Research Article

Bounded Autonomy: A Kantian-Evolutionary Approach to Rational Choice Theory

Volume: 8 Number: 1 June 30, 2026
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Bounded Autonomy: A Kantian-Evolutionary Approach to Rational Choice Theory

Abstract

This study synthesizes Kantian moral philosophy, Evolutionary Game Theory (EGT), and microeconomic rational choice to redefine rationality as a dynamic balance between duty and adaptation. While classical economics assumes utility-maximizing agents and Kantian ethics posits autonomous moral actors, EGT views rationality as an emergent property shaped by evolutionary pressures. The paper introduces bounded autonomy, a condition where agents act under both moral principles and adaptive incentives. Using a two-strategy evolutionary model, agents choose between Kantian (duty-based) and utilitarian (instrumental) behavior. Replicator dynamics show that moral strategies remain evolutionarily stable when long-term cooperative gains exceed short-term temptations. Thus, autonomy emerges not as absolute freedom but as contextually constrained stability. The model challenges both neoclassical and behavioral assumptions by demonstrating that moral norms can evolve and persist as equilibria, offering a new philosophical foundation for microeconomics grounded in moral evolution and strategic adaptation.

Keywords

References

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  4. Axelrod, R. (1984). The evolution of cooperation. New York: Basic Books.
  5. Becker, G.S. (1976). The economic approach to human behavior. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
  6. Binmore, K. (2005). Natural justice. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  7. Bowles, S. and Gintis, H. (2011). A cooperative species: Human reciprocity and its evolution. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.
  8. Boyd, R. and Richerson, P.J. (1985). Culture and the evolutionary process. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Game Theory

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

June 30, 2026

Submission Date

November 10, 2025

Acceptance Date

April 13, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 8 Number: 1

APA
Yolusever, A. (2026). Bounded Autonomy: A Kantian-Evolutionary Approach to Rational Choice Theory. Ekonomi Ve Finansal Araştırmalar Dergisi, 8(1), 28-50. https://doi.org/10.56668/jefr.1821089
AMA
1.Yolusever A. Bounded Autonomy: A Kantian-Evolutionary Approach to Rational Choice Theory. JEFR Journal. 2026;8(1):28-50. doi:10.56668/jefr.1821089
Chicago
Yolusever, Aras. 2026. “Bounded Autonomy: A Kantian-Evolutionary Approach to Rational Choice Theory”. Ekonomi Ve Finansal Araştırmalar Dergisi 8 (1): 28-50. https://doi.org/10.56668/jefr.1821089.
EndNote
Yolusever A (June 1, 2026) Bounded Autonomy: A Kantian-Evolutionary Approach to Rational Choice Theory. Ekonomi ve Finansal Araştırmalar Dergisi 8 1 28–50.
IEEE
[1]A. Yolusever, “Bounded Autonomy: A Kantian-Evolutionary Approach to Rational Choice Theory”, JEFR Journal, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 28–50, June 2026, doi: 10.56668/jefr.1821089.
ISNAD
Yolusever, Aras. “Bounded Autonomy: A Kantian-Evolutionary Approach to Rational Choice Theory”. Ekonomi ve Finansal Araştırmalar Dergisi 8/1 (June 1, 2026): 28-50. https://doi.org/10.56668/jefr.1821089.
JAMA
1.Yolusever A. Bounded Autonomy: A Kantian-Evolutionary Approach to Rational Choice Theory. JEFR Journal. 2026;8:28–50.
MLA
Yolusever, Aras. “Bounded Autonomy: A Kantian-Evolutionary Approach to Rational Choice Theory”. Ekonomi Ve Finansal Araştırmalar Dergisi, vol. 8, no. 1, June 2026, pp. 28-50, doi:10.56668/jefr.1821089.
Vancouver
1.Aras Yolusever. Bounded Autonomy: A Kantian-Evolutionary Approach to Rational Choice Theory. JEFR Journal. 2026 Jun. 1;8(1):28-50. doi:10.56668/jefr.1821089