The next lecture at the Faculty of Society and Economics at Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences, to be delivered by Prof. Eyal Winter, Professor of Economics and Director of the Centre for Rationality at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, is entitled ‘Smart Emotions: Why Fear, Anger and Love Are More Rational Than We Think’.
Kleve/Kamp-Lintfort, 9 June 2015: Why did Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg not complete their studies at Harvard University? Why do people cling to the illusion of romance? Why do people fall in love with people they are actually afraid of? And why do people create art? Using these and other questions, Prof. Eyal Winter demonstrates that even behind seemingly irrational emotions such as love and hate lie rational survival strategies.
Prof. Dr Eyal Winter analyses the world of emotions using models from game theory and behavioural economics. In doing so, psychological interpretation plays hardly any role in his considerations, in contrast to the economic perspective. All these human emotions, being constantly present, appear to be thoroughly useful. Prof. Dr Eyal Winter has also examined the role of evolution in this context. From an economic perspective, completely losing one’s temper is entirely justified.
Prof. Eyal Winter is Professor of Economics and Director of the Centre for Rationality at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, one of the world’s leading institutions conducting research in the field of decision-making. In 2011, he was awarded the Humboldt Prize. Prof. Winter has given lectures at over 130 universities in 26 countries, including Harvard University, Stanford University, Princeton University, the University of California and the University of Cambridge.
