Why give money to beggars? Why make sacrifices to help others? The current volume targets such questions with the tools of neoclassical and behavioural economics, philosophy, and sociology of religion. Both religion and economics are analyzed as social institutions that support human intra-group cooperation. Even if individuals are rational maximizers of personal utility, they yet must take into account the reciprocal nature of human relationships. It is better to be part of a cooperative group and make some personal sacrifices because, in the end, everybody benefits from this. Sometimes the metaphor of an invisible hand is used to describe the fact that economic exchange seems to follow some rules that guarantee the best possible result for everyone. In religion, it is of course the hand of God that guides the world. In both cases, individuals are in a way playing against a superior being that always seems to win. In this volume, some of the cognitive mechanisms and cultural selective forces behind this are examined by specialists in different fields of science. The first contributions analyze theoretical and methodological issues; in later chapters, developments in the European history are explored from the perspectives of sociology and economic theory.
| ISBN: | 9783110246322 |
| Publication date: | 16th July 2010 |
| Author: | Ilkka Pyysiäinen |
| Publisher: | De Gruyter |
| Format: | Hardback |
| Pagination: | 247 pages |
| Series: | Religion and Reason |
| Genres: |
Social groups: religious groups and communities Ethics and moral philosophy Economic theory and philosophy Behavioural economics |
Why give money to beggars? Why make sacrifices to help others? The current volume targets such questions with the tools of neoclassical and behavioural economics, philosophy, and sociology of religion. Both religion and economics are analyzed as social institutions that support human intra-group cooperation. Even if individuals are rational maximizers of personal utility, they yet must take into account the reciprocal nature of human relationships. It is better to be part of a cooperative group and make some personal sacrifices because, in the end, everybody benefits from this. Sometimes the metaphor of an invisible hand is used to describe the fact that economic exchange seems to follow some rules that guarantee the best possible result for everyone. In religion, it is of course the hand of God that guides the world. In both cases, individuals are in a way playing against a superior being that always seems to win. In this volume, some of the cognitive mechanisms and cultural selective forces behind this are examined by specialists in different fields of science. The first contributions analyze theoretical and methodological issues; in later chapters, developments in the European history are explored from the perspectives of sociology and economic theory.
Religion, Economy, and Cooperation features in the following genres: Social groups: religious groups and communities, Ethics and moral philosophy, Economic theory and philosophy, Behavioural economics
Religion, Economy, and Cooperation is available in Hardback
Religion, Economy, and Cooperation was written by Ilkka Pyysiäinen and published by De Gruyter
Religion, Economy, and Cooperation has 247 pages
Yes it is part of Religion and Reason series
£103.05