Books by Bertrand de Jouvenel

Bertrand de Jouvenel (1903-1987) was known in the United States primarily as a political scientist

The Art of Conjecture clearly explains what the "study of the future" can mean. De Jouvenel emphasizes the logical and political problems of forecasting and discusses methods in economics, sociology, and political science by which the future can be studied

This text brings together essays by the political scientist Bertrand de Jouvenel. Written between 1952 and 1980, the essays look at what constitutes a good life, via discussions of technology, to reflections on such fundamental economic concepts as "amenity" and "welfare".

Explains what the 'study of the future' can mean. De Jouvenel emphasies the logical and political problems of forecasting and discusses methods in economics, sociology, and political science by which the future can be studied. More importantly, he discusses the fallacies to which the "study of the future" is peculiarly likely to give rise.

This translated Cambridge edition, which was first published in 1957, was derived from a 1955 French original. It constitutes an important contribution to post-war political theory that will remain of value to anyone with an interest in questions relating to political structures and the nature of authority.