RationalityandCoordination(CambridgeStudiesinProbability,InductionandDecisionTheory)

Thisbookexploreshowindividualactionscoordinatetoproduceunintendedsocialconsequences.Inthepastthisphenomenonhasbeenexplainedastheoutcomeofrational,self-interestedindividualbehaviour.ProfessorBicchierishowsthatthisisinnowayasatisfyingexplanation.Shediscusseshowmuchknowledgeisneededbyagentsinordertocoordinatesuccessfully.Iftheanswerisunboundedknowledge,thenawholevarietyofparadoxesarise.Iftheanswerisverylittleknowledge,thenthereseemshardlyanypossibilityofattainingcoordination.Thesolutiontocoordinationandcooperationisforagentstolearnabouteachother.Theauthorconcludesthatrationalitymustbesupplementedbymodelsoflearningandbyanevolutionaryaccountofhowsocialorder(i.e.spontaneouscoordinatedbehaviour)canpersist.