General Conclusions

Abstract

The comment by Baumgartner and Jones at the head of this chapter reflects a tendency in policy studies that ‘all is unique’, but the Brent Spar case study can be discussed in the light of several generalizable elements of political science; for example it throws light on the ‘privilege of business’ argument.

About thirty years ago there was much talk that geologists ought only to observe and not to theorize; and I well remember someone saying that at this rate a man might as well go into a gravel–pit and count the pebbles and describe the colours. How odd it is that anyone should not see that all observation must be for or against some view if it to be of any service (Darwin quoted in Eldredge and Gould, 1972)

While it is not often articulated by them, political scientists with a strong focus on case histories have always harboured the deep suspicion that politics was too complex, too contingent on ill–understood details, and too dependent on strategic action at the proper time to be bound by general theory (Baumgartner and Jones, 1993, p 15).