The Cement of Society - Softcover

Elster

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0521376076 ISBN 13: 9780521376075

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2008

Synopsis

The question Jon Elster addresses in this challenging book is what binds societies together and prevents them from disintegrating into chaos and war. He analyses two concepts of social order: stable, predictable patterns of behaviour, and co-operative behaviour. The book examines various aspects of collective action and bargaining from the perspective of rational-choice theory and the theory of social norms. It is a fundamental assumption of the book that social norms provide an important kind of motivation for action that is irreducible to rationality. The book represents a major statement by Elster, which will be of particular interest to political scientists, political philosophers, sociologists, and economists.

About this title

Review:

"...this is an excellent book. Bearing on virtually every specialty within the social sciences, it is laced with a panoply of wonderful insights into social stability and cooperation." Timur Kuran, Journal of Economic Literature

Book Description:

Jon Elster delves into what binds societies together and prevents them from disintegrating into chaos and war and examines the perspective of rational-choice theory and the theory of social norms. This book will be of particular interest to political scientists, political philosophers, sociologists, and economists.

About this edition

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0521376076
• ISBN 13: 9780521376075
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 320