Explaining games : the epistemic programme in game theory

Author(s)

    • Bruin, Boudewijn Paul de

Bibliographic Information

Explaining games : the epistemic programme in game theory

by Boudewijn de Bruin

(Synthese library, 346)

Springer, c2010

Available at  / 11 libraries

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Note

Bibliography: p. 159-165

Includes index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

Does game theory - the mathematical theory of strategic interaction - provide genuine explanations of human behaviour? Can game theory be used in economic consultancy or other normative contexts? Explaining Games: The Epistemic Programme in Game Theory - the first monograph on the philosophy of game theory - is a bold attempt to combine insights from epistemic logic and the philosophy of science to investigate the applicability of game theory in such fields as economics, philosophy and strategic consultancy. De Bruin proves new mathematical theorems about the beliefs, desires and rationality principles of individual human beings, and he explores in detail the logical form of game theory as it is used in explanatory and normative contexts. He argues that game theory reduces to rational choice theory if used as an explanatory device, and that game theory is nonsensical if used as a normative device. A provocative account of the history of game theory reveals that this is not bad news for all of game theory, though. Two central research programmes in game theory tried to find the ultimate characterisation of strategic interaction between rational agents. Yet, while the Nash Equilibrium Refinement Programme has done badly thanks to such research habits as overmathematisation, model-tinkering and introversion, the Epistemic Programme, De Bruin argues, has been rather successful in achieving this aim.

Table of Contents

Preliminaries.- Preliminaries.- Epistemic Logic.- Normal Form Games.- Extensive Games.- Epistemology.- Applications of Game Theory.- The Methodology of Game Theory.

by "Nielsen BookData"

Related Books: 1-1 of 1

  • Synthese library

    D. Reidel , Distributed in the U.S.A. and Canada by Kluwer Boston

    Available at 2 libraries

Details

  • NCID
    BB03843390
  • ISBN
    • 9781402099052
  • LCCN
    2010931705
  • Country Code
    gw
  • Title Language Code
    eng
  • Text Language Code
    eng
  • Place of Publication
    Dordrecht
  • Pages/Volumes
    xviii, 175 p.
  • Size
    24 cm
  • Classification
  • Subject Headings
  • Parent Bibliography ID
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