Citation:

OU Chun-zhi, JIA Kang. "Human Nature is the Generalized Rational Basis of Public Administration and Public Policies: Reflection on Rational Hypothesis and Extended Knowledge" International Research Journal of Economics and Management Studies, Vol. 2, No. 4, pp. 237-245, 2023.

Abstract:

The traditional public policy analysis is based on rational propositions. However, rationality is not the assumption of all human behaviors, there are still a lot of human behaviors, which cannot be explained by rationality, and rationality, bounded rationality, and irrationality are not as distinct as we often regarded. Even different people have different definitions about rationality. It is better to say that human behavior is based on human nature, rather than rationality or bounded rationality. Rationality is an important feature of human nature, and the relationship between rationality and humanity is just like the relationship between particularity and generality, only human nature can be used to systematically and comprehensively explain human behaviors more closely. Therefore, the formulation of public policies should be based on human nature, to form the generalized rationality with the characteristics of containment and better guide human individual behaviors to the track of public interests. When personal interests are integrated with public interests, the public policies can be urged to realize maximized public interests as far as possible. The generalized rationality of public policy based on human nature shall be supported by the inclusiveness, guidance and dynamic optimization mechanism of its relevant institutional arrangements.

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Keywords:

Public Policy; Human Nature; Bounded Rationality; Generalized Rationality; Public Interests.