Daniel Kahneman

Daniel Kahneman: The Psychology of Judgment, Decision-Making, and Human Rationality

Daniel Kahneman (1934–2024) was an Israeli-American psychologist and Nobel laureate whose pioneering research reshaped our understanding of how humans think, decide, and behave. Widely regarded as the father of behavioral economics, Kahneman’s insights bridged psychology and economics, revealing the cognitive biases that shape human judgment.

Born in Tel Aviv, Kahneman grew up in France during World War II before emigrating to British-controlled Palestine in 1948. He earned his Ph.D. in psychology from the University of California, Berkeley, and began a long academic career that included positions at Princeton University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

In collaboration with Amos Tversky, Kahneman developed Prospect Theory (1979), which demonstrated that people make decisions not purely rationally but based on perceived gains and losses. Their work challenged the dominant models of economics and became the foundation of behavioral economics, influencing finance, policy-making, and law.

Kahneman’s bestselling book, Thinking, Fast and Slow (2011), distilled decades of research into two modes of thought: System 1 (fast, intuitive) and System 2 (slow, deliberate). The book became an international phenomenon, selling over 10 million copies and inspiring new fields of behavioral science and decision-making research.

Awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 2002, Kahneman also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and numerous academic honors. His later work explored happiness, well-being, and the limits of human prediction.

Kahneman’s legacy endures in the idea that understanding our mental shortcuts — and their flaws — can lead to wiser choices, better policies, and greater self-awareness. His work continues to shape how scientists, leaders, and ordinary people understand the human mind.