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Systems of Survival: A Dialogue on the Moral Foundations of Commerce and Politics
With intelligence and clarity of observation, the author of The Death and Life of Great American Cities addresses the moral values that underpin working life.
In Systems of Survival , Jane Jacobs identifies two distinct moral syndromes—one governing commerce, the other, politics—and explores what happens when these two syndromes collide. She looks at business fraud and criminal enterprise, government’s overextended subsidies to agriculture, and transit police who abuse the system the are supposed to enforce, and asks us to consider instances in which snobbery is a virtue and industry a vice. In this work of profound insight and elegance, Jacobs gives us a new way of seeing all our public transactions and encourages us towards the best use of our natural inclinations.
In Systems of Survival , Jane Jacobs identifies two distinct moral syndromes—one governing commerce, the other, politics—and explores what happens when these two syndromes collide. She looks at business fraud and criminal enterprise, government’s overextended subsidies to agriculture, and transit police who abuse the system the are supposed to enforce, and asks us to consider instances in which snobbery is a virtue and industry a vice. In this work of profound insight and elegance, Jacobs gives us a new way of seeing all our public transactions and encourages us towards the best use of our natural inclinations.
236 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
50 people are currently reading
1366 people want to read
About the author
Jane Jacobs
69 books702 followersJane Jacobs, OC, O.Ont (May 4, 1916 – April 25, 2006) was an American-born Canadian writer and activist with primary interest in communities and urban planning and decay. She is best known for The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961), a powerful critique of the urban renewal policies of the 1950s in the United States. The book has been credited with reaching beyond planning issues to influence the spirit of the times.
Along with her well-known printed works, Jacobs is equally well-known for organizing grassroots efforts to block urban-renewal projects that would have destroyed local neighborhoods. She was instrumental in the eventual cancellation of the Lower Manhattan Expressway, and after moving to Canada in 1968, equally influential in canceling the Spadina Expressway and the associated network of highways under construction.
Along with her well-known printed works, Jacobs is equally well-known for organizing grassroots efforts to block urban-renewal projects that would have destroyed local neighborhoods. She was instrumental in the eventual cancellation of the Lower Manhattan Expressway, and after moving to Canada in 1968, equally influential in canceling the Spadina Expressway and the associated network of highways under construction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
April 13, 2008
This book is fantastic but everyone forgets to read the sequel, The Nature of Economies. Don't be like them. Read The Nature of Economies too.
December 13, 2022
In this slim and readable volume, Jacobs articulates the two moral systems humans have evolved over the centuries: that of traders (commerce), and that of guardians (government). Once stated, they seem so obvious, but failure to recognize the differences results in serious chaos. This book was a big help to me when I moved from the private sector to the public; suddenly, the foreign behaviours and attitudes I was encountering made sense. As topical today as it was in the 1990s, this book is a must for anyone curious about the evolution and sustainability of human society.
June 16, 2015
This is a profoundly important book! Jacob's observation that a failure to understand that there is a difference in moral character required between those who are guardians of a society and those who are its entrepreneurs is important and pertinent. She argues that a society will fail if it allows itself to relax the distinction and have the role of the guardians taken over by the entrepreneurs, because their lure for the lucre leads easily to corruption. She suggests that the guardian role tends to be resistant to change, and if allowed to take over that part of the society that requires creativity and change, the society will stagnate. Each have their place, for stability is required for the society to live, but creativity is required if the society doesn't want to fall into decrepitude. Brilliant book.
October 6, 2007
if you're a hard-nosed literary critic it's going to be really hard for you to get past the central conceit of this sociology book-- it's written as a dialogue, with characters and a bare minimum of plot-- and while it's also written by one of the greatest urbanists and essayists to ever walk the planet, it was not written by one of the greatest novelists. i wish that jane jacobs had couched these ideas in a book of essays in her own voice.
BUT: the ideas are pretty neat. if you're interested in some solid and original spectulation on the forces that have shaped the recent (cultural) evolution of our species-- or the forces currently at work in human societies with a nod to their evolutionary history, pick up a copy. it's short and it's useful.
