Actually Reducing Suffering
8.11 Objections to Consequentialist Politics
8.11.1 Consequentialist politics opens the door to dangerous actions. The risk of miscalculating is high, and it is too easy to justify atrocities in the name of creating good outcomes.
8.11.2 Consequentialist politics is dangerously radical, as it would make us too eager to implement sweeping changes on weak grounds.
8.11.3 Consequentialist politics cannot support genuine moral rights.
8.11.4 A consequentialist approach to politics that is based on empirical evidence is at a serious political disadvantage given that it must, if honest and transparent, be phrased in the language of great empirical uncertainty. This is not a convincing language to most people.
8.11.5 Consequentialist politics of the kind advanced here could support killing innocent people, or even destroying the entire world in order to reduce suffering.
9. Identifying Plausible Proxies
9.1 The Importance of Avoiding Worst-Case Outcomes
9.2 The Bounding Approach to Avoiding Worst-Case Outcomes
9.3 Plausible Proxies
9.3.1 Greater Levels of Cooperation
9.3.2 Better Values
9.3.3 Greater Capacity to Reduce Suffering
9.4 A Robust Framework
9.5 Turning to Policy
Part IV: Policy Issues
10. Non-Human Beings and Politics
10.1 The Case Against Speciesism
10.2 Wild-Animal Suffering and the Idyllic View of Nature
10.3 Animal Exploitation: A Moral Catastrophe
10.4 Future Risks: Increasing Animal Suffering and Novel Forms of Suffering
10.5 What to Do?
10.6 Individual Actions
10.7 Policies and Initiatives to Support
10.7.1 Wild-Animal Suffering
10.7.2 Ending Animal Farming
10.7.3 Risks of Novel Forms of Suffering
10.8 One Movement for All Sentient Beings?
10.9 Four Broad Strategies
10.9.1 Focusing on Anti-Speciesism
10.9.2 Focusing on Institutional Change
10.9.3 Calling for the Abolition of Slaughterhouses
10.9.4 Making Our Concern for Non-Human Beings Common Knowledge
10.10 Plausible Proxies and Politics for All Sentient Beings
10.10.1 Greater Levels of Cooperation
10.10.2 Better Values
10.10.3 Greater Capacity to Reduce Suffering
10.11 Conclusion
11. Liberty
11.1 Defining Liberty
11.2 Preliminary Clarifications
11.3 The Case for Liberty Based on the Two-Step Ideal
11.4 Reasons to Favor Liberty
11.5 Empirical Reasons to Favor Liberty
11.6 Liberty and Concern for Non-Human Beings
11.7 Reasons to Oppose Liberty
11.8 Weighing the Arguments
11.9 Freedom From a State?
11.10 For and Against Anarchy
11.11 Marginal Realist Upshots on Anarchism vs. Statism
11.12 Plausible Proxies and Liberty
11.12.1 Greater Levels of Cooperation
11.12.2 Better Values
11.12.3 Greater Capacity to Reduce Suffering
11.13 Conclusion
12. Equality
12.1 Equality of What? — Different Notions of Equality
12.2 Preliminary Clarifications
12.3 Extending “Equal Consideration of Equal Interests”
12.4 Reasons to Favor Less Economic Inequality
12.5 Institutional Reasons to Favor Less Economic Inequality
12.6 Reasons Not to Favor Less Economic Inequality
12.7 What to Do About Economic Inequality? — A Complex Question
12.8 Reducing Economic Inequality Through Social Norms?
12.9 Taxation
12.10 A Negative Income Tax?
12.11 The Debate on Inequality
12.11.1 Distortions and Overstatements
12.11.2 The Overlooked Compatibility of Freedom and Equality
12.11.3 False Choices and “Tail-End Awareness”
12.12 Plausible Proxies and Inequality
12.12.1 Greater Levels of Cooperation
12.12.2 Better Values
12.12.3 Greater Capacity to Reduce Suffering
12.13 Conclusion
13. Justice
13.1 Definitions of Justice
