LIPPMANN AND DEWEY IN THE 21ST CENTURY: REVIVING DEMOCRACY IN THE DIGITAL LANDSCAPE OF TODAY

Abstract

This paper revisits the renowned “Lippmann-Dewey Debate” to clarify the true nature of the disagreement between Walter Lippmann and John Dewey regarding the challenges facing democratic societies. While traditionally interpreted as a clash between technocracy and democracy, this paper argues that such a framing oversimplifies their complex exchange. The real divergence between Lippmann and Dewey lies in their differing conceptions of social knowledge: how it is accessed and how it should function within democratic governance. Through a close reading of Public Opinion and The Public and Its Problems, this paper contends that Lippmann’s critiques of democratic theory have been mischaracterized as anti-democratic, when what he really sought was to address epistemological limitations that inhibit effective public engagement. Meanwhile, Dewey—while offering a more optimistic vision of the public’s potential—struggled to present a feasible path for its revitalization. The paper ultimately argues that through combining Lippmann’s insights into the epistemic challenges posed by modern technologies with Dewey’s vision of democracy as a participatory and communicative process, a more productive framework for confronting the contemporary “problem of the public” than provided by Lippmann or Dewey alone is established. In an era dominated by the internet and artificial intelligence, the fusion of their perspectives is more relevant than ever to building a responsive and informed democratic society.