A deliberative solution to the social choice problem

pages: 123-142

Abstract

Is there a sense in which society makes rational decision in a democratic way that is similar to individual rational decision-making? Social choice theory claims that rational social choice is not possible. Or, at least, that if possible, then the social choice must be dictatorial. I shall present a deliberative solution to the social choice problem. This solution is called deliberative, because it is based on the assumptions of deliberative democracy. Keywords: rationality, preferences, normativity, social choice, deliberative democracy