ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that the cultural conception of how empirical social science should proceed is correct and the utility approach deeply flawed. It outlines the basic traits of cultural science as it can and should be practiced–as a science–and then by showing that utility theory, despite its claims to be proper science, is a regrettable reversion to prescientific, that is, metaphysical, thinking. Cultural science no doubt is difficult to practice; its proper practice requires discipline and ingenuity; its elaboration will be the work of many people over much time; and its early achievements will be woefully inadequate. But these statements can be made about all of the sciences. Political cultures, and authority cultures more generally, contain as an important component certain decision rules: norms about the conditions under which collective decisions are considered to have been taken properly, so that they are binding on the collectivity.