BUT: the ideas are pretty neat. if you're interested in some solid and original spectulation on the forces that have shaped the recent (cultural) evolution of our species-- or the forces currently at work in human societies with a nod to their evolutionary history, pick up a copy. it's short and it's useful.
January 15, 2016
I was really looking forward to this as my first Jane Jacobs book, but I was disappointed. I found the faux-Socratic dialogue jarring and not believable, and the system they put together was at least lacking one element: survival-by-community. Our instincts for fostering social relationships would not have evolved if they did not enhance our survival, and there are too many groups in society who depend utterly on generosity to "make a living" (children, the elderly, some disabled, etc.). Basically what they contribute is being loved and loveable, and this isn't accounted for anywhere in her theory.
February 8, 2009
This book should be required reading in every high school in America. The examples are somewhat dated, but the philosophies and concepts portrayed are timeless. I read the book for a second time, twelve years after it was published, and it all still holds water. Not many books on business have that kind of longevity. The tale is told through the dialog of members of a dinner club. Basically, there are two ways to survive – you either barter or steal. Over time, these two survival strategies evolved into what she calls, “The Commercial Moral Syndrome,” the behaviors necessary to run a commercial enterprise and the “Guardian Moral Syndrome,” the behaviors necessary for a functioning government. She warns of what happens when you cross pollinate the two syndromes and end up with a monstrous hybrid. She also outlines how we, citizens of a free country, must have the flexibility to move from one mind caste to the other to keep the society at large functioning.
August 6, 2011
Thought provoking insight into the unwritten rules we use (or should use) to do our business and governing.
April 12, 2024
Like many of her books, Systems of Survival is a bit weird and hard to categorize. But the result is a productive and imaginative kind of quirkiness. Jacobs worked outside the academic and intellectual establishments to challenge established wisdom on many issues. She is best known for reinventing citizen-centric urban planning (The Death and Life of Great American Cities) but her contributions go much beyond that. Here, she offers her idiosyncratic analysis of two overarching moral systems, what she calls the Guardian Syndrome and the Commercial Syndrome.
The Guardian Syndrome is supposed to be roughly equivalent to the government (or the public sector) and its territorial, authoritarian, hierarchical, static, and coercive modes of organization. However, it can be found in many parts of the society, wherever guardian values are allowed to dominate (or are functionally needed). On the other hand, the Commercial Syndrome implies the values of trade, production, creativity, innovation, voluntary cooperation, and the like. Needless to say, in a society that is not wholly run according to either logic but a combination of the two, both syndromes can penetrate the society and create various (good and bad) hybrid forms. The book claims that the two Syndromes are pretty much mutually exhaustive and can explain various phenomena, although the book focuses on how they operate in business and trade. The mafia, for example, are offered as an example of a monstrous commercial enterprise governed by guardian morality; while a kleptocracy is an example of a monstrous government that serves commercial self-enrichment. In the end, she urges a kind of careful symbiotic relationship between the two moralities, because we cannot live without either. Jacobs has something interesting (if not always persuasive) things to say about everything from environmental protection and bribe taking to modern city planning, feudal social organization, and the hazards of nuclear power. Less impressive than her particular judgments on each issue are the new connections that she manages to draw between seemingly disparate things. Her mind is like a kaleidoscope: chaotic but creative and pretty.
Her conceptual schemes, despite amateurish, are suggestive and pragmatically useful, not to construct a new Moral System, but to reassess existing ones. Although her selection of the academic literature is sporadic and incomplete, and although many of her real-world examples of the two syndromes are based on haphazard journalistic accounts and biased anecdotes, her mind works marvelously to synthesize vast material in interesting and original ways. The book yields a continuous supply of interesting threads, byways, and bridges to new domains. In that way, the whole book is greater than the sum of its parts. This is quite appropriate for someone like Jane Jacobs who sees the the economy, the city, and the society in similarly holistic, interconnected terms. What matters is how things cohere and come together. I was constantly delighted and challenged. The book offers few final words but loosens up the mind's congestions.
