1938 – 1998
Martin Hollis (1938-1998) was a British philosopher at the University of East Anglia known for his work in philosophy of social science, rational choice theory, and game theory. He is particularly recognized for his critical examinations of rationality assumptions in economics and his contributions to debates about trust, collective action, and the foundations of social explanation.
Authored 'The Philosophy of Social Science: An Introduction' (1994), a widely-used text
Developed influential critiques of backward induction and rational choice theory
Wrote 'Trust Within Reason' (1998) on the rationality of trust and cooperation
Co-authored 'Rational Economic Man' (1975) with Edward Nell, challenging neoclassical assumptions
Contributed to debates on understanding and explanation in social science