Introduction to Risk Theory

Introduction

Risk is an important topic in contemporary society. People are confronted with risks from financial markets, nuclear power plants, natural disasters and privacy leaks in ICT systems, to mention just a few of a sheer endless list of areas in which uncertainty and risk of harm play an important role. It is in that sense not surprising that risk is studied in fields as diverse as mathematics and natural sciences but also psychology, economics, sociology, cultural studies, and philosophy. The topic of risk gives rise to concrete problems that require empirical investigations, but these empirical investigations need to be structured by theoretical frameworks. This handbook offers an overview of different approaches to risk theory, ranging from general issues in risk theory to risk in practice, from mathematical approaches in decision theory to empirical research of risk perception, to theories of risk ethics and to frameworks on how to arrange society in order to deal...