The Public Perspective

A clear argument showing why public justification is crucial for democratic and pluralistic society. Ferretti throws a novel light on this crucial issue by intersecting politics with ethics and epistemology, showing that democratic deliberation, if combined with equal respect for autonomous agents, requires a public perspective on reasons and a commitment of citizens to scrutinize their beliefs in the light of logic, knowledge and probability.

-- Anna Elisabetta Galeotti, Professor of Political Philosophy at the University of Eastern Piedmont, Vercelli

The debate on liberal public reason has become increasingly intricate and self-referential. In The Public Perspective, Maria Paola Ferretti investigates the under-examined issue of the normative epistemology of belief. Drawing on Locke’s epistemology, she advances a distinctive position on reasoned agreement, one which ought to take the public reason debate in a bold and promising new direction. On the structure of liberal theory more generally, Ferretti has innovative and interesting things to say.

-- Jonathan Seglow, Reader in Political Theory, Royal Holloway, University of London
This book offers a new and comprehensive conspectus of what public reasoning demands. It sets out the two major traditions, combining the strengths of the predominantly moral account of John Rawls with the virtues of the epistemic account of Gerald Gaus. It reminds us that, in politics, we may want to refrain from offering reasons that must seem opaque to others, but steers clear throughout of the liberal tendency to exclude or sanction ‘unreasonable’ reasoners. -- Peter Niesen, Professor of Political Theory, University of Hamburg
Maria Paola Ferretti argues for an alternative answer to the long-standing question of how to live together notwithstanding ethical pluralism. On the premise of Locke’s theory of belief, conveniently revised, she offers an alternative account of political justification, by taking seriously “the reasons that we have, and the reasons that we give others”, without any prejudicial exclusion. By appealing to people’s common gift of reason and an ethics of belief, Ferretti succeeds in “clarifying what conflicts are really about”, making them more tractable. -- Sala Roberta, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Philosophy, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University
Forcefully revisiting arguments for public justification, The Public Perspective navigates with brilliance between the perils of moral and epistemic relativism, and objective truth-claims in the sphere of democratic decision-making. Ferretti reinvents the ethics of belief as a regulative idea to demonstrate vigorously that people living together cannot succumb to the unreasoned force of popular/ist opinion, or the monologue of experts. -- Lenka Strnadová, Senior Lecturer, Department of Politics and International Relations, University of West Bohemia
This is an excellent book, with a clear and convincing agenda and a distinct ‘take’ on issues which are currently both topical and highly challenging for liberal democratic regimes across the world. In recent years the nature and scope of public reason, the role of justification, and the place of agreement in contemporary polities have moved from being relatively abstract-seeming (while crucially important) questions for political theorists, to matters which engage commentators across the public sphere. Ferretti both spells out the significance of these issues, and outlines an engaging and distinctive route by which to explore them. -- Gideon Calder, Senior Lecturer in Public Health, Policy and Social Sciences, Swansea University
Maria

Paola Ferretti’s The Public Perspective. Public Justification and the Ethics of Belief constitutes

an intriguing and refreshing take on this extremely discussed and controversial topic. In

particular, the book is significant in its attempt to find a proper and authoritative place for

science and truth within the boundaries of public justification, hence without renouncing the

idea that free moral agency should be recognized to all citizens alongside the fact of pluralism...It is important to note that the relevance of

the book lies not only in the fact that it addresses pressing problems of contemporary

democratic life. The book is also an innovative contribution to the theoretical debate, within

which the relation between science and public justification is generally underdeveloped * Ethical Theory and Moral Practi