Arts and Social Sciences Journal

Rational Choice Theory and Political Counsel

Abstract

Catus Brooks and Jocelyne Praud

Continuing our discussion regarding political counsel in the history of political thought, there is a problem of futurology concerning good governance without accurate predictions when science recedes into mere metaphysics, and so counsel must occupy the clock tower, like the hilltop. When our science is still coming to an order, then we rely on fictional devices in political rhetoric. We must guard against those whom blame us for fictitious prose; as Aristotle reminds, without sight one cannot pass a judgement. Dialectics is an educational method used by political theorists, and to keep vivacity we will apply the story-telling of Plato the dialogian and Niccolo Machiavelli the Classicist. Dialogue is a fictional form of dialectics and Classical story-telling, though not classified in dialectics according to Aristotle, is an invention necessary to the student of doing. Plato once said, the tale has a truth to tell. As contestants we will need to choose a terrain to hunt on. This strategic inquiry consists of rational choice theory from Machiavelli’s beaten path in Ch. 6 of The Prince, Plato’s roads in his Laws, from Hesiod’s Works and Days, and some foresight regarding their problems of futurology in rational choice theory and consultancy.