Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas 164 | Herbert Gintis on Game Theory, Evolution, and Social Rationality
Sep 13, 2021
Herbert Gintis, a Professor at Central European University and a thinker in game theory, dives deep into how various social sciences clash and coexist. He critiques the fragmentation of these fields, advocating for an integrated perspective that blends biology, economics, and sociology. Gintis explores the complexities of rationality, arguing that true human behavior often defies traditional economic models. He also examines the role of morality in decision-making and the evolutionary connection between language, warfare, and social structures, emphasizing collaboration in research to enrich understanding.
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Rational Actor Model
- Economics and biology, the only behavioral sciences with core theories, use the rational actor model.
- Other fields, like psychology and anthropology, lack core theories and exhibit scattered approaches.
Two Types of Rationality
- "Rational" has two meanings: instrumental (efficiently achieving a goal) and formal (transitive preferences).
- Seemingly irrational actions can be formally rational if they align with one's possibly multi-faceted preferences.
Finger Game
- Sean Carroll and Herbert Gintis discuss the finger-matching game, where Nash equilibrium is 50-50.
- However, if one player plays 50-50, the other player's strategy becomes irrelevant, challenging the Nash equilibrium concept.
