Table Of ContentStudies in Economic Ethics and Philosophy
Series Editor Editorial Board
Peter Koslowski F. Neil Brady
James M. Buchanan
Richard De George
Jon Elster
Amitai Etzioni
Gerard Gafgen
Serge-Christophe Kolm
Michael S. McPherson
Yuichi Shionoya
Philippe Van Parijs
Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg GmbH
Studies in Economic Ethics and Philosophy
P. Koslowski (Ed.) P. Koslowski and A. FfIlliesdal (Eds.)
Ethics in Economics, Business, and Restructuring the Welfare State
Economic Policy (out of print) Theory and Reform of Social Policy
X, 178 pages. 1992. VIII, 402. pages. 1997
ISBN 3-540-55359-2. ISBN 3-540-62.035-4
P. Koslowski and Y. Shionoya (Eds.) G. Erreygers and T. Vandevelde
The Good and the Economical Is Inheritance Legitimater
Ethical Choices in Economics and Ethical and Economic Aspects
Management (out of print) of Wealth Transfers
X, 2.02. pages. 1993 X, 2.36 pages. 1997
ISBN 3-540-57339-9 ISBN 3-540-62.72.5-1
H. De Geer (Ed.) P. Koslowski (Ed.)
Business Ethics in Progressr Business Ethics
IX, 12.4 pages. 1994 in East Central Europe
ISBN 3-540-57758-0 XII, 151 pages. 1997
ISBN 3-540-63367-X
P. Koslowski (Ed.)
The Theory of Ethical Economy in the P. Koslowski (Ed.)
Historical School Methodology of the Social Sciences,
XI, 343 pages. 1995, reprinted 1997 Ethics, and Economics in the Newer
ISBN 3-540-59070-6 Historical School
From Max Weber and Rickert
A. Argandoiia (Ed.) to Sombart and Rothacker
The Ethical Dimension of Financial XII, 565 pages. 1997
Institutions and Markets ISBN 3-540-63458-4
XI, 2.63 pages. 1995
ISBN 3-540-592.09-1 A. FfIlllesdai and P. Koslowski (Eds.)
Democracy and the European Union
G. K. Becker (Ed.) X, 309 pages. 1998
Ethics in Business and Society. ISBN 3-540-63457-6
Chinese and Western Perspectives
VIII, 2.33 pages. 1996 P. Koslowski (Ed.)
ISBN 3-540-60773-0 The Social Market Economy
Theory and Ethics of the Economic
P. Koslowski Order
Ethics of Capitalism and Critique XII, 360 pages. 1998
of Sociobiology. 1\vo Essays with ISBN 3-540-64043-6
a Comment by James M. Buchanan
IX, 142. pages. 1996 Amitai Etzioni
ISBN 3-540-61035-9 Essays in Socio-Economics
XII, 182. pages. 1999
F. Neil Brady (Ed.) ISBN 3-540-64466-0
Ethical Universals in International
Business
X, 2.46 pages. 1996
ISBN 3-540-61588-1
Peter Koslowski (Ed.)
Sociobiology and
Bioeconomics
The Theory of Evolution in Biological
and Economic Theory
With 18 Figures
and Table
1
, Springer
Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Peter Koslowski
Hannover Institute of Philosophical Research -
Forschungsinstitut rur Philosophie Hannover
Centre for Ethical Economy and Business Culture
Gerberstrasse 26
D-30169 Hannover
Germany
Published with the Support of
STIPTUNG FORSCHUNGSINSTITUT PUR PHILOSOPHIE HANNOVER
ISBN 978-3-642-08470-6
Cataloging-in-Publication Data applied for
Die Deutsche Bibliothek - CIP-Einheitsaufnahme
Sociobiology and bioeconomics: the theory of evolution in biological and eco
nomic theory I Peter Koslowski (ed.).
(Studies in economic ethics and philosophy)
ISBN 978-3-642-08470-6 ISBN 978-3-662-03825-3 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-662-03825-3
This work is subject to copyright. AlI rights are reserved, whether the whole or
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@ Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1999
Originally published by Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg New York in 1999
The use of general descriptive narnes, registered names, trademarks, etc. in this
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Hardcover Design: Erich Kirchner, Heidelberg
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Preface
The volume at hand publishes the proceedings of the conference "Develop
mental Systems, Competition, and Cooperation in Sociobiology and Eco
nomics", a "Studies in Economic Ethics and Philosophy (SEEP)-Conference"
held at Marienrode Monastery, Hildesheim-Marienrode near Hannover, Ger
many, on 24-28 April 1996. This "Studies in Economic Ethics and Philoso
phy (SEEP)-Conference" was made possible by the support of the Stiftung
Forschungsinstitut fUr Philosophie Hannover ~ Foundation Hannover Insti
tute of Philosophical Research.
