Das Los des Loses. Zu einigen Grenzen rationalen Handelns

Abstract

The article discusses a striking social non-event: the widespread rejection of lotteries for deciding „important“ individual and societal matters even when rationality would strongly suggest them. Following a brief historical review of premodern cases and situations in which randomizing devices played a significant role, and drawing on earlier work by Elster and Neurath, an attempt is made at explaining their declining impact and usage in modern society. Key to this explanation is the self-ascription of a superior form of rationality. Paradoxically, however, this very rationality can be seriously undermined when invoked under conditions where it is bound to fail because it is incapable of providing rational grounds for action.

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