ABSTRACT
There is by now a well established formula in the writing of books on representation whereby, in rapid succession, introductory sentences point to the longevity of the concept, differences in meaning of the word, and the inherent contestability of the idea of representation itself. Thereafter it is customary to pay homage to Hanna Pitkin’s The Concept of Representation (1967) to establish one’s seriousness as a writer on representation, and to engage in a debate about whether Pitkin is correct in her belief that there is a discernible single meaning that has not changed much over the past three hundred years (1967:8). Certainly this debate indicates the centrality of the concept in political theory throughout these centuries-but, equally, the very intensity and abstruseness of the debate is likely to discourage many students.
