Consensus, cognitive frailty and the limits of the state: a contractarian approach

ABSTRACT From a contractarian perspective, the powers of the state should be underpinned by the agreement of its citizens. But (1) citizens will have inconsistent preferences about the state they want, not just between, but within, individuals; (2) some people may wish to impose rules on others; and (3) citizens may have systematically incorrect models of the consequences of state power. In the light of these challenges, I will ask how far these difficulties be addressed by applying a process of agreement through open debate and discussion, grounded in good evidence, and how well any such process is reflected in real-world politics.