Boudewijn P. de Bruin
Winner Dissertation Prize 2005
Dissertation
Explaining Games. On the Logic of Game Theoretic Explanations
Supervisors: Prof. dr J.F.A.K. van Benthem, Prof. dr M.J.B. Stokhof
Nomination: University of Amsterdam, Faculty of the Humanities
Report by the selection committee
The discipline of formal logic is counted as one of the fields within the humanities. The subject of Boudewijn de Bruin?s thesis is the explanatory power of game theory in explaining human acts. The subject is treated from both a mathematical logical and a philosophical point of view. The book is a thorough logical investigation of the epistemological conditions necessary for a given game theoretic concept of solution to be applicable. Logical mathematical precision and philosophical depth go hand in hand in this study. It not only presents critical analyses, but offers positive contributions also. It is an important contribution to better insight in the application scope of game theory as a model for explaining human dealings. The subject of the book is very specialist, technical and fundamental, but in principle applicable in a wide range of fields.
