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1
S, Bonchek Mark, ed. Analyzing politics: Rationality, behavior, and institutions. New York: W.W. Norton, 1997.
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2
de Mesquita, Bruce Bueno. Foreign Policy Analysis and Rational Choice Models. Oxford University Press, 2018. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190846626.013.395.
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Since the end of World War II, foreign policy thinking has been dominated by a realist (or neorealist) perspective in which states are taken as the relevant unit of analysis. The focus on states as the central actors in international politics leads to the view that what happens within states is of little consequence for understanding what happens between states. However, state-centric, unitary rational actor theories fail to explain perhaps the most significant empirical discovery in international relations over the past several decades. That is the widely accepted observation that democracies tend not to fight wars with one another even though they are not especially reluctant to fight with autocratic regimes. By looking within states at their domestic politics and institutionally induced behavior, the political economy perspective provides explanations of the democratic peace and associated empirical regularities while offering a cautionary tale for those who leap too easily to the inference that since pairs of democracies tend to interact peacefully; therefore it follows that they have strong normative incentives to promote democratic reform around the world. Rational choices approaches have also helped elucidate new insights that contribute to our understanding of foreign policy. Some of these new insights and the tools of analysis from which they are derived have significantly contributed to the actual decision making process.
3
Tenenbaum, Sergio. Rational Powers in Action. Oxford University Press, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198851486.001.0001.
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Human actions unfold over time, in pursuit of ends that are not fully specified in advance. Rational Powers in Action locates these features of the human condition at the heart of a new theory of instrumental rationality. Where many theories of rational agency focus on instantaneous choices between sharply defined outcomes, treating the temporally extended and partially open-ended character of action as an afterthought, this book argues that the deep structure of instrumental rationality can only be understood if we see how it governs the pursuit of long-term, indeterminate ends. These are ends that cannot be realized through a single momentary action, and whose content leaves partly open what counts as realizing the end. For example, one cannot simply write a book through an instantaneous choice to do so; over time, one must execute a variety of actions to realize one’s goal of writing a book, where one may do a better or worse job of attaining that goal, and what counts as succeeding at it is not fully determined in advance. Even to explain the rational governance of much less ambitious actions like making dinner, this book argues that we need to focus on temporal duration and the indeterminacy of ends in intentional action. Theories of moment-by-moment preference maximization, or indeed any understanding of instrumental rationality on the basis of momentary mental items, cannot capture the fundamental structure of our instrumentally rational capacities. This book puts forward a theory of instrumental rationality as rationality in action.
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Callard, Agnes. Decision Theory and Transformative Choice. Oxford University Press, 2018. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190639488.003.0002.
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If rationality is the maximization of expected preference-satisfaction, it appears impossible to rationally decide to change one’s core preferences. For there is no stable set of preferences whose maximization could determine the rationality of the choice. Some have argued that this means one cannot rationally become, e.g., a parent, philosopher, or music-lover. But we do not become parents, philosophers, or music-lovers by choosing: there are no acts of choice that take as their input a non-parent and output a parent. The rationality of major life transformations is invisible to those who look for it at an initial moment of decision to become a new person. These transformations are gradual—and not because we thoughtlessly “drift” into the people we become. They are gradual because they are kinds of learning, and it takes time to learn to care about new things.
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Shepsle, Ken A., and Mark S. Bonchek. Analyzing Politics: Rationality, Behavior, and Institutions. W. W. Norton, 1996.
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6
Shepsle, Ken A., and Mark S. Bonchek. Analyzing Politics: Rationality, Behavior, and Institutions. W. W. Norton, 1996.
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7
Adam, Christian, and Michael W. Bauer. Policy and Organizational Termination. Oxford University Press, 2018. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228637.013.138.
