Explaining Social Behavior
More Nuts and Bolts for the Social Sciences

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

Jon Elster (Author)

9781107416413, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 28 July 2015

516 pages, 43 b/w illus. 8 tables
23.9 x 16.5 x 5.3 cm, 0.75 kg

'This is a delightfully engaging book by one of the best thinkers of our age. Elster offers illuminating insights into a wide variety of fundamental psychological and social phenomena. Always charming as well as lucid, in this superb new edition Elster gives intriguing answers to fascinating questions.' Kent Berridge, University of Michigan

In this new edition of his critically acclaimed book, Jon Elster examines the nature of social behavior, proposing choice as the central concept of the social sciences. Extensively revised throughout, the book offers an overview of key explanatory mechanisms, drawing on many case studies and experiments to explore the nature of explanation in the social sciences; an analysis of the mental states - beliefs, desires, and emotions - that are precursors to action; a systematic comparison of rational-choice models of behavior with alternative accounts, and a review of mechanisms of social interaction ranging from strategic behavior to collective decision making. A wholly new chapter includes an exploration of classical moralists and Proust in charting mental mechanisms operating 'behind the back' of the agent, and a new conclusion points to the pitfalls and fallacies in current ways of doing social science, proposing guidelines for more modest and more robust procedures.

Preface
Part I. Explanation and Mechanisms: 1. Explanation
2. Mechanisms
3. Interpretation
Part II. The Mind: 4. Motivations
5. Self-interest and altruism
6. Myopia and foresight
7. Beliefs
8. Emotions
9. Transmutations
Part III. Action: 10. Constraints: opportunities and abilities
11. Reinforcement and selection
12. Persons and situations
13. Rational choice
14. Rationality and behavior
15. Responding to irrationality
16. Implications for textual interpretation
Part IV. Interaction: 17. Unintended consequences
18. Strategic interaction
19. Games and behavior
20. Trust
21. Social norms
22. Collective belief formation
23. Collective action
24. Collective decision making
25. Institutions and constitutions
Conclusion: is social science possible?
Index.

Subject Areas: Philosophy of science [PDA], Political science & theory [JPA], Social theory [JHBA]