The Handbook of Rational Choice Social Research

The Handbook of Rational Choice Social Research PDF Author: Rafael Wittek
Publisher: Stanford University Press
ISBN: 0804785503
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 625

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Book Description
The Handbook of Rational Choice Social Research offers the first comprehensive overview of how the rational choice paradigm can inform empirical research within the social sciences. This landmark collection highlights successful empirical applications across a broad array of disciplines, including sociology, political science, economics, history, and psychology. Taking on issues ranging from financial markets and terrorism to immigration, race relations, and emotions, and a huge variety of other phenomena, rational choice proves a useful tool for theory- driven social research. Each chapter uses a rational choice framework to elaborate on testable hypotheses and then apply this to empirical research, including experimental research, survey studies, ethnographies, and historical investigations. Useful to students and scholars across the social sciences, this handbook will reinvigorate discussions about the utility and versatility of the rational choice approach, its key assumptions, and tools.

The Handbook of Rational Choice Social Research

The Handbook of Rational Choice Social Research PDF Author: Rafael Wittek
Publisher: Stanford University Press
ISBN: 0804785503
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 625

Get Book Here

Book Description
The Handbook of Rational Choice Social Research offers the first comprehensive overview of how the rational choice paradigm can inform empirical research within the social sciences. This landmark collection highlights successful empirical applications across a broad array of disciplines, including sociology, political science, economics, history, and psychology. Taking on issues ranging from financial markets and terrorism to immigration, race relations, and emotions, and a huge variety of other phenomena, rational choice proves a useful tool for theory- driven social research. Each chapter uses a rational choice framework to elaborate on testable hypotheses and then apply this to empirical research, including experimental research, survey studies, ethnographies, and historical investigations. Useful to students and scholars across the social sciences, this handbook will reinvigorate discussions about the utility and versatility of the rational choice approach, its key assumptions, and tools.

Rationality and Well-being

Rationality and Well-being PDF Author: Isabelle Brocas
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780199251063
Category : Decision making
Languages : en
Pages : 322

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Book Description


Rationality and the Pursuit of Happiness

Rationality and the Pursuit of Happiness PDF Author: Michael E. Bernard
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 9780470973103
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 328

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Book Description
This book reveals how the principles of rational living identified by Albert Ellis, one of the world’s most influential and popular psychologists, can be used by anyone to achieve lifelong happiness. Reveals the 11 principles of rational living that when put into practice can consistently increase levels of personal happiness Includes selected excerpts from Ellis’ writings, revealing the difference between the psychological architectures of emotional unhappiness and human happiness Presents verbatim transcripts of private counseling sessions, as well as public lectures and demonstrations with people addressing a wide range of personal issues Offers insights into how ‘rationality’ can be used by anyone to reduce the intensity of negative emotions, to increase the frequency of positive emotions and to promote life satisfaction

The Psychology of Economic Decisions: Rationality and well-being

The Psychology of Economic Decisions: Rationality and well-being PDF Author: Isabelle Brocas
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Decision making
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description


Rationality, Rules, and Structure

Rationality, Rules, and Structure PDF Author: Julian Nida-Rümelin
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9401596166
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 215

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Book Description
It is an obvious fact that human agency is constrained and structured by many kinds of rules: rules that are constitutive for communication, morality, persons, and society, and juridical rules. So the question is: what roles are played by social rules and the structural traits of human agency in rational decision making? What bearing does this have on the theory of practical rationality? These issues can only be discussed within an interdisciplinary setting, with researchers drawn from philosophy, decision theory and the economic and social sciences. The problem is of profound, fundamental concern to the social scientist and has attracted a great deal of intellectual effort. Contributors include distinguished researchers in their respective fields and the book thus presents state-of-the-art theory. It can also be used as a textbook in advanced philosophy, economics and social science classes.

Rationality Is the Way to Happiness

Rationality Is the Way to Happiness PDF Author: John Vespasian
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781468190113
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 308

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Book Description
In a world where philosophy is often reduced to catch-phrases and empty theories, this is a passionate defence of logic and consistency as the keys to happiness. Personal effectiveness, the basis of well-being and success, results from rational goals, workable plans and relentless action. In the areas of career, health, relationships and investments, this essay shows how to let go of wasteful propositions, pursue compatible goals, cultivate perseverance and resilience, minimize problems and maximize opportunities. Inspired by the teachings of Aristotle, Maimonides, Erasmus, Montaigne, Epictetus and Spinoza, the book encourages readers to embrace rationality and adopt a self-reliant, entrepreneurial attitude. EXCERPT FROM THE TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. The untold key to success and happiness Ten positive trends rarely reported by the media The way to independent thinking Trust only your own statistics Achieving happiness through rationality Wake up to a sharp vision of reality Important lessons from history In search of principles that make sense 2. Fundamental skills that everybody should master Relentless initiative creates opportunities An active mind looks for alternatives Cultivate perseverance and resilience Avoid waste and embrace frugality Shun overcommitment and worry 3. The easy way to prosperity Select a career where you can make a good living Principles of accelerated learning Using Ancient Mongol tactics to find employment Discard the myth of career planning Growth sectors in the 21st century Those who can sell are always received well 4. Philosophical ideas to make the best of your life Take the perspective of a lifetime Focus on practical solutions Self-confidence arises from preparedness Pursue compatible goals Concentrate your resources on essential tasks 5. Get out of losing situations Immobility is the enemy of achievement Train yourself to face nonsense calmly Throw away unworkable plans Read the writing on the wall Take simple measures to protect yourself You have more options than you think 6. Avoiding major mistakes Preserve your independent thinking Don't make the same mistake as Confucius Entrepreneurship is the opposite of resignation Abandon perfectionism right now Waiting for the world to change is a waste of time 7. How to find love without making a mess of sex Rational values are the basis of great relationships Overcoming the main obstacle to meeting new people The high cost of short-term romantic involvement The entrepreneurial factor in love and friendship What is the crucial success element in dating? Break free from artificial social constraints 8. Saving and investing to secure your future Take control of your financial life Principles of rational investment Techniques for reducing risk How to develop self-confidence as an investor Saving regularly brings peace of mind The advantage of turbulent times 9. Principles of optimal health The teachings of Maimonides Living in accordance with nature How psychology can improve your health Modern theories about prolonging life How some people live to become 100 years old The low-cost approach to good nutrition Effective methods for minimizing stress Sleeping well by natural means 10. Seeking personal growth one day at a time Embrace rational principles The link between personal effectiveness and happiness Become an entrepreneur in your everyday life Do not be discouraged by your limited resources Clear thinking gives you the ultimate advantage It is on slow days when you make big breaks 11. Conclusion The human need for logic and consistency Achieving happiness in a chaotic world Philosophy summarized in a single sentence It takes a while, but it can be done

Human Well-Being and Economic Goals

Human Well-Being and Economic Goals PDF Author: Frank Ackerman
Publisher: Island Press
ISBN: 9781559635608
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 472

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Book Description
What are the ends of economic activity? According to neoclassical theory, efficient interaction of the profit-maximizing "ideal producer" and the utility-maximizing "ideal consumer" will eventually lead to some sort of social optimum. But is that social optimum the same as human well-being? Human Well-Being and Economic Goals addresses that issue, considering such questions as: Does the maximization of individual welfare really lead to social welfare? How can we deal with questions of relative welfare and of equity? How do we define, or at least understand, individual and social welfare? And how can these things be measured, or even assessed? Human Well-Being and Economic Goals brings together more than 75 concise summaries of the most significant literature in the field that consider issues of present and future individual and social welfare, national development, consumption, and equity. Like its predecessors in the Frontier Issues in Economic Thought series, it takes a multidisciplinary approach to economic concerns, examining their sociological, philosophical, and psychological aspects and implications as well as their economic underpinnings. Human Well-Being and Economic Goals provides a powerful introduction to the current and historical writings that examine the concept of human well-being in ways that can help us to set goals for economic activity and judge its success. It is a valuable summary and overview for students, economists, and social scientists concerned with these issues.

Rationality and Reasoning

Rationality and Reasoning PDF Author: Jonathon St. B.T. Evans
Publisher: Psychology Press
ISBN: 1135472300
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 196

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Book Description
This book addresses an apparent paradox in the psychology of thinking. On the one hand, human beings are a highly successful species. On the other, intelligent adults are known to exhibit numerous errors and biases in laboratory studies of reasoning and decision making. There has been much debate among both philosophers and psychologists about the implications of such studies for human rationality. The authors argue that this debate is marked by a confusion between two distinct notions: (a) personal rationality (rationality1 Evans and Over argue that people have a high degree of rationality1 but only a limited capacity for rationality2. The book re-interprets the psychological literature on reasoning and decision making, showing that many normative errors, by abstract standards, reflect the operation of processes that would normally help to achieve ordinary goals. Topics discussed include relevance effects in reasoning and decision making, the influence of prior beliefs on thinking, and the argument that apparently non-logical reasoning can reflect efficient decision making. The authors also discuss the problem of deductive competence - whether people have it, and what mechanism can account for it. As the book progresses, increasing emphasis is given to the authors' dual process theory of thinking, in which a distinction between tacit and explicit cognitive systems is developed. It is argued that much of human capacity for rationality1 is invested in tacit cognitive processes, which reflect both innate mechanisms and biologically constrained learning. However, the authors go on to argue that human beings also possess an explicit thinking system, which underlies their unique - if limited - capacity to be rational.

Autonomy, Rationality, and Contemporary Bioethics

Autonomy, Rationality, and Contemporary Bioethics PDF Author: Jonathan Pugh
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198858582
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 298

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Book Description
Personal autonomy is often lauded as a key value in contemporary Western bioethics, and the claim that there is an important relationship between autonomy and rationality is often treated as an uncontroversial claim in this sphere. Yet, there is also considerable disagreement about how we should cash out the relationship between rationality and autonomy. In particular, it is unclear whether a rationalist view of autonomy can be compatible with legal judgments that enshrine a patient's right to refuse medical treatment, regardless of whether ". . . the reasons for making the choice are rational, irrational, unknown or even non-existent". In this book, I bring recent philosophical work on the nature of rationality to bear on the question of how we should understand autonomy in contemporary bioethics. In doing so, I develop a new framework for thinking about the concept, one that is grounded in an understanding of the different roles that rational beliefs and rational desires have to play in personal autonomy. Furthermore, the account outlined here allows for a deeper understanding of different form of controlling influence, and the relationship between our freedom to act, and our capacity to decide autonomously. I contrast my rationalist with other prominent accounts of autonomy in bioethics, and outline the revisionary implications it has for various practical questions in bioethics in which autonomy is a salient concern, including questions about the nature of informed consent and decision-making capacity.

The Value of Rationality

The Value of Rationality PDF Author: Ralph Wedgwood
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198802692
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 278

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Book Description
Ralph Wedgwood gives a general account of the concept of rationality. The Value of Rationality is designed as the first instalment of a trilogy - to be followed by accounts of the requirements of rationality that apply specifically to beliefs and choices. The central claim of the book is that rationality is a normative concept. This claim is defended against some recent objections. Normative concepts are to be explained in terms of values (not in terms of 'ought' or reasons). Rationality is itself a value: rational thinking is in a certain way better than irrational thinking. Specifically, rationality is an internalist concept: what it is rational for you to think now depends solely on what is now present in your mind. Nonetheless, rationality has an external goal - the goal of thinking correctly, or getting things right in one's thinking. The connection between thinking rationally and thinking correctly is probabilistic: if your thinking is irrational, that is in effect bad news about your thinking's degree of correctness. This account of rationality explains how we should set about giving a theory of what it is for beliefs and choices to be rational. Wedgwood thus unifies practical and theoretical rationality, and reveals the connections between formal accounts of rationality (such as those of formal epistemologists and decision theorists) and the more metaethics-inspired recent discussions of the normativity of rationality. He does so partly by drawing on recent work in the semantics of normative and modal terms (including deontic modals like 'ought').