ABSTRACT

In the last three decades some new approaches to the study of rights, freedom, diversity, norms and intentions among others have evolved. These approaches have their origin in rational choice theory. Rational choice theory covers a wide variety of disciplines among which particularly helpful for our purposes are social choice theory, game theory and individual decision theory. Amartya Sen was particularly influential in his critique of traditional models of rational choice theory. Since the 1970s the traditional models of rational choice theory not only were expanded to include welfare consequences but also took into account ‘non-utility information’ referring to rights, freedom, diversity and equality.