Rules, Reason and Norms

The course aims at familiarizing students with the main tools developed by philosophers and social scientists to model rational choice, focusing in particular on the theoretical paradoxes and empirical challenges they face in the attempt to explain human cooperation.

1 Knowledge and understanding
- Knowledge of the main theories of rational choice and their application to the study of human behaviour
- Knowledge of the main theoretical models and empirical studies concerning social norms and the role they play in promoting cooperation

2 Capacity to apply knowledge and understanding
- Capacity to critically assess the power and limits of rational choice models for the explanation of human behaviour
- Capacity to critically assess the conceptual and empirical relationship between individual rationality, rules and social norms
- Capacity to identify the conceptual foundations and philosophical implications of the main theoretical models and related empirical discoveries