View source for Jon Elster

{{short description|Norwegian social and political theorist|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{Infobox academic
| name = Jon Elster
| image = Jon Elster 12.2.10 (6100470902).jpg
| caption = Jon Elster in 2010
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1940|02|22}}
| birth_place = [[Oslo, Norway]]
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| parents = [[Torolf Elster]]<br>[[Magli Elster]]
| awards = [[Jean Nicod Prize]] (1997)<br>[[John von Neumann Award]] (2002)<br>[[Johan Skytte Prize in Political Science]] (2016)
| education = [[École Normale Superieure]] ([[Doctor of Philosophy|PhD]])
| discipline = {{Plain list|
* [[Philosophy]]
* [[Political science]]
* [[Social sciences]]}}
| sub_discipline = {{Plain list|
* [[Political theory]]
* [[Rational choice theory]]
* [[Philosophy of social science]]}}
| school_tradition = {{Plain list|
* [[Analytic philosophy]]
* [[Analytical Marxism]]
* [[September Group]]}}
| workplaces = {{Plain list|
* [[University of Paris I]]
* [[University of Oslo]]
* [[University of Chicago]]
* [[Collège de France]]
* [[Columbia University]]}}
}}
'''Jon Elster''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɛ|l|s|t|ər}}; born 22 February 1940) is a [[Norway|Norwegian]] [[philosopher]] and [[political theorist]] who holds the [[Robert K. Merton]] [[Professor|professorship]] of Social Science at [[Columbia University]] and since 2005 professor of social science at the [[Collège de France]].

He received his [[Doctor of Philosophy|PhD]] in [[social science]] from the [[École normale supérieure (Paris)|École Normale Superieure]] in 1972. He has previously taught at the [[Paris Sciences et Lettres University|University of Paris]], the [[University of Oslo]], and the [[University of Chicago]], where he became professor of political science in 1984.<ref>{{Citation|last=Svendsen|first=Trond Olav|title=Jon Elster|date=2020-02-26|url=http://snl.no/Jon_Elster|work=Store norske leksikon|language=nb|access-date=2022-02-03}}</ref> Since 1995, he has held the [[Robert K. Merton]] [[Professor|professorship]] of Social Science at [[Columbia University]], as well as being professor of social science at the [[Collège de France]] since 2005.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Jon Elster {{!}} Political Science|url=https://polisci.columbia.edu/content/jon-elster|access-date=2022-02-03|website=polisci.columbia.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last=Svendsen|first=Trond Olav|title=Jon Elster|date=2020-02-26|url=http://snl.no/Jon_Elster|work=Store norske leksikon|language=nb|access-date=2022-02-03}}</ref> 

Elster has authored works in the [[philosophy of social science]] and [[rational choice theory]]. He is also a notable proponent of [[analytical Marxism]], and a critic of [[neoclassical economics]] and [[public choice theory]], largely on behavioral and psychological grounds. In 2016, he was awarded the 22nd [[Johan Skytte Prize in Political Science]] for his contributions to [[political science]].<ref>{{Citation|last=Engelstad|first=Fredrik|title=Jon Elster|date=2020-02-25|url=http://nbl.snl.no/Jon_Elster|work=Norsk biografisk leksikon|language=nb|access-date=2022-02-03}}</ref>

==Biography==
Elster is the son of journalist/author and CEO of the [[Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation]] [[Torolf Elster]], and poet [[Magli Elster]]. He earned his PhD in 1972 from the [[École normale supérieure (Paris)|École Normale Superieure]] in Paris with a dissertation on [[Karl Marx]] under the direction of [[Raymond Aron]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Yeghiayan|first=Eddie|title=JON ELSTER A Selected Bibliography|url=http://sun3.lib.uci.edu/~scctr/philosophy/elster.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20000816051346/http://sun3.lib.uci.edu/~scctr/philosophy/elster.html|archive-date=2000-08-16|access-date=2008-04-18|publisher=UCI Department of Philosophy}}</ref> Elster was a member of the [[September Group]] for many years but left in the early 1990s. Elster previously taught at the [[University of Oslo]] in the department of history and held an endowed chair at the [[University of Chicago]], teaching in the departments of philosophy and political science. He is now Robert K. Merton Professor of Social Sciences with appointments in Political Science and Philosophy at [[Columbia University]] and ''professeur honoraire'' at the [[Collège de France]]. He was awarded the [[Jean Nicod Prize]] in 1997, the [[John von Neumann Award]] in 2002, and the Skytte Prize in Political Science in 2016.

He is a member of the [[Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dnva.no/c26848/artikkel/vis.html?tid=27639|title=Gruppe 3: Idéfag|publisher=[[Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters]]|language=no|access-date=28 October 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927170302/http://www.dnva.no/c26848/artikkel/vis.html?tid=27639|archive-date=27 September 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> He is also a member of the [[American Academy of Arts and Sciences]], of the [[American Philosophical Society]], of the [[Academia Europaea]], and a Corresponding [[Fellow of the British Academy]].

