An important step in extending the traditional theory of individual ra
tional choice to analyze social issues beyond those usually considered
by economists is to incorporate into the theory a much richer class o
f attitudes, preferences, and calculations. While this approach to beh
avior builds on an expanded theory of individual choice, it is not mai
nly concerned with individuals. It uses theory at the micro level as a
powerful tool to derive implications at the group or macro level. The
lecture describes the approach and illustrates it with examples drawn
from my past and current work.