Notes on Individual and Group Decision Making

Author

Affiliation

Eric Pacuit

Department of Philosophy, University of Maryland

Preface

Welcome to the notes for PHPE 400 - Individual and Group Decision Making. This course explores mathematical models of decision-making at both the individual and group levels, with a focus on their applications in philosophy, politics, and economics. We will address two primary questions:

1. What does it mean for individuals and groups to make rational decisions?
2. What are the idealizations and assumptions underlying the mathematical models used in these disciplines, and how can they be critically assessed?

These notes are designed to complement your readings (primarily taken from (Gaus and Thrasher 2021), (Reiss 2013), and (Hausman, McPherson, and Satz 2020)) and serve as a comprehensive resource for the key technical definitions and concepts covered in the course.

Important

These notes will be continually updated throughout the semester. Please check back regularly.

Gaus, Gerald, and John Thrasher. 2021. Philosophy, Politics, and Economics: An Introduction. Princeton University Press. https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691219790/philosophy-politics-and-economics.

Hausman, Daniel, Michael McPherson, and Debra Satz. 2020. Economic Analysis, Moral Philosophy, and Public Policy. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316663011.

Reiss, Julian. 2013. Philosophy of Economics: A Contemporary Introduction. Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/Philosophy-of-Economics-A-Contemporary-Introduction/Reiss/p/book/9780415881173.