Robert Sugden’s theory of team reasoning: a critical reconstruction

Abstract

This paper provides a critical reconstruction of Sugden’s intellectual itinerary with respect to his theory of team reasoning, starting from the beginning of his reflection in the early 1980s to his latest contributions in 2015. My reconstruction follows both a historical and an interpretative approach to show the continuity of different lines of thought, developed in different moments, notwithstanding the changes in the aims and scope of the theory from one period to another. I divide the evolution of Sugden’s team reasoning into four main stages. The first includes some works prior to 1993, and the second is from 1993 to 2000. The third and fourth stages are from 2001 to 2007 and from 2008 to 2015, respectively.