My mother told me at the beginning of the month about a book for sale on Daedalus attacking James M. Buchanan as the intellectual godfather of Charles Koch, so I went to Buchanan's Wikipedia page to see what he really thought. It turned out his most famous book, "The Calculus of Consent," was co-written with Gordon Tullock and published in 1962. I immediately ordered it.
Some of the ideas in "The Calculus of Consent" are quite provocative and Buchanan and Tullock deserve credit for raising them. They are also mostly wrong, which is why I limited my review of the book to three stars. Chapter 7 is about the rule of unanimity, which the authors argue becomes more necessary as the varied interests in society become more diverse. We already had the rule of unanimity in the United States Congress once. It was called the Articles of Confederation and didn't work out so well.
The beginning and middle of the book are dedicated to the evaluation of the Pareto efficiency of various actions by a polity. When they let slip Pareto's first name, Vilfredo, I was able to look him up on Wikipedia. It turns out he taught Mussolini and was one of the intellectual godfathers of Italian fascism. He felt strongly that democracy was a fraud because it falsely promised to improve the conditions of the masses, which would always eventually force it into a left-wing stance. I don't disagree with the second part, but that doesn't make it a fraud.
Basically I would suggest that people coming to this book read the last section of the last chapter, "The Politics of the Good Society," first and if they agree with what's in there, then read the rest of the book. Among the presumptions (which would have been less controversial in 1962 than now) is that Judeo-Christian morality is necessary to a good society. Had Buchanan and Tullock been able to see what Japan and South Korea have evolved into, they might re-evaluate this stance. I am not familiar with any of their later writing but I sadly doubt that the second Gilded Age which followed the Cold War convinced them that the untrammeled market which they praise is actually a threat to Judeo-Christian morality. Three stars.
Enjoy fast, FREE delivery, exclusive deals and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime
and start saving today with Fast, FREE Delivery
The Calculus of Consent: ... has been added to your Cart
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Join or create book clubs
Choose books together
Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. Learn more
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Flip to back Flip to front
Follow the Author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
Frequently bought together
$12.99
Get it as soon as Monday, May 29
In Stock.
+
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Choose items to buy together.
What do customers buy after viewing this item?
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
About the author
Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 21, 2020
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 6, 2004
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 8, 2013
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 25, 2017
