ABSTRACT
This chapter applies to RoCD Test to the most prominent second-order theories. The goal of these chapters is to substantiate three claims, set out in the introduction. These claims are that the presented second-order theories converge in their view that (a) the present political state of affairs in Western democracies is best described as a modus vivendi; and that (b) a move towards a mutually justified way of living together is predicated on our ability to reduce reasonable disagreement. Finally, these chapters aim to show that none of these second-order theories can pass the RoCD Test. This chapter reviews Gutmann and Thompsons account of deliberative democracy as an approach to the problem of modus vivendi.
