Raymond Boudon: A review

Abstract

A brief retrospective on Boudon’s academic contribution through the three major stages of his academic career (path regression models, game theoretical mechanisms and subjective rationality) allows one to retain as his major contribution the proposal of theory construction by means of causal intentional mechanisms based on models of strategic decision-making. Recurrent structures of cogent systems of preferences formalized in game theoretical language seemed to offer him a suitable way to characterize some of the main or more significant macro-social effects in terms of micro-decisions taken by individual intentional agents.

Keywords

• game theory and strategic analysis
• rational choice theory
• decision-making mechanisms
• game theory analytical tools
• methodological individualism
• explanation by mechanisms and theory construction