Homo Oeconomicus 30 2

The economic model of behaviour is fundamental not only in economic theory, but also in modern approaches of other social sciences, above all in political science and law. This book provides a comprehensive treatise of the general model, its philosophical and methodological foundations and its applications in different fields. In addition to the basic model, extensions to its assumptions are examined to account for complex applications like low-cost situations with moral behaviour.

Essay from the year 2015 in the subject Philosophy - Practical (Ethics, Aesthetics, Culture, Nature, Right, ...), grade: 2,3, University of Kassel, language: English, abstract: The findings of research in experimental behavioural economics over the past two decades have been impressively convincing. Until recently, economists assumed that individual behaviour is controlled by rationality. The consumer was perceived as a rational person who strives to maximize his utility. This is the concept of homo economicus, a prototype of an economic person and starting point for model formulation. However, this theory often overlooks the fact that homo economicus is not a person of flesh and blood, but a conceptual notion. Experimental evidence shows that the behaviour forecast by the standard model often does not correspond to reality. Factors like fairness, trust and moral values also play a role in the decision-making of the real economic actor. The knowledge gleaned from the observation of different negotiation plays provides the possibility for the derivation and representation of individual behaviour patterns. But the studies' findings reveal that feelings of fairness, generosity and trust play a crucial role for the results. The object of this work is to find an answer to the question if homo economicus is still alive or not. Therefore I will consider different experiments of the dictator game from the literature. Experimental games offer good possibilities for the representation and derivation of individual behaviour patterns. Chapter 2 presents the concept of homo economicus and describes his properties. Chapter 3 deals with experimental games, with the major focus being on the dictator game. Individual studies will be presented. The last chapter concludes.

Homo Oeconomicus, Volume 31, Number 3 (2014)Multicriteria for MultidecidersLORENZO CIONIUsing Civil Servants for Rent Seeking: An Application of the Pay-and- Use ValueMARTIN KOHL AND HARALD WIESEA New CS Value for Team Games TOBIAS HILLERThe Contact Hypothesis and Its Application to Elections: Does it Pay for Political Parties to Contact Voters Directly or Not?ACHILLEFS PAPAGEORGIOUClashing Sensibilities in Politics and Literature: The Cases of Rex Warner and Czesław MiłoszLEONIDAS DONSKISWhy do Some, and Only Some, Artists Want a Droit de Suite? BJÖRN FRANKAttendance at/Participation in the Arts by Educational Level: Evidence and IssuesJOHN W. O’HAGANReview: Beyond and Behind Homo Economicus in Alternative Views of Public EconomicsFRANCESCO FORTEBack Issues Instructions for Contributors

The West has long defined the pursuit of happiness in economic terms but now, in the wake of the 2007-8 financial crisis, it is time to think again about what constitutes our happiness. In this wide-ranging new book, the leading economist Daniel Cohen traces our current malaise back to the rise of homo economicus: for the last 200 years, the modern world has defined happiness in terms of material gain. Homo economicus has cast aside its rivals, homo ethicus and homo empathicus, and spread its neo-Darwinian logic far and wide. Yet, instead of bringing happiness, homo economicus traps human beings in a world devoid of any ideals. We are left feeling empty and dissatisfied. Today more and more people are beginning to recognize that competition and material gain are not the only things that matter in life. The central paradox of our era is that we look to the economy to give direction to our world at the very time when social needs are migrating toward sectors that are hard to place within the scope of market logic. Health, education, scientific research, and the world of the Internet form the heart of our post-industrial societies, but none of these belong to the traditional economic mould. While human creativity is higher than ever, homo economicus imposes himself like a sad prophet, a killjoy of the new age. Drawing on a rich array of examples, Cohen explores the new digital and genetic revolutions and examines the limitations of homo economicus in our rapidly transforming world. As human beings have an extraordinary ability to adapt, he argues that we need to rebalance the relation between competition and cooperation in favour of the latter. This thought-provoking analysis of our contemporary predicament will be of great value to anyone interested in the relationship between what happens in our economies and our personal happiness.