Getting Hooked: Rationality and Addiction

Description

The essays in this volume offer a thorough discussion of the relationship between addiction and rationality. This book-length treatment of the subject includes contributions from philosophers, psychiatrists, neurobiologists, sociologists and economists. Contrary to the widespread view that addicts are subject to overpowering and compulsive urges, the authors in this volume demonstrate that addicts are capable of making choices and responding to incentives. At the same time they disagree with Gary Becker's argument that addiction is the result of rational choice. The volume offers an exposition of the neurophysiology of addiction, a critical examination of the Becker theory of rational addiction, an argument for a 'visceral theory of addiction', a discussion of compulsive gambling as a form of addiction, several discussions of George Ainslie's theory of hyperbolic discounting, analyses of social causes and policy implications, and an investigation of the problem of relapse.

"This volume does a good job of exposing the complexity of the addiction problem. The varied approaches the different authors take in their attempts to explain addiction make it clear that there is no agreement on a model of addiction. This is not to say that this volume does not make considerable progress in shaping such a model. Anyone interested in studying the phenomenon of addiction will find tese essays very valuable." Ethics "...this is an excellent interdisciplinary book and I highly recommend it to those interested in finding an adequate explanation of the behavior of addicts." Metapsychology