Description
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—over a century before its mathematical development during the Cold War. Jane Austen, Game Theorist shows how this beloved writer theorized choice and preferences, prized strategic thinking, and analyzed why superiors are often strategically clueless about inferiors. Exploring a diverse range of literature and folktales, this book illustrates the wide relevance of game theory and how, fundamentally, we are all strategic thinkers.
Chapter
Game Theory and Literature
Game Theory and Literature
CHAPTER THREE: Folktales and Civil Rights
CHAPTER THREE: Folktales and Civil Rights
CHAPTER FOUR: Flossie and the Fox
CHAPTER FOUR: Flossie and the Fox
CHAPTER FIVE: Jane Austen’s Six Novels
CHAPTER FIVE: Jane Austen’s Six Novels
CHAPTER SIX: Austen’s Foundations of Game Theory
CHAPTER SIX: Austen’s Foundations of Game Theory
Names for Strategic Thinking
Names for Strategic Thinking
CHAPTER SEVEN: Austen’s Competing Models
CHAPTER SEVEN: Austen’s Competing Models
CHAPTER EIGHT: Austen on What Strategic Thinking Is Not
CHAPTER EIGHT: Austen on What Strategic Thinking Is Not
Strategic Thinking Is Not Selfish
Strategic Thinking Is Not Selfish
Strategic Thinking Is Not Moralistic
Strategic Thinking Is Not Moralistic
Strategic Thinking Is Not Economistic
Strategic Thinking Is Not Economistic
Strategic Thinking Is Not About Winning Inconsequential Games
Strategic Thinking Is Not About Winning Inconsequential Games
CHAPTER NINE: Austen’s Innovations
CHAPTER NINE: Austen’s Innovations
Partners in Strategic Manipulation
Partners in Strategic Manipulation
Strategizing About Yourself
Strategizing About Yourself
CHAPTER TEN: Austen on Strategic Thinking’s Disadvantages
CHAPTER TEN: Austen on Strategic Thinking’s Disadvantages
CHAPTER ELEVEN: Austen’s Intentions
CHAPTER ELEVEN: Austen’s Intentions
CHAPTER TWELVE: Austen on Cluelessness
CHAPTER TWELVE: Austen on Cluelessness
High-Status People Are Not Supposed to Enter the Minds of Low-Status People
High-Status People Are Not Supposed to Enter the Minds of Low-Status People
Presumption Sometimes Works
Presumption Sometimes Works
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Real-World Cluelessness
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Real-World Cluelessness
Difficulty Embodying Low-Status Others
Difficulty Embodying Low-Status Others
Investing in Social Status
Investing in Social Status
Improving Your Bargaining Position
Improving Your Bargaining Position
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Concluding Remarks
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Concluding Remarks
Afterword to the Paperback Edition
Afterword to the Paperback Edition