> ...What is rational choice theory?
The 2nd set of readings cited in the pdf below is taken from articles originally published in Critical Review, a libertarian journal recommended by such marxists as Bertell Ollman.
http://choo.fis.utoronto.ca/FIS/Courses/LIS2149/RatChoice.html Assumptions of Rational Choice Theory Humans are purposive and goal oriented.
Humans have sets of hierarchically ordered preferences, or utilities.
In choosing lines of behavior, humans make rational calculations with respect to:
the utility of alternative lines of conduct with reference to the preference hierarchy
the costs of each alternative in terms of utilities foregone
the best way to maximize utility.
Emergent social phenomena -- social structures, collective decisions, and collective behavior -- are ultimately the result of rational choices made by utility-maximizing individuals.
Emergent social phenomena that arise from rational choices constitute a set of parameters for subsequent rational choices of individuals in the sense that they determine:
the distribution of resources among individuals
the distribution of opportunities for various lines of behavior
the distribution and nature of norms and obligations in a situation.
(Jonathan Turner 1991, The Structure of Sociological Theory, p. 354)
Pathologies of Rational Choice Theory by Donald Green and Ian Shapiro... File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML ... STA 234: Ph.D. Seminar on Choice Theory Professor Robert Nau Fall Semester 2002 More readings for class #11: Criticism of rational choice theory in political ... http://www.faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/~rnau/choice/choice10.pdf
-- Michael Pugliese