The Guardian Syndrome is supposed to be roughly equivalent to the government (or the public sector) and its territorial, authoritarian, hierarchical, static, and coercive modes of organization. However, it can be found in many parts of the society, wherever guardian values are allowed to dominate (or are functionally needed). On the other hand, the Commercial Syndrome implies the values of trade, production, creativity, innovation, voluntary cooperation, and the like. Needless to say, in a society that is not wholly run according to either logic but a combination of the two, both syndromes can penetrate the society and create various (good and bad) hybrid forms. The book claims that the two Syndromes are pretty much mutually exhaustive and can explain various phenomena, although the book focuses on how they operate in business and trade. The mafia, for example, are offered as an example of a monstrous commercial enterprise governed by guardian morality; while a kleptocracy is an example of a monstrous government that serves commercial self-enrichment. In the end, she urges a kind of careful symbiotic relationship between the two moralities, because we cannot live without either. Jacobs has something interesting (if not always persuasive) things to say about everything from environmental protection and bribe taking to modern city planning, feudal social organization, and the hazards of nuclear power. Less impressive than her particular judgments on each issue are the new connections that she manages to draw between seemingly disparate things. Her mind is like a kaleidoscope: chaotic but creative and pretty.
Her conceptual schemes, despite amateurish, are suggestive and pragmatically useful, not to construct a new Moral System, but to reassess existing ones. Although her selection of the academic literature is sporadic and incomplete, and although many of her real-world examples of the two syndromes are based on haphazard journalistic accounts and biased anecdotes, her mind works marvelously to synthesize vast material in interesting and original ways. The book yields a continuous supply of interesting threads, byways, and bridges to new domains. In that way, the whole book is greater than the sum of its parts. This is quite appropriate for someone like Jane Jacobs who sees the the economy, the city, and the society in similarly holistic, interconnected terms. What matters is how things cohere and come together. I was constantly delighted and challenged. The book offers few final words but loosens up the mind's congestions.
September 3, 2025
Jane Jacobs once again demonstrates her ability to boil down complicated concepts about how the world works into relatively simple characterizations. She presents 2 different moral "syndromes", one pertaining to commerce and one to guardianship, collectively capturing all ways of making a living. Essentially, those who trade and those who protect those that trade. Both are necessary to modern complex civilization, but both require very different moral systems. As a few choice examples, the commercial syndrome encourages openness, inventiveness, honesty, and voluntary agreements, while the guardian syndrome encourages exclusivity, respect of tradition, loyalty, and use of force. These aspects are complimentary but not to be mixed in a particular job. Without regulation and the state to back up quality and safety standards, the trust in commerce falls apart. Without the tax revenue from an inventive and enterprising economic system, the state becomes weak and feckless.
Through the lens of these different syndromes it becomes possible to diagnose the failing of various commercial industries in which the moral systems have become mixed. A particular value of the guardian syndrome is to "shun trading", or discouraging the trading of information, material, or power that might be relevant to security or sanctity of the economic system. When the government takes bribes or sells things for a profit, it becomes untrustworthy as a protective entity. As an alternative example, when Boeing is allowed to do its own inspections on its aircraft instead of the FAA, it has become its own guardian, and the commercial drive of the company to save money might conflict with the guardian values to adhere to regulations, resulting in the company getting away with cutting corners.
While somewhat simplistic, the syndrome system allows for explanation of why certain institutions and corporations struggle and become nonfunctional in terms that I have never seen in discourse about those institutions, and because of this provides a fascinating new angle on why systems fall apart.
Through the lens of these different syndromes it becomes possible to diagnose the failing of various commercial industries in which the moral systems have become mixed. A particular value of the guardian syndrome is to "shun trading", or discouraging the trading of information, material, or power that might be relevant to security or sanctity of the economic system. When the government takes bribes or sells things for a profit, it becomes untrustworthy as a protective entity. As an alternative example, when Boeing is allowed to do its own inspections on its aircraft instead of the FAA, it has become its own guardian, and the commercial drive of the company to save money might conflict with the guardian values to adhere to regulations, resulting in the company getting away with cutting corners.
