Reason Beyond Knowledge: A Contemporary Analysis of the Problem of Collective Action and Its Possible Solutions

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Philosophy (MA) (60 EC)

Kerkhoffs, Marijn (2025)

Reason Beyond Knowledge: A Contemporary Analysis of the Problem of Collective Action and Its Possible Solutions

Master thesis | Philosophy (MA) (60 EC)

As the world gets more interconnected, so do the problems that arise: from climate change to wealth and welfare distribution, the crises of our time ask more collective action than ever before. But for collective action to succeed, in many cases, widespread cooperation is needed. Is it plausible to expect such contribution to collective action from others? This thesis gives more depth to the collective action problem originally posited by Mancur Olson and analyses the plausiblity of different motivations for collective action as suggested by a variety of philosophical positions. Ultimately, a new framework for how to view and propagate collective action is proposed, derived from the analysis of the different views on collective action.