Economics and Biology

‘One very obvious positive feature of volumes like this one is the range of views that can be accessed by the reader, the facsimile format preventing editorial touches aimed at bringing them into line.’
– John Laurent, Griffith University, Australia

‘This very informative collection can be used as a reference book, or – with the editor’s introduction – even as an introductory text.’
– Thomas Wagner, Kyklos

Contributors include: G.S. Becker, W.S. Cooper, M.A. Copeland, N. Georgescu-Roegen, N.J. Foss, M. Gibbons, S. Gordon, J.M. Gowdy, S. Hebert, J. Hirshleifer, L.B. Jones, E.L. Khalil, J. Maynard Smith, J.S. Metcalfe, J. Mokyr, N.B. Niman, J. Nightingale, R.B. Norgaard, E.T. Penrose, D.J. Rapport, P.P. Saviotti, M.E. Schaffer, G. Sebba, E. Sober, H. Thoben, B. Thomas, G.A. Tullock, J.E. Turner, R.W. Vishny, N. Vousden, R.E. Wagner, U. Witt, L. Young, R.M. Young

CONTENTS

PART I

BIOLOGICAL AND MECHANICAL ANALOGIES

1. Edith Tilton Penrose (1952), ‘Biological Analogies in the Theory of the Firm’
2. Gregor Sebba (1953), ‘The Development of the Concepts of Mechanism and Model in Physical Science and Economic Thought’
3. Morris A. Copeland (1958), ‘On the Scope and Method od Economics’
4. Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen (1979), ‘Methods in Economic Science’
5. H. Thoben (1982), ‘Mechanistic and Organistic Analogues in Economics Reconsidered’

PART II

ECONOMICS AND SOCIOBIOLOGY

6. Gary S. Becker 1976), ‘Altruism, Egoism, and genetic Fitness: Economics and Sociobiology’
7. J. Hirshleifer (1977), ‘Economics from a Biological Viewpoint’
8. Gordon Tullock (1979), ‘Sociobiology and Economics’
9. John M. Gowdy (1987), ‘Bio-Economics: Sociobiology Versus the Chicago School’
10. Ulrich Witt(1991), ‘Economics, Sociobiology, and Behavioral Psychology on Preferences’

PART III

CLASSICAL ECONOMICS AND THE DARWINIAN REVOLUTION

11. Robert M. Young (1969), ‘Malthus and the Evolutionists: The Common Context of Biological and Social Theory’
12. Sandra Herbert (1971), ‘Darwin, Malthus, and Selection’
13. Lamar B. Jones (1989), ‘Schumpeter versus Darwin:L In re Malthus’
14. Scott Gordon (1989), ‘Darwin and Political Economy: The Connection Reconsidered’

PART IV

ALFRED MARSHALL AND ECONOMIC BIOLOGY

15. Brinley Thomas (1991), ‘Alfred Marshall on Economic Biology’
16. Neil B. Niman (1991), ‘Biological Analogies in Marshall’s Work’
17. Nicolai Juul Foss (1991), ‘The Suppression of Evolutionary Approaches in Economics: The Case of Marshall and Monopolistic Competition’
18. John Nightingale (1993), ‘Solving Marshall’s Problem with the Biological Analogy: Jack Downie’s Competitive Process’

PART V

EVOLUTION, OPTIMIZATION AND RATIONALITY

19. David J. Rapport and James E. Turner (1977), ‘Economic Models in Ecology’
20. J. Maynard Smith (1978), ‘Optimization Theory in Evolution’
21. Mark E. Schaffer (1989), ‘Are Profit-Maximisers the Best Survivors?: A Darwinian Model of Economic Natural Selection’
22. W. S. Cooper (1989), ‘How Evolutionary Biology Challenges the Classical Theory of Rational Choice’

PART VI

BIOLOGY AND MODERN ECONOMICS

23. Elliott Sober (1981), ‘Holism, Individualism, and the Units of Selection’
24. J. S. Metcalfe and M. Gibbons (1986), ‘Technological Variety and the Process of Competition’
25. P. P. Saviotti (1988), ‘Information, Variety and Entropy in Technoeconomic Development’
26. Joel Mokyr (1991), ‘Evolutionary Biology, Technological Change and Economic History’
27. Richard B. Norgaard (1987), ‘Economics as Mechanics and the Demise of Biological Diversity’
28. Elias L. Khalil (1992), ‘Economics and Biology: Eight Areas of Research’
29. Geoffrey M. Hodgson (1993), ‘Why the Problem of Reductionism in Biology Has Implications for Economics’
30. Elias L. Khalil (1993), ‘Neo-classical Economics and Neo-Darwinism: Clearing the Way for Historical Thinking’