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Human Intentionality and Design In Cultural Evolution

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  • V. J. Vanberg

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to take a closer look at the relation between human intentionality and design on the one side and the "blind" forces of evolution on the other. Specifically, I discuss two issues that Ulrich Witt has raised in recent publications, namely, first, the issue of whether the role that human intelligence and intentionality play in man-made or cultural evolution requires us to adopt a non-Darwinian concept of evolution, and, second, the issue of what the fact that cultural evolution is man-made implies for our capacity to "control" the evolutionary process and for our "responsibility" with regard to its overall outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • V. J. Vanberg, 2004. "Human Intentionality and Design In Cultural Evolution," Papers on Economics and Evolution 2004-02, Philipps University Marburg, Department of Geography.
    • Handle: RePEc:esi:evopap:2004-02
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ulrich Witt, 2004. "On the proper interpretation of 'evolution' in economics and its implications for production theory," Journal of Economic Methodology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(2), pages 125-146.
    2. Ulrich Witt, 2003. "Economic policy making in evolutionary perspective," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 13(2), pages 77-94, April.
    3. Viktor J. Vanberg, 2002. "Rational Choice vs. Program-based Behavior," Rationality and Society, , vol. 14(1), pages 7-54, February.
    4. Ulrich Witt, "undated". "Social Cognitive Learning and Group Selection - A Hayekian Model of Societal Evolution," Papers on Economics and Evolution 2001-10, Philipps University Marburg, Department of Geography.
    5. Viktor Vanberg, 2004. "The rationality postulate in economics: its ambiguity, its deficiency and its evolutionary alternative," Journal of Economic Methodology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(1), pages 1-29.
    6. Ulrich Witt, 1994. "Evolutionary economics," Chapters, in: Peter J. Boettke (ed.), The Elgar Companion to Austrian Economics, chapter 78, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    7. Geoffrey M. Hodgson, 2002. "Darwinism in economics: from analogy to ontology," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 12(3), pages 259-281.
    8. Viktor Vanberg, 1997. "Institutional Evolution through Purposeful Selection: The Constitutional Economics of John R. Commons," Constitutional Political Economy, Springer, vol. 8(2), pages 105-122, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. G. Buenstorf, 2005. "How Useful Is Universal Darwinism as a Framework to Study Competition and Industrial Evolution?," Papers on Economics and Evolution 2005-02, Philipps University Marburg, Department of Geography.
    2. Hodgson, Geoffrey M. & Knudsen, Thorbjorn, 2006. "Why we need a generalized Darwinism, and why generalized Darwinism is not enough," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 61(1), pages 1-19, September.
    3. Christian Cordes, 2006. "Darwinism in economics: from analogy to continuity," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 16(5), pages 529-541, December.

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