SELF-INTEREST, RATIONALITY, SOCIAL NORMS AND COLEMAN,JAMES

The modern neoclassical economic concept of rationality has got increasing influence in sociological theory during the latest decade or two, James Coleman's ''Foundations of Social Theory'' being one of the most remarkable manifestations. The question is investigated, if Colemans theory is able to solve key problems in sociological theory, traditionally emanating from this kind of action theory. The economic concept of rationality is born of utilitarianism but is gradually thinned out by abandoning cardinal utility and interpersonal utility comparison. The result is an extremely individualistic and egocentric concept of rationality and serious difficulties concerning explanation of equilibrium and criteria of welfare. These difficulties can be seen as instances of the classical problem of social order. It has been demonstrated that ''the hobbesian problem of social order'', originating from assumptions of self-interested rational agents can be conceptualized as a prisoners dilemma game. Because Coleman utilize the neoclassical economic concept of rationality a key problem becomes, how social norms are explained from these premises. It is argued, that he doesn't succeed in explaining social norms without introduction of ad hoc assumptions concerning social relations, not themselves explainable from the assumptions of rational agents.