Toward a Social Theory from "Complex Adaptive" Perspective : an Attempt at Formal Analysis

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  • 「複雑適応系」としての社会理論に備わるべき形式について
  • フクザツ テキオウケイ ト シテ ノ シャカイ リロン ニ ソナワル ベキ ケ

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This paper discusses about the possibility of constructing a new social theory from "Complex Adaptive System" perspective, advocated by Santa Fe Institute, which is acknowledged as one of the newest versions in General Systems Theory. According to Stuart Kauffman, one of the most celebrated characters of SFI, "Complex Adaptive" means the combination of Self-organization and Darwinian Selection. For example, living systems and/or social systems, both are complex adaptive, organize and maintain its own order by itself, and moreover, continually create ever-new order and evolve through continual selections. These two contradictory conditions (order-maintenance and change) compose Kauffman's "evolvability", the most important feature of "Complex Adaptive System". So as to introduce this perspective into social theory, the auther claims that following conditions are required for social scientists: First we must abandon so-called "general equilibrium" theory. That is because there is no self-creation of new order or no evolution in equilibrium. Instead of the static equilibrium among "n-number of differentiated goods", we must find out only one general good in Social Economic System, and originate dynamic" one undifferentiated good" non-equilibrium theory. The author points out that the money itself is the very one good. Money does never specify any definite goods. In this sense, it is the only one undifferentiated good, that everyone desires. (The author also treats money as "dissipative structure" of disire in former paper.) Further, money develops via merchants the social-economic routes connecting sellers and buyers, producers and consumers, supply and demand. (General equilibrium theory has no money or merchant.) These are the social-economic structural substances that organize new social structure, invent new commodities, and evolve itself.

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