Rational Ritual

Game theory shows that to create coordination, a group of people must form common knowledge. Each person wants to participate only if others also participate. Members must have knowledge of each other, knowledge of that knowledge, and so on. Michael Chwe applies this insight to analyze rituals across history and cultures, and shows that ceremonies are powerful not simply because they transmit meaning from a central source to each audience member, but because they let audience members know what other members know.