While somewhat simplistic, the syndrome system allows for explanation of why certain institutions and corporations struggle and become nonfunctional in terms that I have never seen in discourse about those institutions, and because of this provides a fascinating new angle on why systems fall apart.
September 7, 2013
Jacobs uses character dialogue to outline her belief around two distinct work paths within society; take and trade. Taking is related to guardianship, and trading to commerce and guardianship. She makes clear the characteristics of both sets of interests, explaining why each is valuable and desirable. It is a compelling consideration for how we can relate to the moral 'hazards' loose in the world today, and how we can think about designing systems that will allow us to live as loving, thriving communities of people.
Mostly I'm struck by the value of both taking and trading, how each pursuit has its own distinct interests and morals, and that any potential trouble arrises when a guardian takes on commerce, or commerce takes on guardianship. Jacobs makes the case that in the long run, both are likely to happen, and it is either through caste systems (which will ultimately crumble due to changes in environment) or self-observation (subject to shirking) that the distinction in pursuits can be maintained.
I found this book to have remarkable insights, using anecdotes both small and large, recent and historical, to support her case. Sighting broad ranging incidents from Moses addressing the Jews freed from Egypt to the savings and loans scandal to feudal lords in Europe, it seems that we are bound to repeat these moral hazards should we lose sight of the nature of our occupation and the behaviours appropriate to our pursuits.
Mostly I'm struck by the value of both taking and trading, how each pursuit has its own distinct interests and morals, and that any potential trouble arrises when a guardian takes on commerce, or commerce takes on guardianship. Jacobs makes the case that in the long run, both are likely to happen, and it is either through caste systems (which will ultimately crumble due to changes in environment) or self-observation (subject to shirking) that the distinction in pursuits can be maintained.
I found this book to have remarkable insights, using anecdotes both small and large, recent and historical, to support her case. Sighting broad ranging incidents from Moses addressing the Jews freed from Egypt to the savings and loans scandal to feudal lords in Europe, it seems that we are bound to repeat these moral hazards should we lose sight of the nature of our occupation and the behaviours appropriate to our pursuits.
June 3, 2024
I first heard of this book from Venkatesh Rao, subconsciously I'd been building it up in my head for years. The actual text is a letdown, and the dialog format is a distracting affectation. The Wikipedia page on Systems of Survival gives a perfectly adequate encapsulation of the guardian and commerce syndromes
Still fun to think about. Reminded me of Trevanian's Shibumi. The protagonist assassin Nicholai Hel who compares himself to a paladin, over and over we hear about the centuries of breeding that went into his noble ancestry, and over and over, his sneering disdain for commerce and traders.
Still fun to think about. Reminded me of Trevanian's Shibumi. The protagonist assassin Nicholai Hel who compares himself to a paladin, over and over we hear about the centuries of breeding that went into his noble ancestry, and over and over, his sneering disdain for commerce and traders.
August 17, 2014
Another wonderful book from Jane Jacobs. Jacob's returns to philosophy's roots for a dialogue concerning ethics and the relationship between the individual and society. At first, I was worried about this style; I tend to prefer my philosophy straight, no narratives or such. However, I ended up loving this as much as the Platonic dialogues, and I daresay her insights are nearly as profound. Definitely worth the read.
Side note: I chose to read this while visiting Prague. Happy to have such a fantastic book associated with such a beautiful city.
Side note: I chose to read this while visiting Prague. Happy to have such a fantastic book associated with such a beautiful city.
December 4, 2009
Highly recommended examination of the morality of earning a living. Turns out there are two ways, raiding and trading (to use terms Jacobs explicity rejects), both of which have their place in a balanced society as a check on the cancerous growth of the other. Very insightful. This book can change your take on work and the economy.
May 28, 2011
I'll definitely be reading more Jane Jacobs. She was clearly a very insightful cultural critic. This book presents some useful tools for looking at systems of morality, but the discussion loses traction thanks to its format as a fictionalized dialogue.
June 28, 2011
I read this book for am Ethics class on Jane Jacobs and I absolutely loved it. It is completely different from what I have ever read and it was just an amazingly well thought out way of how our society works and how we teach ourselves to ruin it... but yet, how to fix it.
