We model two interacting contagion processes: one of disease and one of fear of the disease. Individuals can contract fear through contact with individuals who are infected with the disease (the sick), infected with fear only (the scared), and infected with both fear and disease (the sick and...

Prelude to chapter 1 : the generativist manifesto --Ch. 1.Agent-based computational models and generative social science /Joshua M. Epstein --Prelude to chapter 2 : confession of a wandering bark --Ch. 2.Remarks on the foundations of agent-based generative social science /Joshua M. Epstein...

Biographical note: EpsteinJoshua M.: Joshua M. Epstein is a Senior Fellow in Economic Studies at the Brookings Institution, a founding member of the Brookings-Johns Hopkins Center on Social and Economic Dynamics, and a member of the External Faculty of the Santa Fe Institute. He is the coauthor...

This chapter treats a variety of epistemological issues surrounding generative explanation in the social sciences, and discusses the role of agent-based computational models in generative social science.