Foundations of Evolutionary Economics, Chapter Four: Individuals
FOUNDATIONS OF EVOLUTIONARY ECONOMICS, Edward Elgar, Forthcoming
Posted: 7 Mar 2011
Date Written: March 4, 2011
Abstract
This is an entirely new draft of the fourth chapter of my book Foundations of Evolutionary Economics which is going to be published by Edward Elgar in due course. A full summary of chapter four can be found at the beginning of the main text. The chapter argues that the evolutionary notion of the individual is an abstract, multi-level one, including groups. This builds on an externalist approach to mind, which I define as supervening on the brain and signs as physical entities. Drawing on neuroscience and evolutionary psychology, I propose a dual selves model of the individual. In a dual selves model, emotions and identity emerge as integrative concepts that explain the possibility of agency. Agency is distributed, dual to the distributed nature of human knowledge. Against the background of an evolutionary theory of needs and wants, consumption is seen as a performative act.
Overview of book contents
• Chapter 1: Ontology • Chapter 2: Causality • Chapter 3: Evolution • Chapter 4: Individuals • Chapter 5: Networks • Chapter 6: Institutions • Chapter 7: Technology • Chapter 8: Markets
Keywords: externalism, distributed cognition, neuronal darwinism, dual selves, wants and needs
JEL Classification: B52, D0
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation