Rationality and commitment

13 Leading Philosophers And Economists Discuss The Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen's Trenchant Critique Of Rational Choice Theory, And Propose Their Own Answers To The Question Of How To Account For The Rationality Of Committed Action. Introduction. Rational Fools, Rational Commitments / Fabienne Peter And Hans Bernhard Schmid. Pt. I. Committed Action. Why Exactly Is Commitment Important For Rationality? / Amartya Sen -- Construing Sen On Commitment / Philip Pettit -- Sympathy, Commitment, And Preference / Daniel M. Hausman. Pt. Ii. Rethinking Rationality. Instrumental Rationality Versus Practical Reason: Desires, Ends, And Commitment / Herlinde Pauer-studer -- The Grammar Of Rationality / Geoffrey Brennan -- The Rationality Of Rational Fools: The Role Of Commitments, Persons, And Agents In Rational Choice Modelling / Werner Güth And Hartmut Kliemt -- Rational Self-commitment / Bruno Verbeek -- Rationality And Commitment In Voluntary Cooperation: Insights From Experimental Economics / Simon Gächter And Christian Thöni. Pt. Iii. Commitment, Intentions, And Identity. Beyond Self-goal Choice: Amartya Sen's Analysis Of The Structure Of Commitment And The Role Of Shared Desires / Hans Bernhard Schmid -- Cooperation And The We-perspective / Raimo Tuomela -- Collective Intentions, Commitment, And Collective Action Problems / Margaret Gilbert -- Theories Of Team Agency / Natalie Gold And Robert Sugden -- Identity And Commitment: Sen's Fourth Aspect Of The Self / John B. Davis. Comment. Rational Choice: Discipline, Brand Name, And Substance / Amartya Sen. Edited By Fabienne Peter And Hans Bernhard Schmid. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Rational choice theory forms the core of the economic approach to human behaviour. It is also the most influential philosophical account of practical rationality. Yet there are persistent controversies about the scope of rational choice theory in philosophy and, increasingly, in economics as well. A leading critic is the philosopher and Nobel Laureate economist Amartya Sen, who put forward a trenchant critique of rational choice theory in his seminal paper 'Rational Fools'. Sen emphasizes the importance of commitment - those aspects of human behavior which dispose individuals to co-operate, follow norms, and identify with others. He argues that rational choice theory cannot accommodate commitment, and demands a more adequate account of rationality. The question of how to account for the rationality of commitment is very much an open issue and, if anything, even more pressing today than when Sen first raised it. In Rationality and Commitment , thirteen leading philosophers and economists discuss Sen's claims and propose their own answers to the question of how to account for the rationality of committed action. The volume concludes with a specially-written reply by Sen, in which he responds to his critics and provides a rich commentary on the preceding essays.