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1 - Introduction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 September 2009

Geoffrey Brennan
Affiliation:
Australian National University, Canberra
Alan Hamlin
Affiliation:
University of Southampton
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Summary

This book is an exercise in rational actor political theory or ‘public choice’ theory. (We shall use the two terms without discriminating.) However, the discussion is unusual in two respects. First, it focuses attention on a range of institutional devices that, although common enough in democratic practice and in constitutional analysis in other traditions, have been somewhat under-analysed within the rational actor tradition. Second, it adopts a more moralised conception of agent desires than rational actor analysis normally assumes. In this initial chapter, we want to say something about what the devices in question are, and speculate as to why they have been relatively ignored within the rational actor tradition. We shall then briefly discuss our picture of desires and agent motivation, and indicate how that picture differs from the standard, more determinedly egoistic one. Because devices and desires are not independent, we also want to direct attention to some aspects of their interconnectedness. Finally, we will offer some guidance to the reader on the organisation and structure of the remainder of the book.

But before any of this, a preliminary comment on our title, and on our use of ‘devices’ and ‘desires’ is in order.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2000

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  • Introduction
  • Geoffrey Brennan, Australian National University, Canberra, Alan Hamlin, University of Southampton
  • Book: Democratic Devices and Desires
  • Online publication: 22 September 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511490194.002
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  • Introduction
  • Geoffrey Brennan, Australian National University, Canberra, Alan Hamlin, University of Southampton
  • Book: Democratic Devices and Desires
  • Online publication: 22 September 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511490194.002
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Introduction
  • Geoffrey Brennan, Australian National University, Canberra, Alan Hamlin, University of Southampton
  • Book: Democratic Devices and Desires
  • Online publication: 22 September 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511490194.002
Available formats
×