Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Political Science |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
| Pages | 54–85 |
| Number of pages | 32 |
| ISBN (electronic) | 9780197519837 |
| ISBN (print) | 9780197519806 |
| Publication status | Published - 2023 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Abstract
In this chapter, it is described and assessed how political scientists use rational choice theories to offer causal explanations. We observe that the ways in which rational choice theories are considered to be successful in political science differs, depending on the explanandum in question. Political scientists use empirical variants of rational choice theories to explain the political behavior of individual agents and analytical variants to explain the behavior of collective actors. Both variants are used for distinct explananda, which ask for different modes of explanation that raise in turn different explanatory demands toward rational choice theories. We argue that when political scientists discuss the explanatory usefulness of rational choice theories, they should assess them in light of the demands they are supposed to meet. This would enable a more nuanced and problem-oriented appraisal of rational choice theories in political science.
Keywords
- explanation in political science, explanatory power, rational choice explanation, rational choice theory (RCT)
ASJC Scopus subject areas
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The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Political Science. Oxford University Press, 2023. p. 54–85.
Research output: Chapter in book/report/conference proceeding › Contribution to book/anthology › Research › peer review
}
TY - CHAP
T1 - Rational Choice Explanations in Political Science
AU - Herfeld, Catherine
AU - Marx, Johannes
N1 - Acknowledgments Parts of this paper are grounded in Herfeld (2017) and Marx and Tiefensee (2015). Johannes Marx’s research was financially supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG) in the context of the project “Simulating Collective Agency” (MA 4716/4-1).
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - In this chapter, it is described and assessed how political scientists use rational choice theories to offer causal explanations. We observe that the ways in which rational choice theories are considered to be successful in political science differs, depending on the explanandum in question. Political scientists use empirical variants of rational choice theories to explain the political behavior of individual agents and analytical variants to explain the behavior of collective actors. Both variants are used for distinct explananda, which ask for different modes of explanation that raise in turn different explanatory demands toward rational choice theories. We argue that when political scientists discuss the explanatory usefulness of rational choice theories, they should assess them in light of the demands they are supposed to meet. This would enable a more nuanced and problem-oriented appraisal of rational choice theories in political science.
AB - In this chapter, it is described and assessed how political scientists use rational choice theories to offer causal explanations. We observe that the ways in which rational choice theories are considered to be successful in political science differs, depending on the explanandum in question. Political scientists use empirical variants of rational choice theories to explain the political behavior of individual agents and analytical variants to explain the behavior of collective actors. Both variants are used for distinct explananda, which ask for different modes of explanation that raise in turn different explanatory demands toward rational choice theories. We argue that when political scientists discuss the explanatory usefulness of rational choice theories, they should assess them in light of the demands they are supposed to meet. This would enable a more nuanced and problem-oriented appraisal of rational choice theories in political science.
KW - explanation in political science
KW - explanatory power
KW - rational choice explanation
KW - rational choice theory (RCT)
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85190000571&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780197519806.013.4
DO - 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780197519806.013.4
M3 - Contribution to book/anthology
SN - 9780197519806
SP - 54
EP - 85
BT - The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Political Science
PB - Oxford University Press
ER -