Power and happiness: C.B. Macpherson’s overlooked contribution

Thesis

Although theories of ideology or ‘internal impediments’ have been sidelined in most academic and popular discourse, they remain vital to the improvement of democratic politics. This essay argues as much insofar as theories of ideology have been dismissed on the grounds that their supposed reliance on conceptions of human nature necessarily undermines their potential contribution to human improvement. The argument is advanced in the context of a now obscure debate surrounding the work of C. B....

Expand abstract

Authors: Ballingall, R

• Publication date: 2010
• Type of award: MPhil
• Level of award: Masters
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: happiness; internal impediments; ideology; democratic theory; individualism; power
• Subjects: Democratic government; Ancient philosophy; Practical ethics; Political ideologies