Explaining Social Behavior
by Jon Elster
First published 2007 · 490 pages · about 8 hours to read
Also as Kindle · AudiobookFind in a library
About this book
Explaining Social Behavior is a 2007 methods book by the philosopher and social theorist Jon Elster. It argues that good explanations in the social sciences should name the mechanisms that link individual actions to social outcomes, and it tests that claim against rational choice, emotions, norms and collective action. Readers come to it for Elster's clear, skeptical account of how social explanation works, and it is often read as a sequel to his earlier Nuts and Bolts for the Social Sciences.
Social scientists often explain outcomes by pointing to large forces or correlations without showing how individual behaviour produces them. Elster asks what a satisfying explanation of social behaviour should look like, and what role mechanisms, rational choice and the study of human motivation should play in it.
Summary written with AI from the book's details.
Will you like it?
Readers interested in how social scientists should explain collective life will find this useful, especially those who have read rational choice or philosophy of social science before. It is a dense, argument-driven book that tests clear claims about mechanisms, norms and emotions against concrete examples.
- social mechanisms
- rational choice
- social norms
- collective action
- unintended consequences
Written with AI.
Books like Explaining Social Behavior
Micromotives and Macrobehavior
Thomas C. Schellingabout 5 hours to read
Shows how individual choices with simple rules can produce large social patterns that nobody intended.
Dissecting the Social
Peter Hedstromabout 3 hours to read
Defends explaining social outcomes through the actions and relations of the individuals who produce them.
The Logic of Collective Action
Mancur Olsonabout 3 hours to read
Explains why rational individuals often fail to act together for a common good, a question central to Elster's discussion of collective action.
Collective Action
Russell Hardinabout 4 hours to read
Applies game theory and rational choice to the problem of cooperation, with clear attention to when collective outcomes are stable.
More
The Sicilian Mafia
Diego Gambettaabout 6 hours to read
Uses rational choice reasoning to explain a social institution built on trust, showing mechanisms at work in a concrete case.
Social Theory and Social Structure
Robert King Mertonabout 11 hours to read
A classic work on middle-range theory and unintended consequences, close to Elster's concern with explaining social patterns.
The Passions and the Interests
Albert Otto Hirschmanabout 3 hours to read
Traces how ideas about human motivation shaped political and economic thought, a theme that connects to Elster's interest in emotions and interests.
The Poverty of Historicism
Karl Popperabout 3 hours to read
Argues against grand historical laws and for explanations tied to specific conditions and actors, a debate Elster also engages.
Quick answers
- What age is Explaining Social Behavior for?
- Adults.
- Is Explaining Social Behavior a standalone?
- Yes, it stands on its own.
- Does Explaining Social Behavior have violence, sex or strong language?
- Nothing a reader needs warning about.
Written with AI from what's known about the book.
Reader's guide
Themessocial mechanisms, methodological individualism, rational choice, social norms, collective action, unintended consequences, emotions in action
social mechanisms · methodological individualism · rational choice · social norms · collective action · unintended consequences · emotions in action
StyleAnalytical prose with careful definitions, numbered arguments and many examples drawn from history, economics and political life. It is written for specialists but stays readable for advanced undergraduates and general readers with an interest in social theory. At roughly 490 pages it is substantial, and it moves through its topics in order, returning to earlier distinctions as it goes.
Analytical prose with careful definitions, numbered arguments and many examples drawn from history, economics and political life. It is written for specialists but stays readable for advanced undergraduates and general readers with an interest in social theory. At roughly 490 pages it is substantial, and it moves through its topics in order, returning to earlier distinctions as it goes.
How it was writtenJon Elster (born 1940 in Oslo) is a Norwegian-born philosopher and social theorist who has taught in Europe and the United States, including at Columbia University and the Collège de France. Explaining Social Behavior was published by Cambridge University Press in 2007 and continues the project of his earlier book Nuts and Bolts for the Social Sciences (1989), which set out the basic tools of mechanism-based explanation.
Jon Elster (born 1940 in Oslo) is a Norwegian-born philosopher and social theorist who has taught in Europe and the United States, including at Columbia University and the Collège de France. Explaining Social Behavior was published by Cambridge University Press in 2007 and continues the project of his earlier book Nuts and Bolts for the Social Sciences (1989), which set out the basic tools of mechanism-based explanation.
How it was receivedThe book is generally regarded as a significant statement in the philosophy of the social sciences and is widely cited in debates about mechanisms and rational choice. Its reception among practising social scientists is less clear to this dossier.
The book is generally regarded as a significant statement in the philosophy of the social sciences and is widely cited in debates about mechanisms and rational choice. Its reception among practising social scientists is less clear to this dossier.
Questions to discussWhat does it mean to say that a social explanation has identified a mechanism, and how is that different from a statistical correlation?
These may talk about the whole book.
- What does it mean to say that a social explanation has identified a mechanism, and how is that different from a statistical correlation?
- Elster defends methodological individualism in a qualified form. Where do you think individual-level explanations are most useful, and where do they fall short?
- How well does rational choice theory handle behaviour driven by emotion or social norms?
- Can unintended consequences be explained without reference to the intentions of anyone involved?
- Do the examples used in the book support its general claims, or are some cases better suited to the argument than others?
- How would the book's approach apply to a social question you care about, such as a protest, a market crash or a change in custom?
Written with AI from what's known about the book.
More by Jon Elster
- Securities Against MisruleSecurities Against Misrule2013
- Reason and RationalityReason and Rationality2009
- Retribution and Reparation in the Transition to DemocracyRetribution and Reparation in the Transition to Democracy2006
- Ulysses UnboundUlysses Unbound2000
- Strong FeelingsStrong Feelings1999
- Getting HookedGetting Hooked1999
Parts of this page are written with AI from what's known about the book, and can get details wrong. How BookSense works