Rationality & Society is a peer-reviewed journal which focuses on the growing contributions of rational-action based theory, and the questions and controversies surrounding this growth.

Why Choose Rationality and Society?

The trend toward ever-greater specialization in many areas of intellectual life has lead to fragmentation that deprives scholars of the ability to communicate even in closely adjoining fields. The emergence of the rational action paradigm as the inter-lingua of the social sciences is a remarkable exception to this trend. It is the one paradigm that offers the promise of bringing greater theoretical unity across disciplines such as economics, sociology, political science, cognitive psychology, moral philosophy and law. The paradigm is also important for efforts to solve pressing social problems, because it provides the theoretic basis for most public policy analysis.

Rationality and Society provides an interdisciplinary forum in which theoretic developments, empirical research, and policy analyses that are relevant to the rational action paradigm can be shared.

Contributions and Controversy

Work based on the theory of rational choice is one of the most dynamic in the social sciences, and developments in rational choice have generated extensive controversy. This theoretical movement is growing rapidly in its applications for:

• collective action
• emergence of norms
• prejudice and discrimination
• gender studies
• law and society
• the family
• emotions

Social Research and Theory

Rationality and Society is an international journal focusing on the latest social research and theory using rational choice as its foundation. The journal publishes scholarly articles that further this research and theory, but its pages are also open to work that challenges this theoretical direction.

Rationality and Society contains pure theory, as well as qualitative and quantitative research, and policy analysis.

Discussion and Debate

Rationality and Society actively solicits comments and criticism on papers published in its own pages. The Forum is a section which promotes open and critical debate. This often spirited scholarly discourse contributes to the intellectual vitality and further development of rational choice-based theory and research.

Electronic access:

Rationality and Society is available to browse online.

This journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COP