Voting and Morality

There are two main theories regarding the nature of Democratic political processes. One, deriving from Locke, holds that one's vote is an expression of one's self-interest. The other, Rousseau's, holds that one's vote is an expression of one's opinion as to that is best for the collective as a whole. Considered as a Moral act, voting in the first sense is endorsed by Benthamism, while the second exemplifies Kantian and Millist Principles, i. e. Kant's Universalist paradigm, and Mill's 'greatest number' Consequentialism. There is perhaps no stronger evidence of the pervasiveness of Benthamism in American public life than the fact that few voters seem even aware of the possibility of the Rousseauian Principle. For Evolvemental Phronetics, Rousseauian voting is the more highly Evolved of the two types, because it entails a greater degree of Exposition. For sure, Lockeian Democracy is a significant Evolvement with respect to Monarchism, but the Rousseauian alternative proves that it is not the most highly Evolved Political System.