Rational Extremism

The Political Economy of Radicalism

Ronald Wintrobe author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Cambridge University Press

Published:13th Sep '12

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

This paperback is available in another edition too:

Rational Extremism cover

This 2006 book explains how extremist movements may be motivated by rational goals.

The starting point of this 2006 book is that the best way to understand extremists is to assume they are rational. The treatment explains why extremist leaders often advocate violence, and how they motivate their followers to die for the cause. The arguments are illustrated with important episodes of extremism.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.

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.' Sociétal

ISBN: 9781107407220

Dimensions: 229mm x 152mm x 17mm

Weight: 440g

300 pages