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In the perspective of a rational policy cycle, termination is the logical end of unsuccessful policy choices. As the deliberate conclusion or cessation of specific government functions, programs, policies, or organizations the termination concept consists of the ending of public policies, as well as public institutions. Its potential as a tool of enlightenment as well as its pitfalls in a world dominated by politics are presented by analyzing five decades of scholarly efforts in the area of policy and organizational termination.
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Zimmerman, Aaron Z. Alternative Measures and Taxonomies. Oxford University Press, 2018. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198809517.003.0002.
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Those advancing formal models of rational choice, action, and judgment tend to follow F. Ramsey (1931) in defining degrees of belief in terms of a person’s willingness to risk money, happiness, and other “good stuff” on the truth of a sentence or proposition. The dominant paradigm in cognitive psychology—introduced by D. Kahneman (2011) and colleagues—distinguishes “two systems” of cognition, and some theorists—e.g. K. Frankish (2004)—have tried to define “belief” in terms of these two systems. L.J. Cohen (1992) defines “belief” phenomenologically, in terms of feelings of conviction. The pragmatic conception of belief differs from all of these approaches, and is superior to the “two systems” analysis.
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McCarthy, Michael, and Mark G. Kuczewski. Reframing Care in End-of-Life Care Helpful Themes from a Catholic-Christian Understanding of Death. Edited by Stuart J. Youngner and Robert M. Arnold. Oxford University Press, 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199974412.013.5.
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This article proposes an alternative approach to caring for dying persons at the end of life based on three aspects of care—embodied, compassionate, and communal—that have strong roots in the Catholic-Christian theological tradition. Before explaining the theological rationale for an embodied, compassionate, and communal focus in end-of-life care, it considers a number of key concepts in Catholicism-Christianity that provide an important supplement or corrective to the current overemphasis on patient autonomy, which almost exclusively centers on preference or choice. It then discusses the advantages of adopting themes from a Catholic-Christian understanding of death, particularly in the context of palliative care. The article goes on to examine embodiment as the basis of compassionate care within the community and makes the case for compassion as a fundamental element of a spiritual approach to patient care at the end of life.
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Okasha, Samir. Final Thoughts. Oxford University Press, 2018. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198815082.003.0010.
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This brings us to the end of the journey. The discussion has ranged quite widely, so it is worth stepping back to re-capitulate the main points and to extract some general morals.Part I focused on a mode of thinking in evolutionary biology that we called ‘agential’. This involves using notions such as interests, goals, and strategies in evolutionary analysis. Agential thinking has a number of manifestations. One is the use of intentional idioms (‘wants, knows’), usually in an extended or metaphorical sense, to describe adaptive behaviour. Another is the analogical transfer of concepts from rational choice theory to evolutionary biology. There are two types of agential thinking, which need to be sharply distinguished. Type 1 treats an evolved entity, paradigmatically an individual organism, as akin to an agent with a goal towards which its phenotypic traits, including its behaviour, conduce. Type 2 treats ‘mother nature’, a personification of natural selection, as akin to a rational agent choosing between alternatives in accordance with a goal, such as maximal fitness. The former is a way of thinking about adaptation (the product), the latter about selection (the process)....
11
Wolff, Nancy. A General Model of Harm in Correctional Settings. Edited by John Wooldredge and Paula Smith. Oxford University Press, 2016. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199948154.013.33.
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The literature on inmate “harm” and inmate victimization within prison settings is reviewed with emphasis on the prevalence, predictors, and consequences associated with inmate misconduct, physical victimization, and sexual victimization in prison. The degree of overlap between “offenders” and “victims” is also discussed. The relevance of considering both inmate and facility characteristics for a more comprehensive understanding of both violent and property victimization is underscored. The potential impact of victimization on inmates’ feelings of safety is also covered. Strategies for preventing victimization and their limitations (e.g., protective custody, administrative segregation, disciplinary custody, prison transfers) are reviewed. A dyadic model of harm is developed that draws on routine activities theory and rational choice theory, to more clearly and systematically predict the effects of harm- and victim-propensity attributes of incarcerated people and correctional facilities on levels of harm.
