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Evolutionary Economics
A new model of economic life that looks at it in terms of ecological interaction and mutation is presented in Evolutionary Economics. It looks at commodities, for example, as if they were a species in the social ecosystem. Boulding describes his new model with clarity and wit, showing its roots in classical economics and exploring the prospects of an evolutionary approach for bettering human conditions.
- GenresEconomics
195 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1981
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June 19, 2019
Evolutionary economics seems to attract primarily two tribes of scientists: 1) Analytical and highly mathematical types who focus on the minutiae of statistical representation and who are attracted by the challenge of modelling complex dynamics in the economy. 2) Holistic "systems thinkers" who turn their gaze onto the bigger picture, the world wide web of complex interconnections that comprise the global economy, and who are attracted by the challenge of illuminating and deepening humanity's self-image and mission as evolving and mutating parts of the interconnected cosmos.
Ken Boulding is firmly in the latter camp - a fertile mixture of Adam Smith and Gregory Bateson, of sociological micro-observations and sociological macro-observations. It comes as no surprise that the author's book on economics as an evolutionary science represents the character of the man: it is a sprawling and omnidirectional look at almost everything under the sun. This has its downsides and upsides. The chapters are really selections of short and pithy observations linked to a common theme rather than methodical offshoots of a logical, monomaniacal argument. It's more Nietzsche than Kant, more the revolutionary Karl Marx than the analytical David Ricardo. Some of the observations are simply rehash of popular anthropology and economics, but others are off-kilter forays into new territories. These latter sections are the most interesting bits, including the extended metaphorical account of the circulation of goods and services in Darwinian terms.
The book's unfocused structure and sprawling, essayist mood come at a cost. For one, they downplay the scientific credentials of his claims: there are simply too few citations and logical proofs compared to the sheer quantity and quality of boldly made assertions. Furthermore, the empirical side of the treatise shows its age in its outdated exposition of global warming and the alleged impossibility of electric cars (!). But aside from these problems, it's a golden oldie. The strong authorial voice and curious commitment to novelty are precisely the factors that make Boulding's book worth revisiting even today.
There are unique insights and observations on almost every page. Yes, they might be presented in an aphoristic way that makes them little more than wild whispers in the wind. But the scattered seedlings that the wild wind scatters have the potential to take root and eventually sprout into full-grown forest: the constantly evolving ecosystem of evolutionary economics. After Boulding, and thanks to his influence, two generations of thinkers - with less inspiration and more perspiration - have picked up and developed the central ideas scattered by the original, promiscuous wind.
Ken Boulding is firmly in the latter camp - a fertile mixture of Adam Smith and Gregory Bateson, of sociological micro-observations and sociological macro-observations. It comes as no surprise that the author's book on economics as an evolutionary science represents the character of the man: it is a sprawling and omnidirectional look at almost everything under the sun. This has its downsides and upsides. The chapters are really selections of short and pithy observations linked to a common theme rather than methodical offshoots of a logical, monomaniacal argument. It's more Nietzsche than Kant, more the revolutionary Karl Marx than the analytical David Ricardo. Some of the observations are simply rehash of popular anthropology and economics, but others are off-kilter forays into new territories. These latter sections are the most interesting bits, including the extended metaphorical account of the circulation of goods and services in Darwinian terms.
The book's unfocused structure and sprawling, essayist mood come at a cost. For one, they downplay the scientific credentials of his claims: there are simply too few citations and logical proofs compared to the sheer quantity and quality of boldly made assertions. Furthermore, the empirical side of the treatise shows its age in its outdated exposition of global warming and the alleged impossibility of electric cars (!). But aside from these problems, it's a golden oldie. The strong authorial voice and curious commitment to novelty are precisely the factors that make Boulding's book worth revisiting even today.
There are unique insights and observations on almost every page. Yes, they might be presented in an aphoristic way that makes them little more than wild whispers in the wind. But the scattered seedlings that the wild wind scatters have the potential to take root and eventually sprout into full-grown forest: the constantly evolving ecosystem of evolutionary economics. After Boulding, and thanks to his influence, two generations of thinkers - with less inspiration and more perspiration - have picked up and developed the central ideas scattered by the original, promiscuous wind.
Displaying 1 of 1 review