CAN WE RATIONALLY LEARN TO COORDINATE

In this paper we examine the issue whether individual rationality cons iderations are sufficient to guarantee that individuals will learn to coordinate. This question is central in any discussion of whether soci al phenomena (read: conventions) can be explained in terms of a purely individualistic approach. We argue that the positive answers to this general question that have been obtained in some recent work require a ssumptions which incorporate some convention. This conclusion may be s een as supporting the viewpoint of 'institutional individualism' in co ntrast to 'psychological individualism'.