13.2 Reframing Justice, Reframing Suffering Reduction
13.3 Criminal Justice as Effective Harm Prevention
13.3.1 Expanding the Scope: Truly Impartial Criminal Justice
13.3.2 Preventive Rather than Retributive Justice
13.3.3 Special Attention to Crimes of Extreme Cruelty
13.3.4 Rejecting Victimless “Crime”
13.3.5 What About the Opacity of Institutions?
13.4 Practical Steps Toward “Criminal Justice as Effective Harm Prevention”
13.5 Plausible Proxies and Justice
13.5.1 Greater Levels of Cooperation
13.5.2 Better Values
13.5.3 Greater Capacity to Reduce Suffering
13.6 Conclusion
14. Democracy
14.1 The Meaning of Democracy
14.2 Preliminary Clarifications
14.3 Democracy vs. Other Tried Systems of Government
14.3.1 Securing Liberty
14.3.2 Protection of Human Rights
14.3.3 Animal Protection Laws
14.3.4 Securing Peace
14.3.5 Convergent Conclusions
14.4 Better Alternatives?
14.4.1 Futarchy
14.4.2 Epistocracy
14.4.3 Sortition
14.4.4 Algorithmic Governance: Replacing Politicians with Software
14.5 Improving Democracy
14.5.1 Sentiocracy: Granting Political Representation to All Sentient Beings
14.5.2 More or Less Direct Democracy?
14.5.3 Parliamentarism vs. Presidentialism
14.5.4 Voting Reform
14.6 Avoiding Pathocracy: A Top Priority
14.6.1 The Peril of Malevolent Rulers
14.6.2 Beneficial Interventions
14.7 Marginal Realist Implications
14.7.1 Promoting and Securing Liberal Democracy as the Main Priority?
14.7.2 Interventions for Promoting and Securing Liberal Democracy
14.7.3 Other Interventions: Exploring Novel Proposals in Weaker Forms?
14.7.4 Comparing Proposals
14.8 Plausible Proxies and Democracy
14.8.1 Greater Levels of Cooperation
14.8.2 Better Values
14.8.3 Greater Capacity to Reduce Suffering
14.9 Conclusion
Part V: Summary
15. An Early Step in a Larger Project
15.1 Limited Scope
15.2 Tentative Conclusions
15.3 Three Broad Goals
16. Party Example: Alliance of Reason and Compassion
• Manifesto of the Alliance of Reason and Compassion
• • Doing Politics Better
• • • Two Pillars of Reasonable Politics: Moral Reflection and Empirical Investigation
• • • Reducing Political Biases
• • Our Values and Approach
• • • Extreme Suffering Deserves Special Priority
• • • Excluding No One: Politics for All Sentient Beings
• • • A Realistic and Principled Approach to Politics
• • Three Robust Aims
• • • Securing Cooperation
• • • Improving Values
• • • Advancing Society’s Ability to Solve Important Problems
• • Our Policies and Principles
• • • A World Without Slaughterhouses
• • • Freedom
• • • Equality
• • • Justice
• • • Democracy
Appendices
Appendix A: Does Voting Make Sense?
Appendix B: Hidden Challenges to the Two-Step Ideal
B.1 Why We Might Prefer Vagueness
B.1.1 Sheltering Loyalty Signaling
B.1.2 Minimizing Attack Surface
B.1.3 We Do Not Stand By Our High-Minded Values
B.2 The Two-Step Ideal and Political Philosophy
B.2.1 Lack of Originality
B.2.2 The Structure of Academia
B.2.3 Inconvenient Frailty
Acknowledgments
Bibliography
(For transparency: I’ve worked for a nonprofit organization co-founded by the author, and I was among those who gave feedback on this book before publication.)
After reading an early draft as well as the finished book, I agree with all the blurbs. This is a thoroughly compassionate, carefully researched, and refreshingly nuanced approach to politics. Full marks from me.
But I hope to read critiques by others, not least because I might have the same blindspots as the author.
For a brief post explaining why it was written, see here.
