What is epistocracy?

Cathrine Holst

pp. 41-54

in: Simen Andersen Øyen, Tone Lund Olsen, Nora Sørensen Vaage (eds), Sacred science?, Wageningen, Wageningen Academic Publishers, 2012

Abstract

The role of knowledge in political decision-making has been a central topic in political theory and social science for centuries. One central branch of these discussions has focused on the role of religious knowledge and authority in political rule and variations of "theocracy" or "rule of priests".¹ However, the central knowledge basis of a society or a political system is not necessarily of a religious kind. Arguably, in many contemporary societies the most crucial knowledge source is scientific and professional knowledge.