Pure Theory of Politics by Bertrand Jouvenel

Pure Theory of Politics by Bertrand Jouvenel

This is the final volume in Jouvenel's magnum opus, the trilogy that begins with On Power, moves to Sovereignty, and concludes with The Pure Theory of Politics. In this volume, Bertrand de Jouvenel proposes to remedy a serious deficiency in political science: the lack of agreement on first principles, or 'elements.' The author's concern is with political processes as they actually exist, not as they are conjectured to be in hypothetical models.

Bertrand de Jouvenel (1903-1987) was a French philosopher, political economist, and futurist known for his many works in political philosophy. He taught at many universities, including Oxford, Cambridge, Yale, and the University of California. Unlike many other French intellectuals at the time, de Jouvenel acknowledged the early twentieth-century movement of economic theory and welfare economics that emerged in the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, and Austria. His many books include The Pure Theory of Politicsand The Ethics of Redistribution.