Book Review Essay : Policy,Political Reasoning,and the Real Worlds

Abstract

This book review essay examines the concept of world construction as applied to public policy making Specifically, it relates Nelson Goodman's "irrealistic, " world-version perspective and his suggestions about how world-versions are correctly constructed to Deborah Stone's discussion of the multiple interpretations of policy goals and processes and how they should be resolved. Goodman and Stone come independently to a concept of reality as a "fit" of expectations and cultural constructs rather than a definite, knowable realm. This notion is applied to Leonard Levy's analysis of original intent doctrine in constitutional interpretation, achieving verification through triangulation of the utility of the approach for policy study.

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References

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Davies, P. (1980). Other worlds: A portrait of nature in rebellion. New York: Simon & Schuster.

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Goodman, N. (1978) Ways of worldmaking . Indianapolis: Hackett.

Goodman, N. (1984). Of mind and other matters. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Goodman, N. , & Elgin, C. Z. (1988). Reconceptions in philosophy. Indianapolis: Hackett.

Kuhn, T. S. (1970). The structure of scientific revolutions (2nd ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Levy, L. W. (1988). Original intent and the framers' constitution. New York: Macmillan.

10.

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Rorty, R. (1989). Contingency, irony, and solidarity. New York: Cambridge University Press.

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Stone, D. (1988). Policy paradox and political reasoning. Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman.

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Wolf, F. A. (1981). Taking the quantum leap. New York: Harper & Row.