tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043138489010794057.post2969847780032691060..comments2024-03-27T15:57:09.192+05:30Comments on Urbanomics: Triumph of Darwin?Urbanomicshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16956198290294771298noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043138489010794057.post-77116175173135009252009-07-16T21:28:28.193+05:302009-07-16T21:28:28.193+05:30thanks for the comments. I agree that there is a d...thanks for the comments. I agree that there is a danger of over-theorizing that leaves us none the wiser. <br /><br />I am sure that part of the motivation for Robert Frank in invoking Darwin was to ideologically question and unsettle the premiss behind Smith's invisble hand that underlies much of the free-market thinking. In fact, Smith had anticipated such outcomes and had therefore made the outcomes of his invisible hand conditional on a set of social and institutional frameworks that modulated its actions. <br /><br />I cannot but agree that your take too appears relevant. But the underlying fact, which illustrates the contrast with Smith's arguement of self-interested actions leading to socially benign outcomes, that individual actions leads to evolutionary outcomes that conflict with the interests of the group as a whole. But then, as you write, any generalization is fraught with dangers.Urbanomicshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16956198290294771298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043138489010794057.post-33008203031660716242009-07-15T08:44:19.935+05:302009-07-15T08:44:19.935+05:30You have raised two issues. Firstly that some indi...You have raised two issues. Firstly that some indiidual actions are inimical to society. ( In fact Adam smith had not said that all individual actions have the invisible hand behind them.). Secondly, that we should not sacrifice long term objectives for short term goals.<br />Here is a take on the elephant seals issue: Maybe the herd of seals which cannot survive predatory attacks on them ought to perish! If there are more number of male seals there would be group politics and undercutting due to power struggle! <br /><br />How much further can you take such analyses before it get as complicated as the initial chaos. I do admit that the hypotheses extant do not explain all occurrences. But they seem to be simple and understandable.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com