Rational Extremism
The Political Economy of Radicalism
1st Edition
Published on 6. November 2006
978-0-511-24789-7 (ISBN)
Description
Extremists are people whose ideas or tactics are viewed as outside the mainstream. Looked at this way, extremists are not necessarily twisted or evil. But they can be, especially when they are intolerant and violent. What makes extremists turn violent? This 2006 book assumes that extremists are rational: given their ends, they choose the best means to achieve them. The analysis explains why extremist leaders use the tactics they do, and why they are often insensitive to punishment and to loss of life. It also explains how rational people can be motivated to die for the cause. The book covers different aspects of extremism such as revolution, suicide terrorism, and global jihad. The arguments are illustrated with important episodes of extremism, including the French Revolution, the rise of nationalism in Yugoslavia under Milosevic, and the emergence of suicide terror and Al Qaeda today.
Reviews / Votes
Review of the hardback: 'The work that Ronald Wintrobe offers us is dense, original, and at times, provocative. He forces us to question his arguments instead of reading them passively. ... Rational Extremism gives us ideas and allows us to connect it with the most advanced studies in the field of the contemporary social sciences. It is the hallmark of great books.' SocietalMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Cambridge University Press
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
Worked examples or Exercises
File size
2,05 MB
ISBN-13
978-0-511-24789-7 (9780511247897)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
09/2012
Cambridge University Press
€61.50
Shipment within 15-20 days
Book
08/2006
Cambridge University Press
€99.40
Shipment within 15-20 days
Person
Ronald Wintrobe is Professor of Economics at the University of Western Ontario, where he also co-directs the Political Economy Research Group. Professor Wintrobe is the author of The Political Economy of Dictatorship (1998), and coauthor (with Albert Breton) of The Logic of Bureaucratic Conduct (1982). He is also coeditor (with Albert Breton, Gianluigi Galeotti and Pierre Salmon) of Rational Foundations of Democratic Politics (2003), Political Extremism and Rationality (2002), Understanding Democracy: Economic and Political Perspectives (1997) and Nationalism and Rationality (1995). All of the above titles were published by Cambridge University Press. He is also author or coauthor of many book chapters and articles in leading professional journals, and has written two radio programs on political economy for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Content
Introduction; 1. The problem of extremism; Part I. Groups: 2. Social interactions, trust and group solidarity; 3. Some illustrations and a general framework; Part II. Extremism: 4. The calculus of discontent; 5. Can suicide bombing be rational?; 6. Religion and suicide terror; Part III. Revolutions, Nationalism and Jihad: 7. Rational revolutions; 8. Slobodan Milosevic and the fire of nationalism; 9. 'Jihad vs McWorld' revisited; Conclusion; 10. Summary of propositions and policy implications.
