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- Title
The Invisible Hand and the Wisdom of the Hive.
- Authors
Goldsmith, Timothy
- Abstract
Self-interest is required for survival and reproduction and lies at the foundation of economic theory. But the presence of social groups with functional internal structure is incompatible with unmitigated self-interest. This essay compares the control of self-interest in humans and honey bees, showing the reasons for different evolutionary outcomes. The less effective checks of self-interest in humans lead to familiar forms of social discord, and in our capitalistic democracy, negative economic and ecological consequences of growing scope. Change will require moderating some firmly held political beliefs.
- Subjects
FREE enterprise -- Social aspects; PHILOSOPHY of economics; SOCIOECONOMICS; ECONOMIC research; SOCIAL groups research; HUMAN behavior research; HONEYBEE behavior; SELF-interest
- Publication
Society, 2011, Vol 48, Issue 1, p4
- ISSN
0147-2011
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s12115-010-9388-1