The Darwin economy : liberty, competition, and the common good
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Bibliographic Information
The Darwin economy : liberty, competition, and the common good
Princeton University Press, c2011
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Includes bibliographical references and index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
Who was the greater economist - Adam Smith or Charles Darwin? The question seems absurd. Darwin, after all, was a naturalist, not an economist. But Robert Frank, "New York Times" economics columnist and best-selling author of "The Economic Naturalist", predicts that within the next century Darwin will unseat Smith as the intellectual founder of economics. The reason, Frank argues, is that Darwin's understanding of competition describes economic reality far more accurately than Smith's. And the consequences of this fact are profound. Indeed, the failure to recognize that we live in Darwin's world rather than Smith's is putting us all at risk by preventing us from seeing that competition alone will not solve our problems. Smith's theory of the invisible hand, which says that competition channels self-interest for the common good, is probably the most widely cited argument today in favor of unbridled competition - and against regulation, taxation, and even government itself. But what if Smith's idea was almost an exception to the general rule of competition? That's what Frank argues, resting his case on Darwin's insight that individual and group interests often diverge sharply.
Far from creating a perfect world, economic competition often leads to "arms races", encouraging behaviors that not only cause enormous harm to the group but also provide no lasting advantages for individuals, since any gains tend to be relative and mutually offsetting. The good news is that we have the ability to tame the Darwin economy. The best solution is not to prohibit harmful behaviors but to tax them. By doing so, we could make the economic pie larger, eliminate government debt, and provide better public services, all without requiring painful sacrifices from anyone. That's a bold claim, Frank concedes, but it follows directly from logic and evidence that most people already accept.
Table of Contents
Preface ix Chapter 1: Paralysis 1 Chapter 2: Darwin's Wedge 16 Chapter 3: No Cash on the Table 30 Chapter 4: Starve the Beast' But Which One? 46 Chapter 5: Putting the Positional Consumption Beast on a Diet 64 Chapter 6: Perpetrators and Victims 84 Chapter 7: Efficiency Rules 100 Chapter 8: "It's Your Money ..." 119 Chapter 9: Success and Luck 140 Chapter 10: The Great Trade- Off ? 157 Chapter 11: Taxing Harmful Activities 172 Chapter 12: The Libertarian's Objections Reconsidered 194 Notes 217 Index 229
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