"If we accept values as given and consistent, if we postulate an objective description of the world as it really is, and if we assume that the decision maker's computational powers are unlimited, then two important consequences follow. First, we do not need to distinguish between the real world and the decision maker's perception of it: he or she perceives the world as it really is. Second, we can predict the choices that will be made by a rational decision maker entirely from our knowledge of the real world and without a knowledge of the decision maker's perceptions or modes of calculation. (We do, of course, have to know his or her utility function.)"
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Computer scientists from the United StatesCognitive scientistsEconomists from the United StatesBusiness theorists from the United StatesSystems scientists
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Imported from EN Wikiquote
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Herbert_A._Simon
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Herbert A. Simon
Herbert Alexander Simon (June 15, 1916 β February 9, 2001) was an American political scientist whose research ranged across the fields of cognitive psychology, computer science, public administration, economics, management, philosophy of science and sociology and was a professor, most notably, at Carnegie Mellon University. With almost a thousand often very highly cited publications he is one of the most influential social scientists of the 20th century.
65 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Herbert A. Simon β
Related Quotes
"If there were no limits to human rationality administrative theory would be barren. It would consist of the single prβ¦"
"The techniques of the practitioner are usually called 'synthetic'. He designs by organizing known principles and deviβ¦"
"Most of the propositions that make up the body of administrative theory today share, unfortunately, this defect of prβ¦"
"Broadly stated, the task is to replace the global rationality of economic man with a kind of rational behavior that iβ¦"
"Over Christmas, Allen Newell and I created a thinking machine."
"It is not my aim to surprise or shock you β but the simplest way I can summarize is to say that there are now in the β¦"
"Before we can establish any immutable 'principles' of administration, we must be able to describe, in words, exactly β¦"
"The world you perceive is drastically simplified model of the real world."
"Whereas economic man maximizes - selects the best alternative from among all those available to him, his cousin, admiβ¦"
"The criterion of efficiency dictates that choice of alternatives which produces the largest result for the given applβ¦"