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Lecaldano, Eugenio. Hume on Suicide. Edited by Paul Russell. Oxford University Press, 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199742844.013.14.
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The chapter starts with the history of Hume’s essay on suicide, and the sources and the social context of it in 1755. It also exposes the first reactions to the essay, particularly that of Adam Smith. The central sections present a critical discussion of the interpretation of the essay as a text of the philosophy of religion. The thesis of the chapter is that “On Suicide” is a text of moral philosophy. Hume refutes the Christian position and also the distinction between rational and irrational suicide; he advances—as resolutive—the positive moral principle of the natural liberty of all human beings and “the right to dispose of their own lives.” The essay has an influence in the contemporary bioethical literature just for this conception on the choices for the end of life.
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Alexander, Gregory S. Flourishing and Welfare. Oxford University Press, 2018. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190860745.003.0001.
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This chapter argues that the moral end of property is human flourishing, a concept which the author uses in a neo-Aristotelian sense. The bulk of the chapter is devoted to an analysis of the concept of human flourishing. It stresses three points: First, human flourishing, although overlapping at times with the concept of welfare, is fundamentally different from welfare. Second, human flourishing is a value-plural concept, encompassing multiple and incommensurable moral values; hence property has multiple ends. Third, property’s pluralistic moral foundation does not mean that rationality and consistency must be sacrificed when property’s various ends come into conflict. Value pluralism is reconcilable with both rational choice and rule-of-law values such as consistency. The human flourishing theory is a consequentialist theory, but in measuring human flourishing, its primary focus is on capabilities rather than resources, and thus the theory draws upon the capabilities approach of Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum.
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Varol, Ozan O. The Broken Promise. Oxford University Press, 2017. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190626013.003.0020.
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This chapter analyzes coups that begin with promises of democratic rule but end with the establishment of dictatorship. Some coup makers lose their enthusiasm for democracy for irrational reasons. A successful victory against a dictator can foster self-indulgent fantasies about future possibilities. Although plenty of military leaders irrationally prefer dictatorship out of ignorance or ego, others choose dictatorship in a rational decision-making process. Although the costs of authoritarianism outweigh its benefits for many militaries, for some militaries, that calculus may be reversed. For example, the coup makers may believe that a loyalist dictator will benefit them more than democratic rule. Particularly when they’re confident the dictator will stay loyal to their interests for the long term, the coup makers may throw their support behind a dictator, as opposed to subjecting their future to the vagaries of democratic politics.
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Rasmussen, Jessica, Angelina F. Gómez, and Sabine Wilhelm. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Body Dysmorphic Disorder. Edited by Katharine A. Phillips. Oxford University Press, 2017. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/med/9780190254131.003.0026.
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Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) that is tailored to the unique clinical features of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is currently the psychosocial treatment of choice for BDD. Researchers have made great strides in understanding the cognitive-behavioral processes that contribute to the development and maintenance of BDD. CBT for BDD is based on this theoretical understanding and has been shown to be highly effective in reducing BDD symptom severity and associated symptoms. The key components of CBT include identifying and rationally disputing maladaptive appearance-related thoughts, and exposure with response prevention for feared and avoided situations. CBT for BDD also integrates educating the patient on the mental and behavioral processes involved in the BDD experience with mindfulness/perceptual retraining (e.g., techniques aimed at helping patients to view their appearance with a neutral, global, and aware perspective) to augment the therapeutic process. Advanced cognitive strategies are used to address negative core beliefs. Because BDD is typically characterized by poor or absent insight, motivational interviewing is often needed to overcome ambivalence towards treatment.
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James A, Green. Part III The Limitations and Role of the Persistent Objector Rule, 9 The Role and Value of the Persistent Objector Rule. Oxford University Press, 2016. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/law/9780198704218.003.0010.