July 17, 2011
Awesome discussion about the need for balance between government (the guardians) and commerce. Well researched and documented, conveyed in conversational style. I loved it.
November 16, 2011
Compares the values of commerce (trade, transparent, open, innovative) with politics (war, secret, closed, loyal). One works in realm of police, the other in trade. Read on Long Wharf.
December 20, 2019
Jane Jacobs is better know by her book The Death and Life of Great American Cities but Systems of Survival is her masterpiece on morality.
Different from her previous work Systems of Survival is written as a dialogue which is interesting in itself. Each character represent a different point of view and together they develop, through a series of socratic dialogues and research, a moral system that answers the initial quest of a systemic thinking about morality in practical working life.
Jacobs calls these frameworks syndrome not as a type of illness but "it comes from the Greek, meaning 'things that run together'. We customarily use it to mean a group of symptoms that characterize a given condition." In other words these systems represent a whole set of precepts to address how people solve their living problems.
These syndromes are the Guardian and the Commercial
Moral Precepts of the Guardian Syndrome
Shun trading
Exert prowess
Be obedient and disciplined
Adhere to tradition
Respect hierarchy
Be loyal
Take vengeance
Deceive for the sake of the task
Make rich use of leisure
Be ostentatious
Dispense largesse
Be exclusive
Show fortitude
Be fatalistic
Treasure honor
Moral Precepts of the Commercial Syndrome
Shun force
Compete
Be efficient
Be open to inventiveness and novelty
Use initiative and enterprise
Come to voluntary agreements
Respect contracts
Dissent for the sake of the task
Be industrious
Be thrifty
Invest for productive purposes
Collaborate easily with strangers and aliens
Promote comfort and convenience
Be optimistic
Be honest
For Jacobs both systems or syndromes are natural and needed. However they can be corrupted by crossing the boundaries that separate them. Through a historic analysis the characters uncover these two syndromes, how the corruption made them fail and how has societies kept them separated. Historically, to keep the two syndromes confined and moral integrity, we either use a cast regime or a rational moral flexibility. The group lean for an imperfect moral flexibility over the cast system.
Jane Jacobs' conclusions of Systems of Survival is that "the guardian-commercial symbiosis that combats force, fraud, and unconscionable greed in commerce life - and simultaneously impels guardians to respect private plans, private property, and personal rights. ... Perhaps we have a useful definition of civilization: reasonably workable guardian-commercial symbiosis"
Different from her previous work Systems of Survival is written as a dialogue which is interesting in itself. Each character represent a different point of view and together they develop, through a series of socratic dialogues and research, a moral system that answers the initial quest of a systemic thinking about morality in practical working life.
Jacobs calls these frameworks syndrome not as a type of illness but "it comes from the Greek, meaning 'things that run together'. We customarily use it to mean a group of symptoms that characterize a given condition." In other words these systems represent a whole set of precepts to address how people solve their living problems.
"My hypothesis is that we have two contradictory ways of getting a living; therefore we have two contradictory moral syndromes, one to suit each way and its derivatives."
"I've come to think of the two moral syndromes as survival systems, worked out by long experience of with trading, on the one hand, and taking on the other"
These syndromes are the Guardian and the Commercial
Moral Precepts of the Guardian Syndrome
Shun trading
Exert prowess
Be obedient and disciplined
Adhere to tradition
Respect hierarchy
Be loyal
Take vengeance
Deceive for the sake of the task
Make rich use of leisure
Be ostentatious
Dispense largesse
Be exclusive
Show fortitude
Be fatalistic
Treasure honor
Moral Precepts of the Commercial Syndrome
Shun force
Compete
Be efficient
Be open to inventiveness and novelty
Use initiative and enterprise
Come to voluntary agreements
Respect contracts
Dissent for the sake of the task
Be industrious
Be thrifty
Invest for productive purposes
Collaborate easily with strangers and aliens
Promote comfort and convenience
Be optimistic
Be honest
For Jacobs both systems or syndromes are natural and needed. However they can be corrupted by crossing the boundaries that separate them. Through a historic analysis the characters uncover these two syndromes, how the corruption made them fail and how has societies kept them separated. Historically, to keep the two syndromes confined and moral integrity, we either use a cast regime or a rational moral flexibility. The group lean for an imperfect moral flexibility over the cast system.
