[FRIAM] means of production take 3

[Prof David West]

Gary,

I sent it to your email. If anyone else wants it,I can do the same.

davew


On Mon, Nov 25, 2019, at 1:53 PM, Gary Schiltz wrote:
> Is your paper available?
> 
> On Mon, Nov 25, 2019 at 7:11 AM Prof David West <profwest at fastmail.fm> wrote:
>> Some comments that might be intrusive (in which case, I apologize and please ignore) or contributory as context to the "ownership" discussion.
>> 
>>  Two-years ago I presented a paper, "Patterns of Humanity," at a social change conference. Part of the paper dealt with "economics," — in. quotation marks because not all of economics, but practical efforts to set up alternative mechanisms for economic exchange.
>> 
>>  All systems of exchange can be derived from three human/cultural patterns of reciprocity: general, balanced, and negative. Simplified: General is akin to parent-child, value is given with little regard for "repayment" except in very general and delayed terms (kids take care of their parents in old age); Balanced is implied by the name, exchange occurs but is balanced among all members of the group - with remarkably precise awareness of any imbalances, (we all know which of us missed their turn to buy a round of drinks when we are out partying); Negative is both sides trying to maximize benefit at the expense of the other party.
>> 
>>  The key factor in viability of each type is social distance; general within family, balanced among small groups, and negative the only one that scales and includes strangers.
>> 
>>  Markets can be based on balanced reciprocity, but only at relative small scale, e.g. the village or a community like the Amish.
>> 
>>  Almost all markets with which we are familiar and within which we participate are grounded in negative reciprocity. Because these are focused on asymmetric outcomes; they are enhanced by asymmetry with regard the factors of the mechanism of exchange. Two of the most common are asymmetry with regards information and asymmetry with regards power.
>> 
>>  A concept of "ownership" is but a tool for establishing or enhancing an asymmetry of power. 
>> 
>>  Like Markets, a "Commons" can be grounded in balanced or negative reciprocity. The possibility of a "balanced" Commons is constrained, by social distance. The only way to ensure the minimal social distance necessary for a balanced Commons is some kind of overriding Culture. So it works just fine in groups with a strong defining culture like the Amish, Mennonites, and pre-statehood Mormon communities.
>> 
>>  Commons derived from negative reciprocity are doomed to "failure."
>> 
>>  davew
>> 
>> 
>>  On Thu, Nov 21, 2019, at 8:36 PM, Marcus Daniels wrote:
>>  > Nick writes:
>>  > 
>>  > < Dogs seem to have (or enact) a concept of ownership. > 
>>  > 
>>  > Just have to bite on this one: My cattle dog seems to think of her 
>>  > collar as jewelry. If I take it off she chases after me and tries to 
>>  > get it back. 
>>  > 
>>  > < This scheme is known as altruistic enforcement because from a 
>>  > Darwinian modeling point of view, it's hard to see why the dominant 
>>  > individuals -- the soldiers, if you will -- don't pool their resources 
>>  > and take down the Don. >
>>  > 
>>  > Each would have to believe the new boss would be better than the old 
>>  > boss, that it wouldn't be them, and that someone will be the boss. 
>>  > They've invested in an organization that has a pecking order, and so it 
>>  > would be dangerous to suddenly abandon it in favor of a looser cabal: 
>>  > Everyone beneath each of them might do the same. 
>>  > 
>>  > Marcus
>>  > 
>>  > 
>>  > 
>>  > ============================================================
>>  > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
>>  > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
>>  > to unsubscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com
>>  > archives back to 2003: http://friam.471366.n2.nabble.com/
>>  > FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ by Dr. Strangelove
>>  >
>> 
>>  ============================================================
>>  FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
>>  Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
>>  to unsubscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com
>>  archives back to 2003: http://friam.471366.n2.nabble.com/
>>  FRIAM-COMIC <http://friam.471366.n2.nabble.com/FRIAM-COMIC> http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ by Dr. Strangelove
> ============================================================
> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
> Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
> to unsubscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com
> archives back to 2003: http://friam.471366.n2.nabble.com/
> FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ by Dr. Strangelove
> 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://redfish.com/pipermail/friam_redfish.com/attachments/20191125/d60455f2/attachment.html>