Dear Pedro
the mediation of markets for the production and distribution of goods and
services that serve the majority of human needs is possible also outside of
the capitalistic system, albeit its dynamics is then slower and the rate of
novelty and technological change it may generate is significantly lower.
The case in point is the system of socialist self-management which was
operative in the former Yugoslavia for the period of 40 years. It was the
combination of plan and market, which was more efficient than the Soviet
planning system but less efficient than the Western, full market model.
However, it was very efficient in bringing the bread and butter to the
everyday table.
"Insisting on surrogates, eg, > hierarchical schemes, or even most of
complexity science, is worse than wrong: self-defeating, cul-de-sac."
Well, social science may use all kind of tools and models, including
statistical and econometric modeling, but also narratives and agent-based
modelling, all depending on the problem at hand. What we cannot hope to
achieve is the precision and reliability of the same models and tools when
used for problems in natural sciences. This has been known for long - but
choice do we have...?
Best
Igor
----- Original Message -----
From: "Pedro Marijuan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <fis@listas.unizar.es>
Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2007 12:45 PM
Subject: Re: [Fis] Continuing Discussion of Social and Cultural Complexity
Dear Igor and Stan,
Just a couple of pills to continue the e-conversation. Rather than an
outlandish theme, I consider this discussion of social complexity as
central to FIS agenda and --should be crucial-- to the new science of this
century. it is so obvious that our personal limitations and the
limitations of our shared knowledge are not conducing to proper
managements of social complexity, either in economic, political,
ecological (global warming), or energy grounds...
As often argued in this list, the mental schemes and modes of thought so
successful in physics during past centuries, do not provide those overall
contemplations needed for the social realm. Insisting on surrogates, eg,
hierarchical schemes, or even most of complexity science, is worse than
wrong: self-defeating, cul-de-sac.
The realm of economy is almost pure information. Rather than planning,
markets are very clever ways to handle informational complexity. They
partake a number of formal properties (eg, power laws) indicating that
they work as info conveyors on global, regional & sectorial, local scales.
Paradoxically, "rational" planning can take a man to the moon, or win a
war, but cannot bring bread and butter to the breakfast table every day.
Planning only, lacks the openness, flexibility, resilience, etc. of
markets. A combination of both, with relative market superiority looks
better...
with regards,
Pedro
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