Post-truth politics is both a result of a democratic culture in which each person is encouraged to voice their opinion, and a threat to the continuation of democracy as partisans seek to deny political standing to those with incommensurate world views. Are there resources within political theory for overcoming this tension? This book argues that Stanley Cavell's philosophy provides a conceptual framework for responding to post-truth politics. Jonathan Havercroft develops an original interpretation of Stanley Cavell as a theorist of democratic perfectionism. By placing Cavell's writings in conversation with political theorists on debates about the social contract, interpretive methods, democratic theory and political aesthetics, Stanley Cavell's Democratic Perfectionism cultivates modes of responsiveness that strengthen our democratic culture and help us resist the contemporary crisis of democratic backsliding. Each chapter diagnoses a sceptical crisis in contemporary politics and a mode of responsiveness in Cavell's thought that can respond to that crisis.

‘Jonathan Havercroft’s fine monograph offers the first systematic account of Stanley Cavell’s contribution to democratic thought, buttressed by chapter-length discussions of Cavell’s methodology, of his conception of democratic consensus, and of the political import of his analyses of tragedy and film. As Havercroft deftly demonstrates, all of these are tied together by - and expressions of - a commitment to an ethos of democratic responsiveness, one that is uniquely situated to address the ‘post truth’ politics of our time.’

Andrew Norris - Author of Becoming Who We Are: Politics and Practical Philosophy in the Work of Stanley Cavell

‘An outstanding comprehensive interpretation of Cavell’s political philosophy. Moreover, Havercroft puts Cavell in dialogue with contemporary political philosophers and shows the enduring importance of many of his central ideas.’

James Tully - Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Law, University of Victoria, British Columbia