Jon Elster Bücher

A substantially revised edition of Jon Elster's critically acclaimed book exploring the nature of social behavior and the social sciences.

This book is Jon Elster's influential study of irrationality, challenging orthodox theories of rational choice.

Focusing on the epistemological aspects of technical change, Jon Elster explores how knowledge and understanding shape innovations and advancements. He delves into the processes that underpin technical development, examining the interplay between theory and practice. This volume offers a unique lens through which to analyze the impact of knowledge on technological progress, making it a thought-provoking read for those interested in the philosophy of science and technology.

This book is intended as an introductory survey of the philosophy of the social sciences. It is essentially a work of exposition that offers a tool box of mechanisms--nuts and bolts, cogs and wheels--that can be used to explain complex social phenomena. Within a brief compass, Jon Elster covers a vast range of topics. His point of departure is the conflict we all face between our desires and our opportunities. How can rational choice theory help us understand our motivation and behavior? More significantly, what happens when the theory breaks down but we still cleave to a belief in the power of the rational? Elster describes the fascinating range of forms of irrationality--wishful thinking, the phenomenon of sour grapes, discounting the future in non-cooperative behavior. He shows how these issues bear directly on our lives in such concrete situations as wage bargaining, economic cartels, political strikes, voting in elections, and court decisions involving child custody.

Sour Grapes aims to subvert orthodox theories of rational choice through the study of forms of irrationality. Dr Elster begins with an analysis of the notation of rationality, to provide the background and terms for the subsequent discussions, which cover irrational behaviour, irrational desires and irrational belief. These essays continue and complement the arguments of Jon Elster's earlier book, Ulysses and the Sirens. That was published to wide acclaim, and Dr Elster shows the same versatility here in drawing on philosophy, political and social theory, decision-theory, economics and psychology, as well as history and literature.

Exploring the full spectrum of emotions, this comprehensive work delves into various theoretical frameworks that explain emotional experiences. It integrates perspectives from psychology, neuroscience, and philosophy, offering a thorough analysis of how emotions influence behavior and cognition. By examining both classic theories and contemporary research, the book provides readers with a deep understanding of the complexities of emotional life, making it a valuable resource for scholars and anyone interested in the science of emotions.

The book explores the challenges encountered by former communist states in their transition to democracy and market economies. It delves into the political, social, and economic obstacles these nations face as they strive to establish new governance structures and integrate into the global market. Through analysis, it highlights the complexities of this transformation and the various strategies employed to overcome these issues.

Focusing on the complex dynamics between Britain and its American colonies, this volume delves into the social movements that united the thirteen colonies despite internal conflicts. Elster highlights the role of emotional forces and the concept of "divide and rule" in shaping political beliefs and actions on both sides of the Atlantic. He examines how the decline of British imperial influence affected transatlantic relations and the critical institutional decisions made by American states that influenced the Constitution's creation. This work uniquely combines historical analysis with modern social science perspectives.

"France before 1789 presents the main features of the prodigiously complex social system of the ancien regime which proceeded the French Revolution. In doing so Jon Elster goes beyond formal institutions to show how they worked in practice. He draws on a host of examples and contemporary texts to illuminate the perverse and sometimes pathological effects of this system and seeks to provide a detailed analysis of the political institutions that undergirded it. Whereas Tocqueville, in his famous analysis of the ancient regime, wanted to understand the old regime as a prelude to revolution, Elster views it as a prelude to constitution-making prompted by and intended to resolve these perversities. He views these as overlapping, yet important enough to render distinct. In addition to defending a particular set of substantive propositions about the conditions which led to the Constituent Assembly, Elster argues for a specific methodological approach to history, which emphasizes supplementing the historian's craft with approaches from the social sciences. Ultimately, he does not claim to answer the historians' questions better than they do. But he does aspire to ask and sometimes answer questions that historians have not formulated in order to better understand one of the most significant examples of collective decision-making history offers us"--