Collective Decisions.

This paper constitutes an attempt to extend a style of theoretical activity in sociology which is quite new to their domain. It is theory which rests upon the central postulate of economic theory that of rational man attempting to pursue his selfish interests. Perhaps the central problem in sociological theory is that posed most succinctly by Thomas Hobbes. Why is there not a war of all against all? Hobbes took as problematic what most contemporary sociologists take as given: That a society can exist at all, despite the fact that individuals are born into it wholly self-concerned, and in fact remain largely self-concerned throughout their existence. Conflict within a communal group, which can occur in the process of collective decision-making, illustrates well the dilemma in which sociologists find themselves. Seeing conflict as a massive element in the functioning of society, but unable to say anything about it as social theorists, they split themselves as individuals off from themselves as sociologists: they form "Journals of Conflict Resolution," join disarmament and peace committees, yet continue to purvey sociological theory which has nothing to say about conflict.