"If it is true we're the only creatures with two fundamentally different ways of getting a living, it follows that to be as fully human as we can be, we should all be capable of using our two syndromes well. They belong to all of us because we are human, no other reason."
"Every normal person the world over is inherently capable of both trading and taking..... But knowing when it's appropriate to use the one or the other approach, trading or taking, and how to do it properly - those things are culturally learned, mostly by imitation and practice."
Jane Jacobs' conclusions of Systems of Survival is that "the guardian-commercial symbiosis that combats force, fraud, and unconscionable greed in commerce life - and simultaneously impels guardians to respect private plans, private property, and personal rights. ... Perhaps we have a useful definition of civilization: reasonably workable guardian-commercial symbiosis"
May 2, 2018
A short book, written as a dialogue between a group of friends of differing backgrounds.
The question finds root in Plato's ideal republic and his division of responsibility. Jane Jacobs appoints a lead character in Kate who proposes that there are two moral syndromes (guardian/government vs commerce) inherent in our society. Each syndrome is made up of various inter related components and the characters debate the origin, intent, and modern representations of said components.
The conclusion seems to be that each syndrome corrupts the other but their comingling is a requirement for society to function, so we better make the best of it!
There's a random add in from a character at the end of the book that probably deserves a novel on its own about how society is the bedrock of families vs the other way around.
Anyway, very interesting stuff that I never would have thought of but seems quite reasonable as presented in this novel.
I remember reading Plato's Republic and thinking his strick seperation of duties seemed like a weird/dumb/over-my-head little segment but Jane's 200 page book explains it all wonderfully
The question finds root in Plato's ideal republic and his division of responsibility. Jane Jacobs appoints a lead character in Kate who proposes that there are two moral syndromes (guardian/government vs commerce) inherent in our society. Each syndrome is made up of various inter related components and the characters debate the origin, intent, and modern representations of said components.
The conclusion seems to be that each syndrome corrupts the other but their comingling is a requirement for society to function, so we better make the best of it!
There's a random add in from a character at the end of the book that probably deserves a novel on its own about how society is the bedrock of families vs the other way around.
Anyway, very interesting stuff that I never would have thought of but seems quite reasonable as presented in this novel.
I remember reading Plato's Republic and thinking his strick seperation of duties seemed like a weird/dumb/over-my-head little segment but Jane's 200 page book explains it all wonderfully
December 9, 2019
I give this book a 2 out of 5, even though its a great book my attention was total of. I did not get the book but the part in which I did read with potential attention I did enjoy, This book is the kind of book where you finish reading and you learned something. This book in my perspective is trying to teach us that our world is filled with lies, diminishing people and etc. It teaches us that government political things or people lie, and we should be careful with what we believe. This book is related to ALL of OUR hero’s journey because basically, a world without lies does not exist. And at one point someone or something is going to lie or be a lie to us. I think that as a reader reading this book changed my perspective of the government, I would recommend this book if you are someone who is interested in political things, etc.
September 2, 2020
[In my ratings 2 means quite OK and 3 means good.]
For the sake of both, yes, let us return to separation of commerce and government. Beyond that, this is a book for Libertarians or anyone who thinks that government, however necessary, is evil. I don't. I am proud to have spent a career as a bureaucrat. I find this book offensive and destructive as guidance, at best.
It is not mine to judge my own actions, but when I think about coworkers they do NOT tend to meet the book's stereotypes. Deceit in the course of executing one's duties is consistently condemned, a confidence I lack in many corporations' public interactions. Earning adequate but never grand salaries (I am not including some elected officials), they have chosen a modest income that does not appeal to those who are ostentatious or drawn to largesse. There are a great many laws and regulations aimed at stopping what small degree of vengeance human nature may bring to some situations. Etc.
