Review of Pareto’s Views regarding Logical and Non-logical Actions

Vilfredo Pareto holds a significant position in the realm of social philosophy. His contributions to knowledge were unique, as he excelled in diverse academic fields, including economics, politics, engineering, mathematics, sociology, and social philosophy. For this reason, he is regarded as a scholar with extensive and multidisciplinary expertise. The aim of this paper is to discuss and analyze Pareto’s theory of action as a branch of social philosophy and assess its relevance in the context of contemporary society. It is well known that humans cannot live alone in society. Therefore, in social settings, we engage in various activities with stakeholders such as neighbors, communities, groups, and other social entities. From this perspective, it can be said that humans establish multiple connections to fulfill their needs and perform these actions. In this context, Pareto’s discussion on actions is regarded as a fundamental and analytically significant concept. To analyze his theory of action, Pareto divided actions into two categories: logical actions and non-logical actions. Through this analysis, Pareto emphasized that logical actions are relatively few and are governed by human reasoning. In contrast, most actions performed by individuals fall under the category of non-logical actions. This paper will review various aspects of Pareto’s theory of action and explore its implications for understanding human behavior in society.