<div dir="ltr">Is your paper available?</div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Mon, Nov 25, 2019 at 7:11 AM Prof David West <<a href="mailto:profwest@fastmail.fm">profwest@fastmail.fm</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">Some comments that might be intrusive (in which case, I apologize and please ignore) or contributory as context to the "ownership" discussion.<br>
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Two-years ago I presented a paper, "Patterns of Humanity," at a social change conference. Part of the paper dealt with "economics," \u2014 in. quotation marks because not all of economics, but practical efforts to set up alternative mechanisms for economic exchange.<br>
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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.<br>
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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.<br>
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Markets can be based on balanced reciprocity, but only at relative small scale, e.g. the village or a community like the Amish.<br>
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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.<br>
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A concept of "ownership" is but a tool for establishing or enhancing an asymmetry of power. <br>
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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.<br>
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Commons derived from negative reciprocity are doomed to "failure."<br>
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davew<br>
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<br>
On Thu, Nov 21, 2019, at 8:36 PM, Marcus Daniels wrote:<br>
> Nick writes:<br>
> <br>
> < Dogs seem to have (or enact) a concept of ownership. > <br>
> <br>
> Just have to bite on this one: My cattle dog seems to think of her <br>
> collar as jewelry. If I take it off she chases after me and tries to <br>
> get it back. <br>
> <br>
> < This scheme is known as altruistic enforcement because from a <br>
> Darwinian modeling point of view, it's hard to see why the dominant <br>
> individuals -- the soldiers, if you will -- don't pool their resources <br>
> and take down the Don. ><br>
> <br>
> Each would have to believe the new boss would be better than the old <br>
> boss, that it wouldn't be them, and that someone will be the boss. <br>
> They've invested in an organization that has a pecking order, and so it <br>
> would be dangerous to suddenly abandon it in favor of a looser cabal: <br>
> Everyone beneath each of them might do the same. <br>
> <br>
> Marcus<br>
> <br>
> <br>
> <br>
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</blockquote></div>