For the sake of both, yes, let us return to separation of commerce and government. Beyond that, this is a book for Libertarians or anyone who thinks that government, however necessary, is evil. I don't. I am proud to have spent a career as a bureaucrat. I find this book offensive and destructive as guidance, at best.
It is not mine to judge my own actions, but when I think about coworkers they do NOT tend to meet the book's stereotypes. Deceit in the course of executing one's duties is consistently condemned, a confidence I lack in many corporations' public interactions. Earning adequate but never grand salaries (I am not including some elected officials), they have chosen a modest income that does not appeal to those who are ostentatious or drawn to largesse. There are a great many laws and regulations aimed at stopping what small degree of vengeance human nature may bring to some situations. Etc.
May 23, 2020
I refer to this book constantly.
If you ant to understand the difference between private and public sector organizations, who they serve and why, and why they should never try and behave like the other, this is the only book you need.
a caveat: This book is written in the construct of Platonic Dialogue, and I HATED it. Once the characters get into their discussions however, it's what they say is that is important and well worth any frustration you may have with the structure.
If you ant to understand the difference between private and public sector organizations, who they serve and why, and why they should never try and behave like the other, this is the only book you need.
a caveat: This book is written in the construct of Platonic Dialogue, and I HATED it. Once the characters get into their discussions however, it's what they say is that is important and well worth any frustration you may have with the structure.
June 29, 2022
might have been more revelatory in the time it was written…. insights are a little rusty and I don’t think the dialogue format helps them come across any better
worth a read but I’m not sure if I’m taking anything meaningful away … also the internet complicates like everything she’s talking about
worth a read but I’m not sure if I’m taking anything meaningful away … also the internet complicates like everything she’s talking about
June 15, 2024
A challenging read for the dialogue structure that it adopts but a profound an illuminating one just same. Its observations and astute takedowns of sacred cows, old saws and overworked assumptions are compelling and I’m sure rereading it would be just as revealing and enlightening.
December 25, 2018
Why did she write this as a series of dialogs?
Read
April 4, 2021This is something that should be deeply installed in schools's curriculum. And most probably a little shadowed by JJ other great works.
March 18, 2017
Insight into two different ethical systems
Insight into two different ethical systems and when each is appropriate and inappropriate. Also examines the problem of admixture between them.
This explains much of what both sides of the political divide like and dislike about our political leaders, past and present.
Insight into two different ethical systems and when each is appropriate and inappropriate. Also examines the problem of admixture between them.
This explains much of what both sides of the political divide like and dislike about our political leaders, past and present.
April 26, 2018
Jane Jacobs’ acclaimed book, Systems of Survival, argues that all work fits into two fundamental moral systems that Jacobs identifies as the commercial and guardian syndromes which provide direction for conducting human life. Canadian-American author and activist Jacobs, born in 1916 in Scranton, Pennsylvania, moved with her sister to New York City in 1935. There, Jacobs attended Columbia University’s School of General Studies for two years, after which she became a writer for the Office of War Information and then a reporter for Amerika. The book, first published in 1992, provides key insights into the two distinct ethical syndromes through didactic conversations between various characters as they explore these topics.
The book begins with Jacobs introducing Armbruster, the host, and his four guests, each with vastly different backgrounds, as they, through alternating and varying perspectives, discuss moral honesty. One of Armbruster’s guests, Ben is an author and an advocate of recycling. Fictional character Ben shares his experience with the real Canadian protest group PPOWW, Preserve and Protect Our Wilderness Watershed, where he faced a moral dilemma and lied to the television people about the degree of harm to the forest in order to receive the media exposure needed to increase awareness of the site (p.12-18). Ben chose to lie to attract attention and achieve a moral result, which was exposure and further support for their cause. He and the other characters discuss the ethics of perception and honesty.
Furthermore, Jacobs dictates the two syndromes: commercial and guardian. The commercial moral syndrome, made up of fifteen precepts, principles, supply people’s physical needs through trade and production (p.30). The guardian moral syndrome, also made up of fifteen precepts, manages territories, like “police, soldiers, government policymakers and rulers” (p.30). Ultimately, the commercial syndrome supports the guardian syndrome. Jacobs later outlines each of the total 30 percepts with examples and historic philosophical references, such as Socrates and Lao-Tzu.
