Jon Elster

Jon Elster, born on February 22, 1940, is a distinguished Norwegian philosopher and political theorist renowned for his contributions to social science. He currently holds the prestigious Robert K. Merton professorship of Social Science at Columbia University and has been a professor of social science at the Collège de France since two thousand five.

Elster earned his PhD in social science from the École Normale Supérieure in nineteen seventy-two. His academic journey has taken him through esteemed institutions, including the University of Paris, the University of Oslo, and the University of Chicago, where he became a professor of political science in nineteen eighty-four.

As a prolific author, Elster has made significant strides in the philosophy of social science and rational choice theory. He is recognized as a leading figure in analytical Marxism and was a prominent member of the September Group, which sought to reinterpret Marxism through the lens of analytic philosophy. His critiques of neoclassical economics and public choice theory are grounded in behavioral and psychological insights.

In recognition of his impactful work in political science, Elster was awarded the twenty-second Johan Skytte Prize in Political Science in two thousand sixteen, underscoring his influence and contributions to the field.