Contents
Vinding M (2022) Reasoned Politics
Introduction
0.1 Problem: Unreasoned Politics
0.2 Remedy: Realistic Steps in a Better Direction
0.3 What Is Reasoned Politics?
0.4 Outline
Part I: A General Framework
1. The Two-Step Ideal of Reasoned Politics
1.1 The Normative Step
1.2 The Empirical Step
1.3 Openness as a Foundational Value
1.4 Who Should Engage in This Process?
1.5 Is This Unrealistic?
1.6 How the Two-Step Ideal Changes Things
1.7 From Here to There
Part II: Descriptive Groundwork and Its Implications
2. Political Psychology
2.1 The Social Intuitionist Model of Moral Judgment
2.2 A Modular Mind
2.3 Moral Foundations Theory
2.4 Genes, Brains, and Personality
2.5 The Importance of Environmental Factors
2.6 Groups and Identity
2.7 Zooming Out
3. Political Biases
3.1 Irrelevant Factors Influencing Our Politics
3.2 Motivated Reasoning and Partisan Bias
3.3 Political Ignorance and Overconfidence
4. Implications of Our Political Psychology and Biases
4.1 Don’t Trust Immediate Intuitions
4.2 Beware Motivated Reasoning
4.3 Resist the Pull of Loyalty Signaling
4.4 Reduce Political Overconfidence
4.5 Be Charitable
4.6 Not A Hopeless Endeavor
4.7 Change Social Incentives
4.8 Reduce Zero-Sum Politics
4.9 Candidate Tools: Mindfulness and Basic Probability Heuristics
5. The Importance of Culture
5.1 A Cultural Species
5.2 Opaque Institutions
5.3 Cultural Differences in Human Psychology
5.4 WEIRD Psychology
5.5 Explanations and Clarifications
6. Implications of the Importance of Culture
6.1 Human Nature Is Tricky
6.2 Optimal Policy Is Culture-Dependent
6.3 Consider the Long-Term Effects of Institutions
6.4 The Opacity of Institutions Implies Prudence
6.5 Experiment-Based Politics
6.6 Reasoned Politics Is Unnatural
6.7 More Research Needed
Part III: Reducing Suffering in Politics
7. Suffering Reduction as a Core Value in Politics
7.1 A Strong Moral Duty to Reduce Suffering
7.2 Support for the Moral Importance of Suffering
7.3 Suffering as a Priority in Politics: Historical Precedent
7.4 The Next Step
7.5 Clarifying the Question
8. Notes on Consequentialist Politics
8.1 Marginal Realism vs. Broad Idealism
8.2 Empirical Uncertainty
8.3 The Long-Term Future
8.4 Taking Human Psychology Into Account
8.5 The Necessity of Rule Following
8.6 Moral Software Amenable to the Human Mind
8.7 Being Realistic and Strategic
8.8 Not Just Formal Institutions
8.9 Awareness of People’s Reaction to Suffering
8.10 Showing That We Care vs. Actually Reducing Suffering
8.11 Objections to Consequentialist Politics
8.11.1 Consequentialist politics opens the door to dangerous actions. The risk of miscalculating is high, and it is too easy to justify atrocities in the name of creating good outcomes.
8.11.2 Consequentialist politics is dangerously radical, as it would make us too eager to implement sweeping changes on weak grounds.
8.11.3 Consequentialist politics cannot support genuine moral rights.
8.11.4 A consequentialist approach to politics that is based on empirical evidence is at a serious political disadvantage given that it must, if honest and transparent, be phrased in the language of great empirical uncertainty. This is not a convincing language to most people.
8.11.5 Consequentialist politics of the kind advanced here could support killing innocent people, or even destroying the entire world in order to reduce suffering.
