Deciding as bringing deliberation to a close

Abstract

The notion of decision is almost never defined with precision and often assimilated to the notion of choice. This article defines deciding as bringing deliberation to a close, on the basis of two characteristics: deciding puts an end to deliberation rather than constituting the end produced by deliberation; and decision obligates. In the light of this definition, it first examines the difference between individual and collective decisions, then the rules of collective decision as stopping rules.