Herbert Gintis

Who is Herbert Gintis?

Herbert Gintis is an American economist, behavioral scientist, educator, and author. He is notable for his theoretical contributions to sociobiology, especial altruism, cooperation, epistemic game theory, gene-culture coevolution, efficiency wages, strong reciprocity, and human capital theory.

Gintis obtained his B.A. in mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania in 1961. The following year, he obtained an M.A. in mathematics from Harvard University. In 1969, he obtained a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard after acceptance of his dissertation, Alienation and power: towards a radical welfare economics.

Gintis works extensively with economist Samuel Bowles. Both Gintis and Bowles were asked by Martin Luther King Jr. to write papers for the 1968 Poor People's March. Gintis and others were also 1968 co-founders of Union for Radical Political Economists.

Gintis is currently professor at Central European University, professor emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and external professor at the Santa Fe Institute.