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Rational Man and Irrational Society?: An Introduction and Sourcebook
The Prisoner′s Dilemma and Kenneth Arrow′s General Possibility Theorem, are two of the most simple, yet far-reaching concepts in social science. The first captures in an easily understood paradox how individually rational acts that benefit individual people can combine to produce a result that is of less benefit to everyone. The Arrow Theorem shows that there is no formula for ranking the preferences of many people into a rational aggregate. This book is a collection of the best work done on these two ideas. It is an ideal introduction for students or sourcebook for professionals.
400 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1982
12 people want to read
About the author
Brian M. Barry
22 books16 followersBrian Barry [Fellow of the British Academy] was a moral and political philosopher. He was educated at the Queen's College, Oxford, obtaining the degrees of B.A. and D.Phil under the direction of H. L. A. Hart.
Along with David Braybrooke, Richard E. Flathman, Felix Oppenheim, and Abraham Kaplan, he is widely credited with having fused analytic philosophy and political science.[citation needed] Barry also fused political theory and social choice theory and was a persistent critic of public choice theory.
During his early career, Barry held teaching posts at the University of Birmingham, Keele University and the University of Southampton. In 1965 he was appointed a teaching fellow at University College, and then Nuffield College. In 1969 he became a professor at Essex University.
Barry was Lieber Professor Emeritus of Political Philosophy at Columbia University and Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the London School of Economics. He was awarded the Johan Skytte Prize in Political Science in 2001. Barry also taught at the University of Chicago, in the departments of philosophy and political science. During this time he edited the journal Ethics, helping raise its publication standards. Under his editorship, it became perhaps the leading journal for moral and political philosophy.
He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1978. Barry was a Distinguished Supporter of the British Humanist Association, and was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of York in 2006.
Selected publications
* Why Social Justice Matters (Polity 2005)
* Culture & Equality: An Egalitarian Critique of Multiculturalism (2001)
* Justice as Impartiality (1995)
* Theories of Justice (Berkeley, 1989)
* Democracy, Power, and Justice: Essays in Political Theory (Oxford, 1989)
* The Liberal Theory of Justice (1973)
* Sociologists, Economists and Democracy (1970)
* Political Argument (1965, Reissue 1990)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Barry
Along with David Braybrooke, Richard E. Flathman, Felix Oppenheim, and Abraham Kaplan, he is widely credited with having fused analytic philosophy and political science.[citation needed] Barry also fused political theory and social choice theory and was a persistent critic of public choice theory.
During his early career, Barry held teaching posts at the University of Birmingham, Keele University and the University of Southampton. In 1965 he was appointed a teaching fellow at University College, and then Nuffield College. In 1969 he became a professor at Essex University.
Barry was Lieber Professor Emeritus of Political Philosophy at Columbia University and Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the London School of Economics. He was awarded the Johan Skytte Prize in Political Science in 2001. Barry also taught at the University of Chicago, in the departments of philosophy and political science. During this time he edited the journal Ethics, helping raise its publication standards. Under his editorship, it became perhaps the leading journal for moral and political philosophy.
He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1978. Barry was a Distinguished Supporter of the British Humanist Association, and was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of York in 2006.
Selected publications
* Why Social Justice Matters (Polity 2005)
* Culture & Equality: An Egalitarian Critique of Multiculturalism (2001)
* Justice as Impartiality (1995)
* Theories of Justice (Berkeley, 1989)
* Democracy, Power, and Justice: Essays in Political Theory (Oxford, 1989)
* The Liberal Theory of Justice (1973)
* Sociologists, Economists and Democracy (1970)
* Political Argument (1965, Reissue 1990)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Barry
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November 29, 2009After reading "rational man" I think that it was more confuseing,then helpful.It was based on theorys and scientfic notation.Maybe I cant comprehend all the big words, but be ready to read the book in right hand and a dictionary in the left.
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