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A Brief Sketch of the Economic Causes of War and Peace

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  • Jon D. Wisman

Abstract

At the most basic level, warlike behavior can be understood in terms of the fundamental economic problem of scarcity. A historical overview of war and peace through differing modes of production, from hunter-gatherer economies through agricultural economies to capitalist economies, reveals the evolution of differing economic returns to war and peace. Economic theories of war and peace are surveyed. When supplemented with insights drawn from evolutionary biology, the deep socioeconomic dynamics of our vulnerability to warlike behavior are revealed. Especially critical for this understanding is the enhanced group cohesion and loyalty to leaders provoked by perception of external threats.

Suggested Citation

  • Jon D. Wisman, 2020. "A Brief Sketch of the Economic Causes of War and Peace," Working Papers 2020-01, American University, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:amu:wpaper:2020-01
    DOI: 10.17606/8vfh-jk05
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Boix,Carles, 2015. "Political Order and Inequality," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107461079, September.
    2. Boix,Carles, 2015. "Political Order and Inequality," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107089433, September.
    3. David Wilson & John Gowdy, 2015. "Human ultrasociality and the invisible hand: foundational developments in evolutionary science alter a foundational concept in economics," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 17(1), pages 37-52, April.
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