The editor wishes to thank his co-workers at the Forschungsinstitut fUr
Philosophie Hannover for their assistance in organizing the conference at Ma
rienrode and Anna Maria Hauk M.A. and Bettina Lohnert M.A. for their as
sistance in preparing the computerized version of this book.
A special word of gratitude is due the Stiftung Forschungsinstitut fOr Phi
losophie Hannover whose financial support made the conference in 1996 pos
sible.
Hannover, September 1998 P. K.
Contents
Preface ......................................................................................... V
Sociobiology, Theory of Evolution, and Bioeconomics
Introduction
PETER KOSLOWSKI ......................................................................... 1
Part I
Neo-Darwinian Synthesis, Sociobiology, and the Economy
of Nature
Chapter 1
Darwinian Monism: The Economy of Nature
MICHAEL T. GHISELIN .................................................................... 7
Chapter 2
Coercion
TIM CLUTION-BROCK and GEOFF A. PARKER .................................. 25
Chapter 3
Does the Second Law of Thermodynamics Refute the Neo-Darwinian
Synthesis?
BRUCE H. WEBER and DAVID 1. DEPEW ........................................... 50
CONTENTS
Partll
Natural Selection and Developmental Systems: Redrawing
the Boundaries Between Genetic and Non-Genetic Factors
of Evolution
Chapter 4
Evolutionary and Developmental Formation: Politics of the Boundary
SUSAN OyAMA ............................................................................ 79
Chapter 5
The Gene Is Dead -Long Live the Gene! Conceptualizing Genes the
Constructionist Way
EVAM. NEUMANN-HELD ............................................................. 105
Part ill
Redrawing the Boundaries Between the Narratives of
Evolutionary Biology and the Narratives of Hermeneutics,
Mythology, and Philosophy
Chapter 6
The Role of Hermeneutics in Biology
SERGEY V. CHEBANOV ................................................................ 141
Chapter 7
Science and Mythology: a New "metaxu"?
JACQUES VAlJI'HIER .................................................................... 173
vm
CON1ENTS
Chapter 8
What Is the Impact of a Philosophically Based Criticism of Socio-Biology
on the Sientific Community?
ALOYS HO'ITERMANN ................................................................. 183
Part IV
Synergetics, Symbiosis and Cooperation in Sociology
and Biology
Chapter 9
Synergetics in Sociology and Biology
HERMANN HAKEN .... ............... ............................ ........... ............ 199
Chapter 10
Symbiosis, Mutualism and Cooperation in Biological Evolution
HANS-DIE1ER GOR1Z ................................................................. 219
Part V
Evolutionary Biology and Economic Theory
Chapter 11
Are Economic Systems Like Organisms?
MAE-WAN HO ............................................................................ 237
IX
CONTENTS
Chapter 12
Darwinism and Economic Theory
PE1ER T. SAUNDERS .................................................................. 259
Chapter 13
Evolutionary Economics and Evolutionary Biology
ULRICHWITr ............................................................................ 279
Conclusion
Chapter 14
The Theory of Evolution as Sociobiology and Bioeconomics
A Critique of Its Claim to Totality
PETER KOSLOWSKI ..................................................................... 301
List of Authors .......................................................................... 329
Index of Names .......................................................................... 331
x
Sociobiology, Theory of Evolution,
and Bioeconomics
Introduction
PETER KOSLOWSKI
To the Memory of
Reinhard LOw (1949-1994),
Outstanding Scholar ofNaturphilosophie
Sociobiology forms a unifying theory of the social interactions in the
human and in the animal world. Its principle unifying human and animal so
cieties is the maximisation of genetic fitness by the individual. The maxi
misation of genetic fitness forms the basic "teleology" of the individual in
society. As an application of the Neo-Darwinian Synthesis of evolution
theory sociobiology extends Darwinian evolutionary theory to the realm of
the social and economic sciences. Sociobiology becomes bioeconomics or the
analysis of the economy of nature since individuals and species compete for
the same scarce resources of nature to maximise their inclusive fitness and the
survival of their off-spring. To make economic use of the resources of nature
is a necessary part of maximising inclusive fitness. The life sciences are led
by their own research to economic theory for being able to analyse the eco
nomy of nature. To live means to make economic use of one's own resources
and of those of one's environment. Wasting resources implies reducing the
development of life forms.
The acknowledgment of the economy of nature and the importance of eco
nomic laws in the natural and in the social evolution as well as in their co
evolution is a feature shared by the Neo-Darwinian Synthesis and evolutio
nism on the one hand and the older natural right tradition on the other. The
laws of nature and of its economy form constraints on the variations of hu
man culture that can be extended and modified but can be done so only with
