Hannah Arendt Center presents:
The Political Theology of Sortition
with Archie Magno
Tuesday, March 7, 2023
Arendt Center
5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
This event occurred on:
Tue. March 7, 5:30 pm – 7 pm
Liberal democratic institutions are undergoing a crisis of legitimacy due both to elitist and populist deviations. But such crises had been inherent in these institutions from their inception. Today, many authors suggest that we complement electoral democracy with sortition procedures, going back to the Ancient Greek concept of democracy by lottery. However, there is very little discussion of the ideological meaning of these procedures, except for their obvious practical advantages, in fairness and equality. This talk poses the question of their politico-theological origins and metaphysical connotations. A contrast is drawn between the theological presuppositions of election as opposed to sortition. Because of the different unconscious theological residues in these two methods, a potential reform towards sortition would also signify a tectonic shift in the forms of democratic legitimacy.
Liberal democratic institutions are undergoing a crisis of legitimacy due both to elitist and populist deviations. But such crises had been inherent in these institutions from their inception. Today, many authors suggest that we complement electoral democracy with sortition procedures, going back to the Ancient Greek concept of democracy by lottery. However, there is very little discussion of the ideological meaning of these procedures, except for their obvious practical advantages, in fairness and equality. This talk poses the question of their politico-theological origins and metaphysical connotations. A contrast is drawn between the theological presuppositions of election as opposed to sortition. Because of the different unconscious theological residues in these two methods, a potential reform towards sortition would also signify a tectonic shift in the forms of democratic legitimacy.