Description
Book SynopsisThis collection of essays develops the theory of social groups as "plural subjects". Gilbert argues that one must go beyond the prevailing "game theoretic" picture of people acting as independent individuals, to incorporate them as plural subjects bound together by joint commitments.
Trade ReviewLiving Together greatly develops the account in her ground-breaking book, On Social Facts. With great originality, depth, and insight, and with care, she investigates such topics as agreements, collective belief, political obligation, and the experience of guilt for actions of a group to which one belongs. This book should be read by anyone interested in political, legal, or social philosophy. -- Gilbert Harman, Department of Philosophy, Princeton University
[Gilbert] carefully details the subtle dimensions of human sociality in crisp and critical analyses that avoid both mystification and simplification. These essays will be of great interest to those already familiar with her work . . . For those unfamiliar with her work, these diverse essays provide perhaps the best introduction to it. -- John D. Greenwood
Table of ContentsChapter 1 Introduction: Two Standpoints Chapter 2 The Personal and the Collective Part 3 Part I. Rationality, Coordination, and Convention Chapter 4 Rationality and Salience Chapter 5 Rationality, Coordination, and Convention Chapter 6 Notes on the Concept of a Social Convention Chapter 7 On Language and Convention Chapter 8 Game Theory and Convention Part 9 Part II. Sociality: Introducing Plural Subjects Chapter 10 Walking Together: A Paradigmatic Social Phenomenon Chapter 11 Modelling Collective Belief Chapter 12 Fusion: Sketch of a "Contractual" Model Chapter 13 On the Question Whether Language Has A Social Nature: Some Aspects of Winch and Others on Wittgenstein Chapter 14 Group Languages and "Criteria" Chapter 15 More on Social Facts Part 16 Part III. Joint Commitment and Obligation Chapter 17 Agreements, Coercion, and Obligation Chapter 18 Is an Agreement an Exchange of Promises? Chapter 19 More on Collective Belief Chapter 20 Group Membership and Political Obligation Chapter 21 On Feeling Guilt for What One's Group Has Done