9. Identifying Plausible Proxies
9.1 The Importance of Avoiding Worst-Case Outcomes
9.2 The Bounding Approach to Avoiding Worst-Case Outcomes
9.3 Plausible Proxies
9.3.1 Greater Levels of Cooperation
9.3.2 Better Values
9.3.3 Greater Capacity to Reduce Suffering
9.4 A Robust Framework
9.5 Turning to Policy
Part IV: Policy Issues
10. Non-Human Beings and Politics
10.1 The Case Against Speciesism
10.2 Wild-Animal Suffering and the Idyllic View of Nature
10.3 Animal Exploitation: A Moral Catastrophe
10.4 Future Risks: Increasing Animal Suffering and Novel Forms of Suffering
10.5 What to Do?
10.6 Individual Actions
10.7 Policies and Initiatives to Support
10.7.1 Wild-Animal Suffering
10.7.2 Ending Animal Farming
10.7.3 Risks of Novel Forms of Suffering
10.8 One Movement for All Sentient Beings?
10.9 Four Broad Strategies
10.9.1 Focusing on Anti-Speciesism
10.9.2 Focusing on Institutional Change
10.9.3 Calling for the Abolition of Slaughterhouses
10.9.4 Making Our Concern for Non-Human Beings Common Knowledge
10.10 Plausible Proxies and Politics for All Sentient Beings
10.10.1 Greater Levels of Cooperation
10.10.2 Better Values
10.10.3 Greater Capacity to Reduce Suffering
10.11 Conclusion
11. Liberty
11.1 Defining Liberty
11.2 Preliminary Clarifications
11.3 The Case for Liberty Based on the Two-Step Ideal
11.4 Reasons to Favor Liberty
11.5 Empirical Reasons to Favor Liberty
11.6 Liberty and Concern for Non-Human Beings
11.7 Reasons to Oppose Liberty
11.8 Weighing the Arguments
11.9 Freedom From a State?
11.10 For and Against Anarchy
11.11 Marginal Realist Upshots on Anarchism vs. Statism
11.12 Plausible Proxies and Liberty
11.12.1 Greater Levels of Cooperation
11.12.2 Better Values
11.12.3 Greater Capacity to Reduce Suffering
11.13 Conclusion
12. Equality
12.1 Equality of What? — Different Notions of Equality
12.2 Preliminary Clarifications
12.3 Extending “Equal Consideration of Equal Interests”
12.4 Reasons to Favor Less Economic Inequality
12.5 Institutional Reasons to Favor Less Economic Inequality
12.6 Reasons Not to Favor Less Economic Inequality
12.7 What to Do About Economic Inequality? — A Complex Question
12.8 Reducing Economic Inequality Through Social Norms?
12.9 Taxation
12.10 A Negative Income Tax?
12.11 The Debate on Inequality
12.11.1 Distortions and Overstatements
12.11.2 The Overlooked Compatibility of Freedom and Equality
12.11.3 False Choices and “Tail-End Awareness”
12.12 Plausible Proxies and Inequality
12.12.1 Greater Levels of Cooperation
12.12.2 Better Values
12.12.3 Greater Capacity to Reduce Suffering
12.13 Conclusion
13. Justice
13.1 Definitions of Justice
13.2 Reframing Justice, Reframing Suffering Reduction
13.3 Criminal Justice as Effective Harm Prevention
13.3.1 Expanding the Scope: Truly Impartial Criminal Justice
13.3.2 Preventive Rather than Retributive Justice
13.3.3 Special Attention to Crimes of Extreme Cruelty
13.3.4 Rejecting Victimless “Crime”
13.3.5 What About the Opacity of Institutions?
13.4 Practical Steps Toward “Criminal Justice as Effective Harm Prevention”
13.5 Plausible Proxies and Justice
13.5.1 Greater Levels of Cooperation
13.5.2 Better Values
13.5.3 Greater Capacity to Reduce Suffering
13.6 Conclusion
14. Democracy
14.1 The Meaning of Democracy
14.2 Preliminary Clarifications
14.3 Democracy vs. Other Tried Systems of Government
14.3.1 Securing Liberty
14.3.2 Protection of Human Rights
14.3.3 Animal Protection Laws
14.3.4 Securing Peace
14.3.5 Convergent Conclusions
14.4 Better Alternatives?
14.4.1 Futarchy
14.4.2 Epistocracy
14.4.3 Sortition
14.4.4 Algorithmic Governance: Replacing Politicians with Software
14.5 Improving Democracy
14.5.1 Sentiocracy: Granting Political Representation to All Sentient Beings
14.5.2 More or Less Direct Democracy?
14.5.3 Parliamentarism vs. Presidentialism
14.5.4 Voting Reform
14.6 Avoiding Pathocracy: A Top Priority
14.6.1 The Peril of Malevolent Rulers
14.6.2 Beneficial Interventions
14.7 Marginal Realist Implications
14.7.1 Promoting and Securing Liberal Democracy as the Main Priority?
14.7.2 Interventions for Promoting and Securing Liberal Democracy
14.7.3 Other Interventions: Exploring Novel Proposals in Weaker Forms?
14.7.4 Comparing Proposals
14.8 Plausible Proxies and Democracy
14.8.1 Greater Levels of Cooperation
14.8.2 Better Values
14.8.3 Greater Capacity to Reduce Suffering
14.9 Conclusion
Part V: Summary
15. An Early Step in a Larger Project
15.1 Limited Scope
15.2 Tentative Conclusions
15.3 Three Broad Goals
16. Party Example: Alliance of Reason and Compassion
• Manifesto of the Alliance of Reason and Compassion
• • Doing Politics Better
• • • Two Pillars of Reasonable Politics: Moral Reflection and Empirical Investigation
• • • Reducing Political Biases
• • Our Values and Approach
• • • Extreme Suffering Deserves Special Priority
• • • Excluding No One: Politics for All Sentient Beings
• • • A Realistic and Principled Approach to Politics
• • Three Robust Aims
• • • Securing Cooperation
• • • Improving Values
• • • Advancing Society’s Ability to Solve Important Problems
• • Our Policies and Principles
• • • A World Without Slaughterhouses
• • • Freedom
• • • Equality
• • • Justice
• • • Democracy
Appendices
Appendix A: Does Voting Make Sense?
