It might seem that contemporary economic theory offers a scientific account of choice among alternatives. Yet this is only superficially the case; the behavior of the agents in most economic models is completely specified by preference functions, technological possibilities, and market interactions. 'Choice' is a misnomer for solution of one or another kind of optimization problem in such models. The open-endedness that characterizes genuinely free choices made by real human beings is absent.

The book aims to show that:

1. The deterministic vision embodied in conventional economic modeling is neither consistent with nor supported by the state of the art in mathematics, logic, and physical science;
2. Use of models that rule out unpredictability and freedom of action has had negative consequences for policy design and implementation; and
3. Restoring meaningful freedom to the agents is an essential first step toward making social theorizing more realistic and insightful.