Human Nature in Politics

work by Wallas

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June 29, 2026

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Graham Wallas's Human Nature in Politics (1908) advocates for a more scientific understanding of political behavior by emphasizing psychological aspects. Wallas argued that political science needed to be more empirical and less abstract, incorporating an understanding of human nature, including nonrational and subconscious elements. He believed that by quantifying these psychological factors, a better grasp of political behavior could be achieved. This work contributed to a shift towards studying social facts and actual political behavior, influencing later behavioral approaches in political science.12

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political science
Developments in the United States
…Wallas (1858–1932) had argued in Human Nature in Politics that a new political science should favour the quantification of psychological elements (human nature), including nonrational and subconscious inferences, a view similarly expressed in Public Opinion (1922) by the American journalist and political scientist Walter Lippmann (1889–1974).
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…Wallas (1858–1932) had argued in Human Nature in Politics that a new political science should favour the quantification of psychological elements (human nature), including nonrational and subconscious inferences, a view similarly expressed in Public Opinion (1922) by the American journalist and political scientist Walter Lippmann (1889–1974).
Read More