Well, me, for one. And I sure took a lot of heat (and vitriol and even metaphoric urine) for mentioning it at the Swamp: humans tend to be naturally cooperative. Or so argues Paul Robinson in Pirates, Prisoners and Lepers. I would quibble with his use of the word government, as I think he is restricting the word to mean our current idea of government, where I would use it more to mean governance. Surely once a group decides to mete out punishment, in any sort of formal way, they are governing themselves, and have in effect established a form of government. But taking this pedantic point, and tossing it overboard, I hope you will enjoy this latest offering from Russ Roberts. It does touch on something that helps explain the continuing attraction of the doomsayers and anarchists in that as we lose respect for government because we see injustice created and imposed by the corrupt system we have allowed to envelop us, we become sceptical about all forms of government and if the law is an ass, we will govern ourselves by our own privately derived moral codes. But we will govern ourselves, and care for the group, or probably perish.
Paul Robinson on Cooperation, Punishment and the Criminal Justice System
EconTalk Episode with Paul Robinson
Are human beings naturally cooperative or selfish? Can people thrive without government law? Paul Robinson of the University of Pennsylvania and author of Pirates, Prisoners and Lepers talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts [about] the ideas in his book. Robinson argues that without government sanctions or legislation, there is an evolutionary drive to cooperate even in life-and-death situations. In such situations private punishment and norms play a crucial role in sustaining cooperative solutions. The last part of the conversation deals with the criminal justice system and how attitudes toward the system affect society-wide cooperation and crime.
It’s not exactly karma, but the stranger you help might save your life. So here’s to compassion and cooperation … even if in the end they make one selfishly happy. The old altruism quandary: evolutionarily advantageous, and way more fun than the alternative. May you have a tremendous Tuesday … unless you have made other plans.
to whom it may concern…
a long smoldering on-line feud has crossed the line and is now being fought in the real world. to certain personalities, there is little distinction. i have no way of defending myself at the source. my account has been blocked, and selective posts have been deleted, one in which i did my best to explain what was happening. as far as i am concerned, this is over. i lost this fight. i am not going to say any more about this. people are going to believe what they want to believe anyway.
i know it seems impossible, but i think Freddie Mercury fathered a child with Joan Jett.
Choosing not to fight is winning, not losing.
I need an emoticon for tongue in cheek … but I do really like the tune
i like this one better.