Jane Austen, Game Theorist
Home > Biographies & Memoire > Literature: history and criticism > Literary studies: fiction, novelists and prose writers > Jane Austen, Game Theorist
Jane Austen, Game Theorist

Jane Austen, Game Theorist


     0     
5
4
3
2
1



Available


X
About the Book

Game theory--the study of how people make choices while interacting with others--is one of the most popular technical approaches in social science today. But as Michael Chwe reveals in his insightful new book, Jane Austen explored game theory's core ideas in her six novels roughly two hundred years ago. Jane Austen, Game Theorist shows how this beloved writer theorized choice and preferences, prized strategic thinking, argued that jointly strategizing with a partner is the surest foundation for intimacy, and analyzed why superiors are often strategically clueless about inferiors. With a diverse range of literature and folktales, this book illustrates the wide relevance of game theory and how, fundamentally, we are all strategic thinkers. Although game theory's mathematical development began in the Cold War 1950s, Chwe finds that game theory has earlier subversive historical roots in Austen's novels and in "folk game theory" traditions, including African American folktales. Chwe makes the case that these literary forebears are game theory's true scientific predecessors. He considers how Austen in particular analyzed "cluelessness"--the conspicuous absence of strategic thinking--and how her sharp observations apply to a variety of situations, including U.S. military blunders in Iraq and Vietnam. Jane Austen, Game Theorist brings together the study of literature and social science in an original and surprising way.

Table of Contents:
Preface xi Abbreviations xiii CHAPTER ONE The Argument 1 CHAPTER TWO Game Theory in Context 9 * Rational Choice Theory 9 * Game Theory 12 * Strategic Thinking 15 * How Game Theory Is Useful 19 * Criticisms 25 * Game Theory and Literature 30 CHAPTER THREE Folktales and Civil Rights 35 CHAPTER FOUR Flossie and the Fox 43 CHAPTER FIVE Jane Austen's Six Novels 49 *Pride and Prejudice 50 *Sense and Sensibility 54 *Persuasion 60 *Northanger Abbey 67 *Mansfield Park 75 *Emma 86 CHAPTER SIX Austen's Foundations of Game Theory 97 * Choice 97 * Preferences 102 * Revealed Preferences 105 * Names for Strategic Thinking 107 * Strategic Sophomores 111 * Eyes 113 CHAPTER SEVEN Austen's Competing Models 115 * Emotions 115 * Instincts 119 * Habits 121 * Rules 124 * Social Factors 127 * Ideology 128 * Intoxication 130 * Constraints 130 CHAPTER EIGHT Austen on What Strategic Thinking Is Not 133 * Strategic Thinking Is Not Selfish 133 * Strategic Thinking Is Not Moralistic 134 * Strategic Thinking Is Not Economistic 135 * Strategic Thinking Is Not About Winning Inconsequential Games 137 CHAPTER NINE Austen's Innovations 141 * Partners in Strategic Manipulation 141 * Strategizing About Yourself 153 * Preference Change 158 * Constancy 167 CHAPTER TEN Austen on Strategic Thinking's Disadvantages 171 CHAPTER ELEVEN Austen's Intentions 179 CHAPTER TWELVE Austen on Cluelessness 188 * Lack of Natural Ability 188 * Social Distance 198 * Excessive Self-Reference 200 * High-Status People Are Not Supposed to Enter the Minds of Low-Status People 202 * Presumption Sometimes Works 205 * Decisive Blunders 205 CHAPTER THIRTEEN Real-World Cluelessness 211 * Cluelessness Is Easier 211 * Difficulty Embodying Low-Status Others 213 * Investing in Social Status 217 * Improving Your Bargaining Position 219 * Empathy Prevention 224 * Calling People Animals 225 CHAPTER FOURTEEN Concluding Remarks 228 References 235 Index 251

About the Author :
Michael Suk-Young Chwe is associate professor of political science at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the author of Rational Ritual: Culture, Coordination, and Common Knowledge (Princeton).

Review :
"Jane Austen, Game Theorist ... is more than the larky scholarly equivalent of 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.'... Mr. Chwe argues that Austen isn't merely fodder for game-theoretical analysis, but an unacknowledged founder of the discipline itself: a kind of Empire-waisted version of the mathematician and cold war thinker John von Neumann, ruthlessly breaking down the stratagems of 18th-century social warfare."--Jennifer Schuessler, New York Times "[A] convincing case for how mathematical models and fictional narratives can work towards reciprocal illustration."--Jonathan Sachs, Times Literary Supplement "This is such a fabulous book--carefully written, thoughtful and insightful ..."--Guardian.co.uk's Grrl Scientist blog "[B]lends two very different subjects--game theory and literature--delightfully."--Siddarth Singh, Mint "Well researched and with an excellent index, the book will appeal to Austen fans who can see her characters in another light ..."--Choice "When an intelligent, knowledgeable reader with a new distinctive viewpoint engages intensely with a great work of literature, the results are usually worthy of attention. There is much that is valuable in Chwe's book."--Ernest Davis, SIAM News


