An Introduction to the Use of Formal Methods in Political Philosophy

by Robert Paul Wolff, Michael Hemmingsen (Editor)

Political Theory has been transformed in the last thirty years by the introduction of methods of analysis imported from mathematics and economics. Modern students of the subject need to know something about Rational Choice Theory, Game Theory, and Collective Choice Theory if they are to be able to master contemporary discussions. This little book, by well-known philosopher Robert Paul Wolff, lays out the elements of these technical subjects in a precise fashion that achieves a sprightly accessibility without sacrificing formal rigor. In the second part of the book, Wolff applies the formal materials to the writings of John Rawls, Robert Nozick, and others with a penetrating and sceptical wit. A useful supplement to the standard readings in undergraduate and graduate courses.

213 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 15, 2013

About the author

Robert Paul Wolff was an American political philosopher and professor emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Wolff has written widely on topics in political philosophy, including Marxism, tolerance (against liberalism and in favor of anarchism), political justification, and democracy.

Reviews

[Marco · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rare case of Marxian author that engages with formal methods in a reasonable way. While many of his criticisms about the limitations of formalistic approaches betray a certain lack of familiarity with the literature as of the time of the book's publication, the author still does a good job in pointing out the non-neutrality of many modelling hypotheses and the naïveté of some earlier uses of the models, especially those based on Game Theory.