6. Preserving democratic public reasoning

Chapter 6 seeks an antidote to political antagonism by arguing that a stable democracy requires more than a modus vivendi for managing disagreement: it needs a democratic ethos that enables citizens to live together through, rather than despite, their deepest differences. For this reason, ethics advice should contribute to preserving democratic public reasoning itself. The chapter develops the idea of a democratic ethos as a shared public morality that is social, discursive, and dynamic rather than a fixed consensus. Public morality emerges in a democracy through ongoing reflection and deliberation and is oriented by the democratic ideals of equality, human dignity, and the rule of law. These ideals provide a shared normative framework while remaining open to critical reinterpretation. Democracy is presented as inherently pluralistic and anti-antagonistic, requiring both constructive disagreement and peaceful coexistence. Ethicists strengthen this democratic ethos by fostering reflective dialogue, mutual recognition, and the conditions that enable democratic public reasoning to flourish.