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This chapter examines the ‘role’ or ‘value’ of the persistent objector rule. Firstly, the chapter sets out and critiques the voluntarist conception of the persistent objector rule in more detail than has been done in previous chapters. It then considers competing theoretical approaches to international legal obligation, broadly grouped together as being ‘communitarian’ in nature. Such communitarian approaches have tended to dismiss the persistent objector rule along with their dismissal of voluntarism. It is argued that holistic, absolutist theoretical accounts of customary international law fail to take into account its chaotic nature in reality. The chapter therefore argues this it is problematic to appraise the value of the persistent objector rule from the perspective of either voluntarism or communitarianism. Drawing upon some insights from rational choice theory, it is argued that the rule is inherently one of balance, and that its true value lies in its practical benefits both for individual objectors and the wider international community. The chapter then assesses the rule's various functional benefits as a ‘safety valve’. The chapter also examines the contributions that persistent objection can make to the development of customary international law. At the end of the chapter, the text briefly notes that many of the benefits of the persistent objector rule may, at least in part, stem from the perception of state autonomy that it creates.
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Wan, Wilfred, and Etel Solingen. International Security: Nuclear Proliferation. Oxford University Press, 2017. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228637.013.121.
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Since the advent of the nuclear age, scholars have sought to provide rationales behind decisions to pursue, forgo, or relinquish nuclear weapons programs. Security, status, cost, technical capabilities, and domestic considerations have played central roles in explaining those choices. Classical neorealism was once the conventional wisdom, advancing that relative power and the logic of self-help in an anarchic world drove states to nuclear weapons. Yet, the analysis of nuclear proliferation has evolved in accordance with broader debates in international relations theory in recent decades, including the incorporation of neoliberal institutionalist, constructivist, and domestic political perspectives. The end of the Cold War and the upheaval of international order in particular marked a watershed for the literature, with scholars challenging the dominant paradigm by examining the effects of institutions, norms, and identities. Those approaches, however, under-theorized—if not omitted altogether—the role of domestic political drivers in choices to acquire or abstain from acquiring from nuclear weapons. Such drivers provide filters that can be invaluable in explaining whether, when, and how state actors are susceptible to considerations of relative power, international institutions, and norms. More recently, scholars have deployed more sophisticated theoretical frameworks and diverse methodologies. The road ahead requires greater analytical flexibility, harnessing the utility of classical perspectives while adding enough nuance to increase explanatory power, greater attentiveness to the complex interaction among variables, and improved specification and operationalization amenable to rigorous testing, all with an eye toward enhancing both historical accuracy and predictive capabilities.
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Germann, Julian. Unwitting Architect. Stanford University Press, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.11126/stanford/9781503609846.001.0001.
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The global rise of neoliberalism since the 1970s is widely seen as a dynamic originating in the United States and the United Kingdom, and only belatedly and partially repeated by Germany. From this Anglocentric perspective, Germany's emergence at the forefront of neoliberal reforms in the eurozone is perplexing, and tends to be attributed to the same forces conventionally associated with the Anglo-American pioneers. This book challenges this ruling narrative. It recasts the genesis of neoliberalism as a process driven by a plenitude of actors, ideas, and interests. And it lays bare the pragmatic reasoning and counterintuitive choices of German crisis managers obscured by this master story. This book argues that German officials did not intentionally set out to promote neoliberal change. Instead they were more intent on preserving Germany's export markets and competitiveness in order to stabilize the domestic compact between capital and labor. Nevertheless, the series of measures German policy elites took to manage the end of golden-age capitalism promoted neoliberal transformation in crucial respects: it destabilized the Bretton Woods system; it undermined socialist and social democratic responses to the crisis in Europe; it frustrated an internationally coordinated Keynesian reflation of the world economy; and ultimately it helped push the US into the Volcker interest-rate shock that inaugurated the attack on welfare and labor under Reagan and Thatcher. From this vantage point, the book illuminates the very different rationale behind the painful reforms German state managers have demanded of their indebted eurozone partners.