POLI 244 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Rational Agent, World Politics, Rationality
8 May 2017
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Rational actor considers all possible strategies and various courses of action, looking at the expected outcome of each. Rank/order outcomes according to pre-given interests and preferences. Information is a key factor for expecting certain outcomes from different courses of action. Made in the scope of interacting with other rational actors. One choice influences the particular choices of others. If i decide to go to the movies with a friend he/she needs to act as well. Outcomes are the product of actions from two people. Cooperation must result in common gain, at least for one actor who fares better off than the squo without necessarily harming the other. It leads to mutual gain so both parties want to make it work. Creation of more wealth/utility for all through coordinated actions, making the pie bigger. If only one outcome is actually preferred by both parties, but it involved going to the movies alone.
