Of the Ruling of Men by "Ignorance and Poverty": W.E.B. Du Bois' Epistemically Inclusive Democracy

This paper engages the American philosopher W.E.B. Du Bois on the question of inclusive governance. I examine Du Bois' thought that the knowledge needed for just governance is in the "heads and hearts of [a nation's] individual citizens." Next, I consider his argument that democracy is the only method of government that can actualize this political knowledge for the benefit of all. Building on Du Bois' framework, I develop three additional thoughts about democracy. First, I claim that democracy's epistemically inclusive structure entails the self-consciousness of the body politic. Next, I claim that self-consciousness in turn entails self-education over time. Last, I conclude that the previous two points give us grounds for seeking epistemic inclusion not only in politics but also in civil society.