Abstract
Martin Hollis was a great critic of the way in which rational choice theory handled human rationality. Taking as its cue Hollis's argument in his Trust Within Reason that rational choice cannot explain why rational individuals will trust others and act trustworthily, the paper shows how an account of trust may be developed within a rational choice framework. First, rational choice can handle the notion of trust trivially as an argument within a utility function. Secondly, an evolutionary account using rational choice methods, where the maximisers are genes, can explain how the argument gets into the utility function.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Trusting in Reason |
| Subtitle of host publication | Martin Hollis and The Philosophy of Social Action |
| Publisher | Frank Cass |
| Pages | 205-218 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| ISBN (Print) | 0203501837, 9780203501832 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jul 2003 |
| Externally published | Yes |