Naturalizing institutions: Evolutionary principles and application on the case of money

In recent extensions of the Darwinian paradigm into economics, the replicator-interactor duality looms large. I propose a strictly naturalistic approach to this duality in the context of the theory of institutions, which means that its use is seen as being always and necessarily dependent on identifying a physical realization. I introduce a general framework for the analysis of institutions, which synthesizes Searle's and Aoki's theories, especially with regard to the role of public representations (signs) in the coordination of actions, and the function of cognitive processes that underly rule-following as a behavioral disposition. This allows to conceive institutions as causal circuits that connect the population-level dynamics of interactions with cognitive phenomena on the individual level. Those cognitive phenomena ultimately root in neuronal structures. So, I draw on a critical restatement of the concept of the meme by Aunger to propose a new conceptualization of the replicator in the context of institutions, namely, the replicator is a causal conjunction between signs and neuronal structures which undergirds the dispositions that generate rule-following actions. Signs, in turn, are outcomes of population-level interactions. I apply this framework on the case of money, analyzing the emotions that go along with the use of money, and presenting a stylized account of the emergence of money in terms of the naturalized Searle-Aoki model. In this view, money is a neuronally anchored metaphor for emotions relating with social exchange and reciprocity. Money as a meme is physically realized in a replicator which is a causal conjunction of money artefacts and money emotions. --Generalized Darwinism,institutions,replicator/interactor,Searle,Aoki,naturalism,memes,emotions,money

Sustainable consumption: towards action and impact. : International scientific conference November 6th-8th 2011, Hamburg - European Green Capital 2011, Germany: abstract volume

This volume contains the abstracts of all oral and poster presentations of the international scientific conference „Sustainable Consumption – Towards Action and Impact“ held in Hamburg (Germany) on November 6th-8th 2011. This unique conference aims to promote a comprehensive academic discourse on issues concerning sustainable consumption and brings together scholars from a wide range of academic disciplines. In modern societies, private consumption is a multifaceted and ambivalent phenomenon: it is a ubiquitous social practice and an economic driving force, yet at the same time, its consequences are in conflict with important social and environmental sustainability goals. Finding paths towards “sustainable consumption” has therefore become a major political issue. In order to properly understand the challenge of “sustainable consumption”, identify unsustainable patterns of consumption and bring forward the necessary innovations, a collaborative effort of researchers from different disciplines is needed

Principles of cooperation across systems: from human sharing to multicellularity and cancer

abstract: From cells to societies, several general principles arise again and again that facilitate cooperation and suppress conflict. In this study, I describe three general principles of cooperation and how they operate across systems including human sharing, cooperation in animal and insect societies and the massively large-scale cooperation that occurs in our multicellular bodies. The first principle is that of Walk Away: that cooperation is enhanced when individuals can leave uncooperative partners. The second principle is that resource sharing is often based on the need of the recipient (i.e., need-based transfers) rather than on strict account-keeping. And the last principle is that effective scaling up of cooperation requires increasingly sophisticated and costly cheater suppression mechanisms. By comparing how these principles operate across systems, we can better understand the constraints on cooperation. This can facilitate the discovery of novel ways to enhance cooperation and suppress cheating in its many forms, from social exploitation to cancer.The final version of this article, as published in Evolutionary Applications, can be viewed online at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/eva.12303/abstract

Cyber-physical Manufacturing in the Light of Professor Kanji Ueda's Legacy

Cyber-physical manufacturing, i.e., the formerly never seen integration of the physical and virtual worlds in the manufacturing domain is considered the substance of the 4th industrial revolution. Much of the changes deemed now revolutionary are originated in a long and converging progress of manufacturing science and technology, as well as of computer science, information and communication technologies. One of the pioneers and influential thinkers of production engineering who paved the way towards cyber-physical manufacturing was unquestionably Professor Kanji Ueda (1946-2015). With this paper the authors would like to pay a tribute to his achievements, by highlighting his main contributions not only to the advancement of production engineering and industrial technology but also to the sustainability of our society

Eight Personal Rules for Doing Science

Adaptive dynamics (AD) is not a scientific theory, but a mathematical framework for dealing with eco-evolutionary problems, based on a varied set of simplifying assumptions as a means of approaching problems of otherwise greater complexity. As such it may be compared with e.g. the theory of stochastic processes, or of differential equations. AD can make predictions only in a similar way to these theories: it lays bare consistent patterns in mathematical structures, some of which hopefully connect to the real world. Predictions largely come from specific models. AD studies the tools for analysing such models. Like in the theory of differential equations or bifurcation theory, a number of these tools already existed before the abstract theory took off. AD creates order on an abstract level, which in turn helps in constructing new tools. As far as the use of the newer tools is concerned, AD can be said to have contributed to predictions. Another class of predictions from AD arise from arguments on the frequency with which one may expect different situations to occur

Toward a Theory of Public Entrepreneurship

This paper explores innovation, experimentation, and creativity in the public domain and in the public interest. Researchers in various disciplines have studied public entrepreneurship, but there is little research specifically on the nature, incentives and constraints of public entrepreneurship to innovate in the public interest. We begin by extending concepts of the entrepreneurial firm to include greater interactions in the public domain, and then turn to the role of entrepreneurial firms in fostering institutional change. This focus points toward opportunities for integrating transaction-costs, political and international business theories to achieve a more refined institutional theory of firm-government interactions that incorporates entrepreneurial agency as a principal mechanism for innovating in the fulfillment of public and private interests.

On the Problem of the Island of Earth: Introducing a Universal Theory of Value in an Open Letter to The President of the United States

This paper introduces a unified theory of value.theory of value; evolutionary stable solution; economic power; military power; national security; global threat mitigation; extinction; human evolution; ideological environmentalism; the problem of induction; karl popper; F.A. von Hayek; austrian economics

Preferring or Needing Cities? (Evolutionary) psychology, utility and life satisfaction of urban living

Abstract What does city life do to us? We start this discussion introducing the sociologists Tonnies, Durkheim, Simmel, Park, Weber, Wirth, Fisher, Foucault, Gans, Gieryn, Hagerstrand, Stokols, Lowry and Harvey; the philosophers Aristotle, Aristippus, Epicurus, Augustine, Aquinas, Epictetus, Kant, Mandeville, Bentham; the economists, among many, Mill, Stigler, Glaeser, Frey, Easterlin; the psychologists Kahneman, Diener and many others; and evolutionary psychology hints. Empirical evidence suggests a causal link between mental health and urbanicity level. Idem for life satisfaction and stated preferences, both resulting higher at lower urbanicity levels. Despite this, more and more people are deciding to spend their lives in cities (85–90% by 2100). Why? Urban life pros and cons pose individuals subjective spatial dis-equilibrium to face life-time and daily-life decisions, rationally/irrationally balancing advantages and disadvantages in short (current utility) and long term (lifetime utility) perspectives. People trade-off antagonistic arguments of their lifetime/current utility functions when deciding where to live, and some of them end up having to sacrifice a preferred environment to enjoy other types of benefits. Future technological advances (robots, artificial intelligence, hologram communication, telework, teleservices, hyperloops …) and urban-territorial design will radically transform our socio-economic systems and free us up to live where we truly prefer, which might either be an electronic cottage in the wild, a picturesque rural settlement, a romantic town, a beautiful city, a sparkling megacity, or a combination of them