Social Sciences of Reason and Rationality

The study of how rationality is socially organized, institutionalized, and contested. It draws on sociology, political science, and economics to analyze how organizations define what counts as rational behavior, how professions (like law, medicine, management) instill their own rationalities, and how social structures can systematically produce irrational outcomes. It also examines how appeals to “rationality” are used to legitimize policies and exclude alternative viewpoints.

Social Sciences of Reason and Rationality Example: “Social sciences of rationality research traced how the concept of ‘rational choice’ in economics was translated into public policy, redefining citizens as self‑maximizing individuals and thereby dismantling social welfare institutions.”

Social Sciences of Reason and Rationality by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal March 24, 2026