The meta-invisible hand

Anton Sherwood (dasher@netcom.com)
Tue, 23 Sep 1997 18:14:57 -0700 (PDT)


Hagbard writes:
: > However, while a form of natural
: > selection *may* exist in the free market

Anders replies:
: I would say it is not natural selection, but something different.
: The market seems to evolve according to Lamarkian or super-Lamarkian
: principles: offsprings inherit acquired characteristics of their
: parents, and entities can change their own structure when they find
: a need for it. Very complex, I wonder what to call this kind of
: evolution?

Selection with foresight?

Selection operates on at least three levels:
products, firms, and memes ("management styles").
Products get selected out ("made obsolete") all the time.
If a firm lets too many of its products die out, without
developing new ones (speciation?), the firm is selected out.
If, on the other hand, a firm prospers, its memes may spread
to other firms.

Anton Sherwood *\\* +1 415 267 0685 *\\* DASher@netcom.com