Elster is doctor honoris causa at the universities of [[University of Valencia|Valencia]], [[Stockholm University|Stockholm]], [[University of Oslo|Oslo]], [[Norwegian University of Science and Technology|Trondheim (NTNU)]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ntnu.edu/phd/honorary-doctors|title=Honorary Doctors|website=www.ntnu.edu|language=en|access-date=2018-12-06}}</ref> [[Université Catholique de Louvain|Louvain-la-Neuve]], [[Torcuato di Tella University|Torcuato di Tella]], and the [[National University of Colombia]]. He is honorary professor at the [[University of Chongqing]].

==Philosophical work==
{{BLP sources section|date=July 2018}}
Much of Elster's writing is characterized by attempts to use analytical theories, especially [[rational choice theory]], as a springboard for philosophical and ethical analysis, with numerous examples from literature and history. "Elster has made important contributions to several fields," Daniel Little wrote in a review essay. "The breadth and depth of his writings are striking in a time of high specialisation; he is read and discussed by political scientists, legal scholars, economists and philosophers. His work is difficult to summarise in a slogan, but ... it is generally informed by a broad and deep acquaintance with relevant literature in economics, political science, history, philosophy, and psychology."<ref>Chapter on Jon Elster by Daniel Little in ''New Horizons in Economic Thought: Appraisals of Leading Economists'', edited by Warren Samuels (Edward Elgar Publishing, 1992) {{ISBN|1-85278-379-6}}. Also available as download [http://www-personal.umd.umich.edu/~delittle/ELSTER3.PDF]</ref>

A student of the philosophy of social science (a topic he investigated through case studies in ''Explaining Technical Change''), Elster strongly argued that social scientific explanations had to be built on top of [[methodological individualism]] (the belief that only individuals, not larger entities like "organizations" or "societies", can actually do things) and microfoundations (explaining big societal changes in terms of individual actions). He criticized Marxists and other social scientists for believing in [[Structural functionalism|functionalism]] (the belief that institutions exist because of their effect on society) and instead tried to give Marxism a foundation in [[game theory]] (the economic notion that people make choices based on the expected benefits and the choices others are likely to make).

Elster wrote numerous books attempting to use rational choice theory for a wide variety of social explanations. "Rational choice theory is far more than a technical tool for explaining behaviour," he once wrote. "It is also, and very importantly, a way of coming to grips with ourselves - not only what we should do, but even what we should be."<ref>{{cite journal |first=Jon |last=Elster |title=Some unresolved problems in the theory of rational behaviour |journal=[[Acta Sociologica]] |year=1993 |volume=36 |issue=3 |pages=179–189 [p. 179] |doi=10.1177/000169939303600303 |s2cid=143583002 }}</ref> He attempted to apply it to topics as varied as politics (''Political Psychology''), bias and constrained preferences ([[The Fox and the Grapes|''Sour Grapes'']]), emotions (''Alchemies of the Mind''), self-restraint ([[Precommitment|''Ulysses and the Sirens'']], which was selected for the [[Norwegian Sociology Canon]]), Marxism (''[[Making Sense of Marx]]''), and more.

In doing so, he elucidated many issues with simplistic notions of rational choice: endogenous preference formation (certain actions today can change preferences tomorrow, so how does one decide which preferences one prefers?), framing (people express different preferences when the same question is asked different ways), imperfect rationality (weakness of the will, emotion, impulsiveness, habit, self-deception) and our adjustments for it, and [[time preference]]s, among others.

As time went on Elster began to sour on rational choice. A 1991 review in the ''[[London Review of Books]]'' noted "Elster has lost his bearings, or at least his faith. [His latest books], he says, 'reflects an increasing disillusion with the power of reason'."<ref>[[Martin Hollis (philosopher)|Hollis, Martin]], [https://web.archive.org/web/20040516182619/http://www.geocities.com/hmelberg/elster/hollis91.htm Why Elster is stuck and needs to recover his faith], ''London Review of Books'', 13 January 1991</ref> His magisterial 500-page book ''Explaining Social Behavior'' includes something of a recantation:

{{Quote|I now believe that rational-choice theory has less explanatory power than I used to think. Do real people act on the calculations that make up many pages of mathematical appendixes in leading journals? I do not think so. ... ''There is no general nonintentional mechanism that can simulate or mimic rationality.'' ... At the same time, the empirical support ... tends to be quite weak. This is of course a sweeping statement. ... let me simply point out the high level of disagreement among competent scholars ... fundamental, persistent disagreements among 'schools.' We ''never'' observe the kind of many-decimal-points precision that would put controversy to rest.<ref>''Explaining Social Behaviour'', pp. 5, 25ff</ref>}}

The book discusses both rational behavior, but also irrational behavior, which Elster says is "widespread and frequent [but] not inevitable ... we ''want'' to be rational".<ref>''Explaining Social Behaviour'', p. 232</ref> A more recent book, ''Le désintéressement'' (part of a two-volume ''Traité critique de l’homme économique''), explores the ramifications of these insights for the possibility of disinterested action.<ref>Review of ''Le désintéressement'', by [[Gloria Origgi]], [http://berlinbooks.org/brb/2010/01/origgi-desinteressement/ The Possibility of Disinterested Action] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100304002345/http://berlinbooks.org/brb/2010/01/origgi-desinteressement/ |date=2010-03-04 }}, The Berlin Review of Books, 8 January 2010.</ref>

== Selected writings ==
* ''Leibniz et la formation de l'esprit capitaliste'' (Paris, 1975) {{ISBN|2-7007-0018-X}}
* ''Leibniz and the development of economic rationality'' (Oslo, 1975)
* ''Logic and Society'' (New York, 1978)
* ''Ulysses and the Sirens'' (Cambridge, 1979)
* ''Sour grapes. Studies in the subversion of rationality'' (Cambridge University Press, 1983) 
* ''Explaining Technical Change : a Case Study in the Philosophy of Science'' (Oslo, 1983)
* {{cite book | isbn=978-0521297059 | author=Jon Elster | author-mask=0 | title=[[Making Sense of Marx]] | location=Cambridge | publisher=Cambridge University Press | series=Studies in Marxism and Social Theory | year=1985 }} 
* ''[[An Introduction to Karl Marx]]'' (Cambridge, 1986)
* ''The Cement of Society: A study of social order'' (Cambridge, 1989)
* ''Solomonic Judgments: Studies in the limitation of rationality'' (Cambridge, 1989)
* ''Nuts and Bolts for the Social Sciences'' (Cambridge, 1989)
* ''Local Justice: How institutions allocate scarce goods and necessary burdens'' (New York, 1992)
* ''Political Psychology'' (Cambridge, 1993)
* ''The Ethics of Medical Choice'' (with Nicolas Herpin; London, 1994)
* ''Strong Feelings: Emotion, Addiction, and Human Behavior'' (Cambridge, 1999)
* ''Alchemies of the Mind: Rationality and the Emotions'' (Cambridge, 1999)
* ''Ulysses Unbound: Studies in Rationality, Precommitment, and Constraints'' (Cambridge, 2000)
* ''Closing the Books: Transitional Justice in Historical Perspective'' (Cambridge, 2004)
* ''Explaining Social Behavior: More Nuts and Bolts for the Social Sciences'' (Cambridge, 2007; revised ed. 2015)
* ''Reason and Rationality'' (Princeton, 2009)
* ''Alexis de Tocqueville: The First Social Scientist'' (Cambridge, 2009)
*''Le désintéressemen''t (Paris, 2009)
*''L'irrationalité'' (Paris,  2010)
*''Securities against Misrule. Juries, Assemblies, Elections'' (Cambridge, 2013) {{ISBN|9781107649958}}
*''Constituent Assemblies'' (edited with Roberto Gargarella, Vatsal Naresh and [[Bjørn Erik Rasch]]; Cambridge, 2019)
*''France before 1789: The Unraveling of an Absolutist Regime'' (Princeton, 2020)<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Parent |first=Antoine |date=2024 |title=France after 1789: Essay on Elster's France before 1789 |url=https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/jel.20221651 |journal=Journal of Economic Literature |language=en |volume=62 |issue=3 |pages=1230–1255 |doi=10.1257/jel.20221651 |issn=0022-0515|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
*''America before 1787: The Unraveling of a Colonial Regime'' (Princeton, 2023)

== See also ==
* [[G. A. Cohen]]
* [[John Roemer]]
* [[Jean Nicod Prize|List of Jean Nicod Prize laureates]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080405234307/http://www.geocities.com/hmelberg/elster/elster.htm Elster page] at Columbia University Department of Philosophy
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20061116020557/http://www.college-de-france.fr/default/EN/all/rat_soc/index.htm Elster page] at the [[Collège de France]]
*{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080405234307/http://www.geocities.com/hmelberg/elster/elster.htm |date=April 5, 2008 |title=Jon Elster page maintained by Hans O. Melberg }}
*[http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~rxv/books/elster.htm Selected quotes by Jon Elster]
*[http://www.laviedesidees.fr/When-the-lottery-is-fairer-than.html When the lottery is fairer than rational choice. Interview with Jon Elster] (text&video), laviedesidees.fr, 26/11/2008

{{September group}}
{{John von Neumann Award recipients}}{{Recipients of the Johan Skytte Prize in Political Science}}{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Elster, Jon}}
[[Category:1940 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Academic staff of the Collège de France]]
[[Category:21st-century Norwegian philosophers]]
[[Category:Norwegian political philosophers]]
[[Category:Norwegian political scientists]]
[[Category:Columbia University faculty]]
[[Category:Jean Nicod Prize laureates]]
[[Category:Members of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters]]
[[Category:Philosophers of social science]]
[[Category:Corresponding fellows of the British Academy]]
[[Category:Norwegian expatriates in France]]
[[Category:Norwegian expatriates in the United States]]
[[Category:University of Chicago faculty]]
[[Category:Members of the American Philosophical Society]]