Systems of Survival: A Dialogue on the Moral Foundations of Commerce and PoliticsThis book examines the ethical structures that sustain social and economic life. Jacobs argues that human behaviour is governed by two distinct ethical systems. The first is a 'guardian syndrome', which arises from behaviour that we share with other animals -- foraging for food and protecting our territories. Guardians work in the armed forces and police, government ministries and their bureaucracies, legislatures, courts, and organized religions. The second syndrome is 'commercial', arising from trade and the production of goods, a uniquely human activity. From these two modes of survival have come two discrete and contradictory ethical systems. Conflicts occur when the precepts appropriate to one are imposed on the other. For example, when New York's subway transit police applied commercial values to their work by rewarding increased output per officer, the result was a greater number of false arrests by police who expected to be compensated. According to Jacobs, guardians are morally compromised whenever commercial needs compel them to abandon their role as arbiter and enforcer. An understanding of the strengths and limits of these ethical systems gives insight into a number of interesting questions : When is industriousness a vice? Why do government-run businesses consistently bog down in waste and inefficiency? When is it ethical to deceive? Why do the most macho societies have the weakest economies? |
Contents
ONE Armbrusters Summons | 3 |
TWO A Pair of Contradictions | 23 |
SEVEN Anomalies | 112 |
Copyright | |
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Other editions - View all
Systems of Survival: A Dialogue on the Moral Foundations of Commerce and ... Jane Jacobs Limited preview - 2016 |
Systems of Survival: A Dialogue on the Moral Foundations of Commerce and ... Jane Jacobs Limited preview - 1994 |
Systems of Survival: A Dialogue on the Moral Foundations of Commerce and ... Jane Jacobs No preview available - 1994 |
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agriculture Alana ancient asked Armbruster asked Hortense asked Jasper bank behavior borrowers bruster called cast of mind cial commercial syndrome competition contracts contractual law corporation corrupt costs court crime customers debt default dissent economic enterprise ethical Ferris Jacobs flexible method force guardian and commercial guardian cast guardian syndrome Here's hierarchy honesty honor hunters individual industry instance interest junk bond Kate kinds Kopinor kuge Lao Tzu largesse loans logging looked loyalty Mafia means ment merchants military military-industrial complex moral syndrome numbers obedience Odious Debts organizations ostentation percent Plato police PPOWW practice precepts productive investment protection Protestant work ethic prowess rancid reason rulers samurai sell shun trading social social contract society symbiosis taxes tell territory things thrift tion tradition vengeance web of trust what's York Yunus