Satire and Stability

In this chapter I argue against the recent trend of downplaying the political significance of satire in favour of its role in buttressing our mental health. I do this in two ways. The first is to rehearse some of the reasons why satire, as one practice within a larger public sphere, can underpin the legitimacy of a representative democratic system of government by contributing to an open, accessible, and productive public discourse about the kinds of issues that must be dealt with collectively. The second takes us beyond the traditional focus of political philosophers on the relationship between the public sphere and legitimacy and shows that satire is uniquely equipped to play another crucial political role by shoring up the stability of pluralistic democratic communities. A stable polity is one in which a high proportion of citizens are reliably disposed to play fair with each other and abide by a common set of rules. We are coming to understand that a commitment to having and maintaining what John Rawls called a “sense of justice” is a resource that is as critical to the smooth functioning of democratic systems of government as it is fragile.

I show that satire helps to secure stability in a few key ways. First, I explain how public ridicule constitutes a tangible sanction, and thus, creates a disincentive for bad behaviour. Unjust actions, especially by people in positions of authority, exacerbate a deep worry we all have that our commitment to justice will be taken advantage of by unscrupulous individuals or rival political groups. Second, satire can be a way to call out abuses of power and authority, and at the same time reaffirm our own principles. Third, by shining a light on the dangers of vicious behaviour, satire provides a spur for self-reflection, which can assist its audience in avoiding those pitfalls and retaining a sense of humility, which makes cooperation and partnership with other citizens, particularly citizens who have different views about what makes for a good life and a good community, easier. Finally, satire can, indeed, be a valuable tool for managing and protecting our mental health, but I argue that we not only have personal reasons to look after ourselves in this sense, but also political reasons that spring from our civic duties.