This paper analyzes how governance by true believers differs from that by ordinary idealists and pragmatists. To do so, the paper develops a semi-lexicographic framework for analyzing behavior of persons who have internalized belief systems with “supreme” duties. It uses that framework to analyze the extent to which such duties tend to affect private behavior and demands for public policies. Bernholz’s research on totalitarian systems demonstrates that many of the least attractive governments in human history have been motivated by totalitarian belief systems. This paper agrees with that conclusion but suggests that many other results are also possible and that some of the most attractive governments in human history also have been motivated by belief systems with supreme duties.

中文翻译：

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真正信徒的治理：有极权主义和没有极权主义的最高职责

本文分析了真正信徒的治理与普通理想主义者和实用主义者的治理有何不同。为此，本文开发了一个半词典框架，用于分析具有“最高”职责的内化信念系统的人的行为。它使用该框架来分析此类义务在多大程度上影响私人行为和对公共政策的需求。伯恩霍尔茨对极权制度的研究表明，人类历史上许多最没有吸引力的政府都受到极权主义信仰体系的推动。本文同意该结论，但表明许多其他结果也是可能的，人类历史上一些最具吸引力的政府也受到具有最高职责的信仰体系的推动。