Best Sellers


Product Details
  • ISBN-13: 9780691155760
  • Publisher: Princeton University Press
  • Publisher Imprint: Princeton University Press
  • Height: 235 mm
  • No of Pages: 288
  • Weight: 539 gr
  • ISBN-10: 0691155763
  • Publisher Date: 21 Apr 2013
  • Binding: Hardback
  • Language: English
  • Returnable: Y
  • Width: 152 mm


Similar Products

Add Photo
Add Photo

Customer Reviews

REVIEWS      0     
Click Here To Be The First to Review this Product
Jane Austen, Game Theorist
Princeton University Press -
Jane Austen, Game Theorist
Writing guidlines
We want to publish your review, so please:
  • keep your review on the product. Review's that defame author's character will be rejected.
  • Keep your review focused on the product.
  • Avoid writing about customer service. contact us instead if you have issue requiring immediate attention.
  • Refrain from mentioning competitors or the specific price you paid for the product.
  • Do not include any personally identifiable information, such as full names.

Jane Austen, Game Theorist

Required fields are marked with *

Review Title*
Review
    Add Photo Add up to 6 photos
    Would you recommend this product to a friend?
    Tag this Book Read more
    Does your review contain spoilers?
    What type of reader best describes you?
    I agree to the terms & conditions
    You may receive emails regarding this submission. Any emails will include the ability to opt-out of future communications.

    CUSTOMER RATINGS AND REVIEWS AND QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS TERMS OF USE

    These Terms of Use govern your conduct associated with the Customer Ratings and Reviews and/or Questions and Answers service offered by Bookswagon (the "CRR Service").


    By submitting any content to Bookswagon, you guarantee that:
    • You are the sole author and owner of the intellectual property rights in the content;
    • All "moral rights" that you may have in such content have been voluntarily waived by you;
    • All content that you post is accurate;
    • You are at least 13 years old;
    • Use of the content you supply does not violate these Terms of Use and will not cause injury to any person or entity.
    You further agree that you may not submit any content:
    • That is known by you to be false, inaccurate or misleading;
    • That infringes any third party's copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret or other proprietary rights or rights of publicity or privacy;
    • That violates any law, statute, ordinance or regulation (including, but not limited to, those governing, consumer protection, unfair competition, anti-discrimination or false advertising);
    • That is, or may reasonably be considered to be, defamatory, libelous, hateful, racially or religiously biased or offensive, unlawfully threatening or unlawfully harassing to any individual, partnership or corporation;
    • For which you were compensated or granted any consideration by any unapproved third party;
    • That includes any information that references other websites, addresses, email addresses, contact information or phone numbers;
    • That contains any computer viruses, worms or other potentially damaging computer programs or files.
    You agree to indemnify and hold Bookswagon (and its officers, directors, agents, subsidiaries, joint ventures, employees and third-party service providers, including but not limited to Bazaarvoice, Inc.), harmless from all claims, demands, and damages (actual and consequential) of every kind and nature, known and unknown including reasonable attorneys' fees, arising out of a breach of your representations and warranties set forth above, or your violation of any law or the rights of a third party.


    For any content that you submit, you grant Bookswagon a perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, transferable right and license to use, copy, modify, delete in its entirety, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from and/or sell, transfer, and/or distribute such content and/or incorporate such content into any form, medium or technology throughout the world without compensation to you. Additionally,  Bookswagon may transfer or share any personal information that you submit with its third-party service providers, including but not limited to Bazaarvoice, Inc. in accordance with  Privacy Policy


    All content that you submit may be used at Bookswagon's sole discretion. Bookswagon reserves the right to change, condense, withhold publication, remove or delete any content on Bookswagon's website that Bookswagon deems, in its sole discretion, to violate the content guidelines or any other provision of these Terms of Use.  Bookswagon does not guarantee that you will have any recourse through Bookswagon to edit or delete any content you have submitted. Ratings and written comments are generally posted within two to four business days. However, Bookswagon reserves the right to remove or to refuse to post any submission to the extent authorized by law. You acknowledge that you, not Bookswagon, are responsible for the contents of your submission. None of the content that you submit shall be subject to any obligation of confidence on the part of Bookswagon, its agents, subsidiaries, affiliates, partners or third party service providers (including but not limited to Bazaarvoice, Inc.)and their respective directors, officers and employees.

    Accept

    New Arrivals


    Inspired by your browsing history


    Your review has been submitted!

    You've already reviewed this product!