Jacobs concludes the book by explaining the advantage of living through two fundamentally different ways of work. She indicates that people have the capacity and capability to use the two syndromes to advance the human collective. For example, she writes, “ ‘Mutual support of morally contradictory trading and taking; it tames both activities and their derivatives. So perhaps we have a useful definition of civilization: reasonably workable guardian-commercial symbiosis.’” (p.214) The essence of commercial and guardian syndrome symbiosis—the advantageous close interactions between these activities—is the support between them.
I would recommend this book to readers interested in understanding the morality of work. Witty and engaging dialogues set forth between the five characters elucidate the moral underpinnings of the commercial and guardian syndromes. Overall, through these conversations, the characters, along with the reader, discover and explore ways in which the two syndromes can guide human life.
The book begins with Jacobs introducing Armbruster, the host, and his four guests, each with vastly different backgrounds, as they, through alternating and varying perspectives, discuss moral honesty. One of Armbruster’s guests, Ben is an author and an advocate of recycling. Fictional character Ben shares his experience with the real Canadian protest group PPOWW, Preserve and Protect Our Wilderness Watershed, where he faced a moral dilemma and lied to the television people about the degree of harm to the forest in order to receive the media exposure needed to increase awareness of the site (p.12-18). Ben chose to lie to attract attention and achieve a moral result, which was exposure and further support for their cause. He and the other characters discuss the ethics of perception and honesty.
Furthermore, Jacobs dictates the two syndromes: commercial and guardian. The commercial moral syndrome, made up of fifteen precepts, principles, supply people’s physical needs through trade and production (p.30). The guardian moral syndrome, also made up of fifteen precepts, manages territories, like “police, soldiers, government policymakers and rulers” (p.30). Ultimately, the commercial syndrome supports the guardian syndrome. Jacobs later outlines each of the total 30 percepts with examples and historic philosophical references, such as Socrates and Lao-Tzu.
Jacobs concludes the book by explaining the advantage of living through two fundamentally different ways of work. She indicates that people have the capacity and capability to use the two syndromes to advance the human collective. For example, she writes, “ ‘Mutual support of morally contradictory trading and taking; it tames both activities and their derivatives. So perhaps we have a useful definition of civilization: reasonably workable guardian-commercial symbiosis.’” (p.214) The essence of commercial and guardian syndrome symbiosis—the advantageous close interactions between these activities—is the support between them.
I would recommend this book to readers interested in understanding the morality of work. Witty and engaging dialogues set forth between the five characters elucidate the moral underpinnings of the commercial and guardian syndromes. Overall, through these conversations, the characters, along with the reader, discover and explore ways in which the two syndromes can guide human life.
January 16, 2020
The dialogue-style of this book comes off a little bit odd at first, but I appreciate it from the perspective of exploring ideas and theories rather than decreeing them from on high. I disagreed with some of the examples used, particularly in a few places where it placed some behaviour in one syndrome or another. But also, I think that's really the point -- this is a book to contemplate, and it's designed to let you build your own thoughts on top of it (in particular, it was really interesting reading Debt: the First 5000 Years at the same time).
I've found the framework of the two syndromes really useful to contemplate, honour-bound warrior vs cooperative merchant, particularly when arguing with my hyper libertarian cousin.
Whether or not the two syndromes are perfectly consistent with all human behaviour, that's to be debated. But the key conclusion that you do need both syndromes to run a successful society, the corollary that the two syndromes need to be balanced, rings true.
I've found the framework of the two syndromes really useful to contemplate, honour-bound warrior vs cooperative merchant, particularly when arguing with my hyper libertarian cousin.
Whether or not the two syndromes are perfectly consistent with all human behaviour, that's to be debated. But the key conclusion that you do need both syndromes to run a successful society, the corollary that the two syndromes need to be balanced, rings true.
June 25, 2010
Wow. Moral Obligations are created by whom?
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