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Ordeals: an economic vindication of ancient Indian “nonsense”.
- Source :
-
Bulletin of the School of Oriental & African Studies . Oct2016, Vol. 79 Issue 3, p513-534. 22p. - Publication Year :
- 2016
-
Abstract
- Ordeals (by fire, by water, etc.) are a judicial institution in which defendants try to prove their innocence by divine judgement. In a recent law and economics paper, Leeson (2012) suggests that (medieval) ordeals “work” because, and if, ordeal takers have sufficient belief in them and because the priests administering ordeals “manipulate” them in an appropriate manner. We find that Leeson's theory also helps us understand Indian ordeals. Interestingly, some dharma texts require that the accuser agrees to the ordeal too, a requirement absent in Leeson's theory. We extend Leesons's model accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Subjects :
- *ORDEAL
*DECISION theory
*GAME theory
*HISTORY
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0041977X
- Volume :
- 79
- Issue :
- 3
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Bulletin of the School of Oriental & African Studies
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 120740375
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1017/S0041977X16000550