Appendix B: Hidden Challenges to the Two-Step Ideal
B.1 Why We Might Prefer Vagueness
B.1.1 Sheltering Loyalty Signaling
B.1.2 Minimizing Attack Surface
B.1.3 We Do Not Stand By Our High-Minded Values
B.2 The Two-Step Ideal and Political Philosophy
B.2.1 Lack of Originality
B.2.2 The Structure of Academia
B.2.3 Inconvenient Frailty
Acknowledgments
Bibliography
October 4, 2022
Citing Jonathan Leighton on the back cover, "A must-read for any changemaker concerned about how to reduce suffering over the long term."
The single main takeaway for me was that the case for anti-speciesism is stronger than many animal advocates realize (pp.126-129). Most people are already against many kinds of discrimination within our species. Also, anti-speciesism is a robust principle to promote in the sense that it is:
- wide in scope ie in principle applies to all current and future animals (including humans), domesticated as well as wild
- implies strong moral duties ie not only "do no harm" but also to actively help to those who are discriminated against
- probably not too abstract for most people to grasp, as most understand what racism and sexism is.
Discussions on democratic reforms were also informative. Nice that the author makes the learnings actionable, going so far as to provide in the end a draft manifesto of a political party (with all sorts of qualifications of course).
The single main takeaway for me was that the case for anti-speciesism is stronger than many animal advocates realize (pp.126-129). Most people are already against many kinds of discrimination within our species. Also, anti-speciesism is a robust principle to promote in the sense that it is:
- wide in scope ie in principle applies to all current and future animals (including humans), domesticated as well as wild
- implies strong moral duties ie not only "do no harm" but also to actively help to those who are discriminated against
- probably not too abstract for most people to grasp, as most understand what racism and sexism is.
Discussions on democratic reforms were also informative. Nice that the author makes the learnings actionable, going so far as to provide in the end a draft manifesto of a political party (with all sorts of qualifications of course).
March 9, 2026
Some good points, however the author seems obsessed with the philosophy of reducing suffering not just for humans but even for animals in the wild. Politics for the author is just a means for achieving that goal. Although I agree that reducing suffering needs more attention, going that far is not just extreme but nonsensical.
The "expanding circle" does not extend that far. Why stop at sentience and not all life (e.g. give plants similar rights, especially if they have analogous stress biochemistry) or even to lifeless objects including rocks? Picking sentience as the foundation of moral consideration is actually still a biased and ultimately arbitrary choice, no matter what arguments constructed for it say.
Although well-considered, this book will likely be a tedious read ultimately for anyone not as focused on the author's philosophy or looking for a broader or more realistic view on the subject of politics.
The "expanding circle" does not extend that far. Why stop at sentience and not all life (e.g. give plants similar rights, especially if they have analogous stress biochemistry) or even to lifeless objects including rocks? Picking sentience as the foundation of moral consideration is actually still a biased and ultimately arbitrary choice, no matter what arguments constructed for it say.
Although well-considered, this book will likely be a tedious read ultimately for anyone not as focused on the author's philosophy or looking for a broader or more realistic view on the subject of politics.
May 19, 2024
Interesting
I did get into this, but there's lots to think about, and I don't agree with all of it. For me, it was pushing too many buttons, but it's well written, so kept reading on. Actually, I need to read this again because it's as if I need to digest this for a while. It's about politics, right? It's difficult to recommend anything regarding politics, but I can say this is written well, and the author has produced some thought provoking stuff.
I did get into this, but there's lots to think about, and I don't agree with all of it. For me, it was pushing too many buttons, but it's well written, so kept reading on. Actually, I need to read this again because it's as if I need to digest this for a while. It's about politics, right? It's difficult to recommend anything regarding politics, but I can say this is written well, and the author has produced some thought provoking stuff.
July 4, 2022
Magnus for president!
December 10, 2022
Covers many interesting topics.
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