The book "The Economics of Rights, Co-operation and Welfare" by Robert Sugden explores the nature of social order and morality through the lens of conventions, using evolutionary game theory. Initially published in 1986, the book was ahead of its time in applying evolutionary game theory to social sciences. Over the past fifteen years, there has been a resurgence of interest in this approach, and Sugden has updated the book to reflect recent developments in evolutionary game theory. The second edition includes an introduction and an afterword, where Sugden reflects on the book's origins, its contributions to current discussions, and how it relates to subsequent work on the evolution of conventions and norms. The book integrates ideas from various sources, including David Hume and Adam Smith, and uses non-rationalistic game theory inspired by Thomas Schelling, David Lewis, and John Maynard Smith. Sugden emphasizes that the book's original text remains largely unchanged, while the afterword provides commentary on its relevance and standing in the field.The book "The Economics of Rights, Co-operation and Welfare" by Robert Sugden explores the nature of social order and morality through the lens of conventions, using evolutionary game theory. Initially published in 1986, the book was ahead of its time in applying evolutionary game theory to social sciences. Over the past fifteen years, there has been a resurgence of interest in this approach, and Sugden has updated the book to reflect recent developments in evolutionary game theory. The second edition includes an introduction and an afterword, where Sugden reflects on the book's origins, its contributions to current discussions, and how it relates to subsequent work on the evolution of conventions and norms. The book integrates ideas from various sources, including David Hume and Adam Smith, and uses non-rationalistic game theory inspired by Thomas Schelling, David Lewis, and John Maynard Smith. Sugden emphasizes that the book's original text remains largely unchanged, while the afterword provides commentary on its relevance and standing in the field.