A replicative perspective on evolutionary dynamics
This study explores analogies between socio-economic complexity and evolutionary processes in nature.
The author’s starting point is whether the development of complex socio-economic divisions of labour in 19th-century America parallels general evolutionary dynamics in biology, such as the integration from unicellular to multicellular organisms. Drawing on Vilmos Csanyi’s theory of general evolution and Alfred Chandler’s business history of the United States, the study identifies structural commonalities in how interlocked behaviours and hierarchical organisations emerge in both domains.
The author notes an important caveat: the similarities may reflect human cognitive patterns rather than actual parallels between natural and social processes. Nevertheless, the evolutionary metaphor proves theoretically productive, particularly in illuminating paradoxes within hierarchical organisations — such as the tension between convergent and divergent processes, and between participation and autonomy.
The study openly acknowledges the challenges of multi-disciplinary research, including how to reconcile contradictory theoretical frameworks and assess evidence drawn from different scientific traditions.
- ISSN: 0358-5980
- ISBN: 951-9282-47-5
