Politics is the process by which we make collective choices – by which we decide how generous the welfare state will be, what kind of education system we will operate, what crimes will be punishable with what penalties, and so on. But what are the basic principles that should guide us in making such choices. How should a society go about making its collective decisions?
That is perhaps the most fundamental question of politics, and it’s a question that is addressed in a magisterial new book published earlier this year by our colleague here in the UCL Department of Political Science, Professor Albert Weale. The book is called Modern Social Contract Theory and across over 400 pages it traces the development of and variants in what has become the dominant approach in contemporary political theory to answering the question of how to make collective decisions. And that approach—the clue is in the title!—is called social contract theory.
Albert joins Alan in this episode to discuss what social contract theory is, what it implies for collective decision-making, and how the theory continues to develop today.
Host: Dr Alan Renwick
Professor Albert Weale
Modern Social Contract Theory
UCL’s Department of Political Science and School of Public Policy offers a uniquely stimulating environment for the study of all fields of politics, including international relations, political theory, human rights, public policy-making and administration. The Department is recognised for its world-class research and policy impact, ranking among the top departments in the UK on both the 2021 Research Excellence Framework and the latest Guardian rankings.
The Politics of Migration
Fiscal Transparency And The Public Purse
Backyard Housing And The Dynamics Of Collective Action
Taking Offence
The State of US Politics
Resisting Colonialism
Honouring the Career of Professor Albert Weale
The Impact of Banning Protests
How Can We Fix Our Democracy?
Political Constitutionalism and Referendums: The Case of Brexit
Democracies and LGBTQ Rights
Military Technology and Intelligent Warfare
What Can Democracies Learn From Dictatorships?
The Parliamentary Battle over Brexit
Brexit and Northern Ireland
Do Higher Benefits Encourage Immigration?
The Politics of Ordinary Hope
The Politics of the European Court of Human Rights
The Politics of the European Court of Justice
The Role of Praise
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