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Does Optimization Imply Rationality?

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  • Mongin, P.

Abstract

The relation between rationality and optimization have been widely discussed in the wake of Herbert Simon's work, with the common conclusion that the rationality concept does not imply the optimization principle. The paper is partly concerned with adding evidence for this view but its main, more challenging objective is to question the converse implication form optimization to rationality, which is accepted even by bounded rationality theorists.

Suggested Citation

  • Mongin, P., 1998. "Does Optimization Imply Rationality?," Papers 9817, Paris X - Nanterre, U.F.R. de Sc. Ec. Gest. Maths Infor..
    • Handle: RePEc:fth:pnegmi:9817
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    12. Fishburn, Peter C, 1991. "Nontransitive Preferences in Decision Theory," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 4(2), pages 113-134, April.
    13. Plott, Charles R, 1973. "Path Independence, Rationality, and Social Choice," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 41(6), pages 1075-1091, November.
    14. Anand, Paul, 1993. "The Philosophy of Intransitive Preference," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 103(417), pages 337-346, March.
    15. Philippe Mongin, 1984. "Modèle rationnel ou modèle économique de la rationalité ?," Revue Économique, Programme National Persée, vol. 35(1), pages 9-64.
    16. Gordon Tullock, 1964. "The Irrationality Of Intransitivity," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 16(3), pages 401-406.
    17. Conlisk, John, 1988. "Optimization cost," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 9(3), pages 213-228, April.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Francesco GUALA, 2017. "Preferences: Neither Behavioural nor Mental," Departmental Working Papers 2017-05, Department of Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods at Università degli Studi di Milano.
    2. Marc Fleurbaey & Philippe Mongin, 2005. "The news of the death of welfare economics is greatly exaggerated," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 25(2), pages 381-418, December.
    3. Paola Manzini & Marco Mariotti, 2003. "How vague can one be? Rational preferences without completeness or transitivity," Game Theory and Information 0312006, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 16 Jul 2004.
    4. Jean-Sébastien Lenfant, 2018. "Probabilising the consumer: Georgescu-Roegen, Marschak and Quandt on the modelling of the consumer in the 1950s," The European Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(1), pages 36-72, January.
    5. Fumagalli, Roberto, 2021. "Rationality, preference satisfaction and anomalous intentions: why rational choice theory is not self-defeating," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 112446, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    6. Michaël Lainé, 2014. "Vers une alternative au paradigme de la rationalité ? Victoires et déboires du programme spinoziste en économie," Post-Print hal-04264939, HAL.
    7. Philippe Mongin, 2007. "L'a priori et l'a posteriori en économie," Recherches économiques de Louvain, De Boeck Université, vol. 73(1), pages 5-53.
    8. Michaël Lainé, 2014. "Vers une alternative au paradigme de la rationalité ? Victoires et déboires du programme spinoziste en économie," Post-Print hal-01335618, HAL.
    9. Jean Baccelli & Marcus Pivato, 2021. "Philippe Mongin (1950–2020)," Theory and Decision, Springer, vol. 90(1), pages 1-9, February.
    10. Wei Pan & Yi-Shin Chen, 2018. "Network approach for decision making under risk—How do we choose among probabilistic options with the same expected value?," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(4), pages 1-19, April.
    11. Alexandre Chirat & Michaël Assous & Olivier Brette & Judith Favereau, 2022. "Herbert Simon’s experience at the Cowles Commission (1947–1954)," EconomiX Working Papers 2022-11, University of Paris Nanterre, EconomiX.
    12. Roberto Fumagalli, 2021. "Rationality, preference satisfaction and anomalous intentions: why rational choice theory is not self-defeating," Theory and Decision, Springer, vol. 91(3), pages 337-356, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    OPTIMIZATION ; PREFERENCE CHOICES;

    JEL classification:

    • B41 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Economic Methodology - - - Economic Methodology
    • D10 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - General
    • D21 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Theory

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