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Utilitarianism and rational choice
Author(s) -
LEWIN LEIF
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
european journal of political research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.267
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1475-6765
pISSN - 0304-4130
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-6765.1988.tb00140.x
Subject(s) - irrational number , utilitarianism , paternalism , rational choice theory (criminology) , action (physics) , positive economics , nothing , economics , relation (database) , epistemology , law and economics , sociology , political science , law , philosophy , computer science , mathematics , physics , geometry , quantum mechanics , database , market economy
. Rational choice theory springs from the utilitarian premises that what is best for society is nothing but the sum of what is best for each individual and what is best for the individual is best understood by the individual himself. Modern research, however, has often found both these premises to be invalid. Sometimes rational individual action leads to collectively irrational decisions. Occasionally, individual preferences emerge out of irrational motives. Other theories of the relation between man and society such as the doctrines of paternalism and the general will are therefore analyzed. The conclusion is that the present difficulties of rational choice theory can be attributed to its reluctance to integrate our empirical knowledge of the decision making of parties and organizations. There is room for a new theory that makes the rulers more independent of their voters than they are in rational choice theory, but more bound than they are in practice.