Intro:
The text is from the ' Origins of Virtue ' by Matt Ridley, Chapter 9, ' The Source of War '. The previous chapters (2-8) in the book describe at length the same kinda arguments from the text of Tullock, presented by Ike two weeks ago. This chapter focuses on less pleasant consequences of sociability of human beings: xenophobia, war, and spread some irrational beliefs very costly (religions, communism, Nazism, etc.).
Only by understanding how such phenomena are possible, and how could they occur through natural selection, we can understand what are the factors that are at the origin of human society in general. In short, why are there human society and not just disparate families (such as for example yellow or gorillas)? The man represents a problem for biology because human society does not resemble other animal societies, and the factors that explain the formation of animal societies are not enough to explain human society. An additional factor is that so? More: animal world there how only one kind of interest-to have as many followers-all other purposes being subordinated. The man seems different, although it's a pet through natural selection appeared like any other. On the other hand, human society is a problem for the economy: If we focus our attention only on the "positive" factors (such as Division of labour) and I believe that they represent the cause for any society, we form an incomplete picture, and violent social phenomena would appear completely mysterious and unexplained.
The text of the girl is found at the intersection of biology and economics, and holds that the origin of all social phenomena that cannot be reduced merely to the selfish behaviour of rational individuals, Panorama II whether cooperative or violent behaviors, stands the same, namely propensitatea people to imitate each other and to respect the "consensus". The book ' The Origins of Virtue ' is a popularization of evolutionary psychology, a field that is like the new paradigm of all social sciences. (Presents: Bobby Van)
The text to read:
Matt Ridley, The Source of War
Handout:
