Ulysses Unbound: Studies in Rationality, Precommitment, and Constraints

By Jon Elster

Categories: Politics & Social Sciences, Religion & Spirituality

Social theorist Jon Elster argues that people may often benefit from being constrained in their options or from being ignorant. Revisiting the themes of his earlier Ulysses and the Sirens, he examines how individuals and societies bind themselves in advance to protect against passion, weakness of will and changing preferences. Elster applies these ideas to personal behavior, political constitutions and artistic creation, where constraints can enhance freedom and creativity.

Recommended by 1 person

• Shane Parrish: “This provocative book argues that, very often, people may benefit from being constrained in their options or from being ignorant”