Hollis, Martin

Trust within reason by Martin Hollis( )

14 editions published between 1998 and 2010 in English and Italian and held by 1,854 WorldCat member libraries worldwide

Some philosophers hold that trust grows fragile when people become too rational. They advocate a retreat from reason and a return to local, traditional values. Others hold that truly rational people are both trusting and trustworthy. Everything hinges on what we mean by 'reason' and 'rational'. If these are understood in an egocentric, instrumental fashion, then they are indeed incompatible with trust. With the help of game theory, Martin Hollis argues against that narrow definition and in favour of a richer, deeper notion of reason founded on reciprocity and the pursuit of the common good. Within that framework he reconstructs the Enlightenment idea of citizens of the world, rationally encountering, and at the same time finding their identity in, their multiple commitments to communities both local and universal

The philosophy of social science : an introduction by Martin Hollis( )

68 editions published between 1994 and 2016 in English and German and held by 1,793 WorldCat member libraries worldwide

This textbook by Martin Hollis offers an exceptionally clear and concise introduction to the philosophy of social science. It examines questions which give rise to fundamental philosophical issues. Are social structures better conceived of as systems of laws and forces, or as webs of meanings and practices? Is social action better viewed as rational behaviour, or as self-expression? By exploring such questions, the reader is led to reflect upon the nature of scientific method in social science. Is the aim to explain the social world after a manner worked out for the natural world, or to understand the social world from within? This new interdisciplinary textbook by Martin Hollis offers an exceptionally clear and concise introduction to the philosophy of social science. It unearths central philosophical problems underlying the standard ways of thinking about social institutions and social actions, leading the reader to reflect upon the nature of scientific method itself. Is the aim to explain the social world after the manner of the natural world, or to understand it from within? Writing in his characteristically clear and incisive prose, Martin Hollis reveals the crucial role to be played by philosophy in the study of the social sciences

Rationality and relativism by Martin Hollis( Book )

59 editions published between 1982 and 1997 in English and held by 967 WorldCat member libraries worldwide

Models of man : philosophical thoughts on social action by Martin Hollis( Book )

42 editions published between 1977 and 2015 in 3 languages and held by 883 WorldCat member libraries worldwide

All social theorists and philosophers who seek to explain human action have a 'model of man', a metaphysical view of human nature. Some make man a plastic creature of nature and nurture, some present him as the autonomous creator of his social world, some offer a compromise. Each view needs its own theory of scientific knowledge calling for philosophic appraisal and the compromise sets harder puzzles than either. Passive accounts of man, for example, have a robust notion of causal explanation but cannot either find or dispense with a self to apply them to. Active accounts rightly stress an autonomous self, but lack a proper concept of explanation. Martin Hollis takes these tensions and contrasts from the thought of sociologists, economists, and psychologists. He then develops a model of his own - one which seeks to connect personal and social identity through an ambitious theory of rational action and a priori knowledge, proposing a sense in which men can act freely and still be a subject for scientific explanation

Invitation to philosophy by Martin Hollis( Book )

41 editions published between 1985 and 2009 in 5 languages and held by 879 WorldCat member libraries worldwide

In this revised and updated edition of a classic introductory text, Martin Hollis leads his readers through the age-old philosophical questions of free choice and human nature, appearance and reality, reason and experience, and to newer ones or rationality and morality, other minds and inner selves, and the relation between the natural and human worlds. Using theories and examples ranging from Plato, Descartes, Hume and Kant to T.S. Eliot and Sherlock Holmes, the author paints a delightfully vivid picture of the discipline that is a perfect start for students beginning courses in philosophy or for anyone meeting the subject for the first time

Rational economic man : a philosophical critique of neo-classical economics by Martin Hollis( Book )

36 editions published between 1965 and 2006 in English and Undetermined and held by 753 WorldCat member libraries worldwide

Features the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) Clearinghouse on Languages and Linguistics (ERIC/CLL), which is operated by the Center for Applied Linguistics. ERIC/CLL provides services and materials for language educators. Posts contact information for the Washington, D.C. headquarters via mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail. Includes a list of publications available from ERIC/CLL

The cunning of reason by Martin Hollis( Book )

26 editions published between 1987 and 2011 in English and Japanese and held by 691 WorldCat member libraries worldwide

This book is a philosophers' attempt to bring together ideas put forward by economists, sociologists and political theorists. The author begins by exploring the economist's assumption that action is rational if it helps to achieve the agent's goals as efficiently as possible. The assumption is explored with the aid of rational-choice theory and game-theory, but it is rejected in the end for failing to account for the elements of trust and morality which rational social life requires. A discussion of 'Rational Expectations' and of 'maximising' and 'satisficing' leads to a portrait of social actors as rational role-players. Rationality is, finally, the expression of the self in a social world. The book intervenes in intense current debates within and among several disciplines. Its concern is with the true nature of social actors and the proper character of social science. Its arguments are the more challenging for being presented in a simple, incisive and lucid prose. It will be of particular interest to philosophers, social theorists and social scientists interested in the philosophical aspects of their discipline

Explaining and understanding international relations by Martin Hollis( Book )

32 editions published between 1990 and 2009 in English and held by 668 WorldCat member libraries worldwide

A collaboration between a philosopher and an international relations scholar, this work examines the philosophical issues that underlie the theory of international relations. Part I focuses on the dominant theories of Idealism, Realism, and behavioralism, and Part II examines the international system, the state, bureaucracies, and the individual--four factors commonly assumed to account for international behavior. The authors conclude with a summary of the links between the two forms of analysis and an open-ended assessment of their relative merits which will stimulate further discussion.--Publisher description

Philosophy and economic theory by Frank Hahn( Book )

15 editions published in 1979 in English and held by 557 WorldCat member libraries worldwide

Reason in action : essays in the philosophy of social science by Martin Hollis( Book )

13 editions published between 1995 and 1999 in English and Undetermined and held by 375 WorldCat member libraries worldwide

Did Adam and Eve act rationally in eating the fruit of the forbidden tree? That can seem to depend solely on whether they had found the best means to their ends, in the spirit of the 'economic' theories of rationality. Martin Hollis respects the elegance and power of these theories but judges their paradoxes endemic. He argues that social action cannot be understood by viewing human beings as abstract individuals with preferences in search of satisfaction, nor by divorcing practical reason from questions of the rationality of norms, principles, practices and ends. These essays, focused on the themes of 'rational choice', 'roles and reason' and 'other cultures, other minds', make the point and explore alternative approaches. Culled in revised form from twenty-five years' work, they range across periods and disciplines with a philosophical imagination and vivid prose, which will engage philosophers and social scientists alike