The rational actor paradigm fails to explain intercultural conflict

Evidence

Much of WEIRD public policy is grounded in the idea that material or instrumental values are the key drivers of human actions. Instrumental values are motivated by self-interest and involve cost-benefit calculations. For example, if I want to sell my house, and I have two offers, all else being equal, I would accept the higher offer. This is the rational actor paradigm. It’s the foundation of modern economics that has shaped most policy decisions at the highest levels of power in the West. It guides decisions about the economy, international political relations, decisions to go to war or not, and combatting terrorism. It explains some things about human beings, particularly WEIRD human beings, but goes only so far. What it misses, however, is the cause of a lot of serious trouble in intercultural conflicts, which we do not currently know how to manage. — Norenzayan, Ara, Big gods - how religion transformed…, 544

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines instrumental values and the rational actor paradigm as the foil against which sacred values are contrasted.
• XREF: Pairs with the reader’s use of Baumard: rational-actor assumptions break down precisely where costly religious signaling operates. — connects to: International diplomats’ cultural ignorance sabotaged peace negotiations — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 647; Conflict destructive at one level can integrate the larger group — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 280; Objectified conflict follows its own intrinsic logic without subjective moderation — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 306 (+1 more)
• corroborated: 3 independent passages support this claim — Norenzayan, Ara, Big gods - how religion transformed…, 544

Broader Connections

• International diplomats’ cultural ignorance sabotaged peace negotiations #exemplifies (0.82) — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 647
• Objectified conflict follows its own intrinsic logic without subjective moderation #corroborates (0.80) — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 306
• Conflict destructive at one level can integrate the larger group #qualifies (0.75) — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 280