Normal Rationality: Decisions and Social Order
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Author Description
'Normal Rationality' is a selection of the most important work of Edna Ullmann-Margalit, presenting some influential and widely admired essays alongside some that are not well known. She was an unorthodox and deeply original philosopher whose work illuminated the largest mysteries of human life. Much of her writing focuses on two fundamental questions: How do people proceed when they cannot act on the basis of reasons, or project likely consequences? How is social order possible? Ullmann-Margalit's answers, emphasising what might be called biased rationality, are important not only for philosophy, but also for political science, psychology, sociology, cognitive science, economics (including behavioural economics), law, and even public policy.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This collection investigates the mechanisms of human decision-making in contexts where traditional rational choice models fail to provide clear guidance. Edna Ullmann-Margalit, a philosopher known for her unorthodox approach to human behavior, examines how individuals navigate uncertainty and how these individual choices aggregate to form stable social structures. Her work introduces the concept of biased rationality, arguing that human decision-making is often structured by specific constraints rather than pure logical calculation.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Analysis of decision-making under conditions of limited information
- Theoretical frameworks for understanding the emergence of social order
- Investigations into the role of biases in rational action
- Applications across political science, law, and behavioral economics
Scope Limits
- The text does not provide a comprehensive history of rational choice theory
- It does not offer prescriptive policy solutions for specific modern governance issues
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars and students of philosophy and social science view this collection as a vital resource for understanding the intersection of cognitive science and social structure. Readers frequently note the intellectual rigor of the essays, highlighting them as foundational reading for those interested in the limits of classical economic rationality.
Page Count:
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Publication Date:
2017-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0191840750
ISBN-13:
9780191840753
Philosophy
Rationality
Social Science
Sociology
