Ariel Rubinstein 
Economics 511

 Advanced Economic Theory I
Lectures on Economics and Language

This course is taught by Marciano Siniscalchi and me.  The topics we shall cover are distinct, albeit partly related.  This page only deals with "my" half of the course.  Click here for Marciano's part.

Place Princeton University:    B-06 Fischer
Period Fall 1998 (first 6 weeks)
Lecturer Ariel Rubinstein    
Date Tue 18:00-19:30

Plan of the course

In the course we will go through 5-6 issues under the general heading of Economics and Language.   As an introduction, you may read my paper, "Economics and Language", The Schwartz Lecture, Northwestern University, forthcoming, 1998.[paper, pdf file].  [If you dont have, Acrobat reader,

Date Topic Readings
22/9 L1: The Language of Decision Makers Rubinstein,A.  Definable Preferences: An Example, European Economic Review, 42 (1998), 553-560. [paper, pdf file]
28/9 (on Mon because of Yom Kipur) Continuation of  L1 A draft of chapter 1 was circulated.  Those interested--please take from me.
6/10 Optimal Choice of Language Properties Rubinstein,A. Why are certain Properties of Binary relations Relatively More Common in Natural Language?, Econometrica, 64 (1996), 343-356.(front page)
13/10 Evolution Chooses Language Warneyard Karl, "Communication, Complexity and Evolutionary Stability", 1998 (and you should understand well Maynard-Smith concept of ESS)
20/10 Economic Approach to Pragmatics Grice, P.  "Studies in the Way of Words", Harvard Univ. Press, 1991.

Glazer, J. and A.Rubinstein "Debates and Decisions, On a Rationale of Argumentation Rules" 1997. [paper, pdf file]

27/10 The Rhetoric of Game Theory I suggest you look at McClosky, D.N. (1985), The Rhetoric of Economics.


  Back to Ariel's Web page.