Formal Models in Raymond Boudon’s Work

This chapter discusses Raymond Boudon's use of formal models in sociological research. By formal model, I refer to models that are not statistical, such as computer simulations and game theory. To the best of my knowledge, Boudon fully developed and systematically analyzed formal models in three pieces of work. Each model is of a different type. In chronological order, they include a computer simulation (Davidovitch and Boudon 1964), a numerical simulation (Boudon 1974, chs. 4, 6), and a game theoretical model (Boudon 1977, ch. 5). The first part of this chapter describes and summarizes these three models. The second part analyzes the originality and strengths of Boudon's approach. The final section discusses its limitations and proposes ways to address them. A few preliminary remarks are necessary. Mathematics, statistics, and simulations are deeply interconnected in Boudon's work. However, I will focus primarily on simulation models because they align more closely with my personal interests. Another reason for this emphasis is that other contributions to this book explore his game-theoretical and statistical models in greater depth. This chapter reflects my perspective, but it does not intend to be exhaustive, and other insights could complement it. Finally, beyond the works where Boudon applied formal modeling, I will draw on his writings discussing the epistemology of these models.