THE FABLE OF L'HOMO ECONOMICUS is destroyed by Dominique Temple and
Mireille Chabal in La R?ciprocit? et La Naissance des Valeurs Humaines
(?ditions L'Harmattan, 5-seven rue de L'?cole Polytechnique, F-75005 Paris
FRANCE, 1995, in French). Modern Economics and therefore the EuroAmerican
culture are primarily based on the assumed reality of homo economicus. That's,
that the sole motivation of humans is material self-interest. This
book examines all cultures throughout history, including our own trendy
culture, and demonstrates that human motivations and human values have
been distorted only within the last number of hundred years, and additional
vehemently in the last few decades, to become based mostly on values that are
destroying the humanity and life on Earth. Reciprocity is more
basic and more friendly to both humans and nature.
Reciprocity is that the antithesis of exchange or selling. Reciprocity, or
"gifting," has taken on many forms in numerous cultures. In some it
is imbedded in religion. Folks turn out and distribute goods and
services in celebration of their spiritual beliefs. Their work could be a
gift to the gods, to the Earth, and to humanity, without thought of
material return. In other cultures production is for the common good.
That's, folks see themselves imbedded in their families and
communities. They exist only as a result of of their relationships to alternative
individuals and their bioregion. And these relationships rely on the
productive role they play -- how a lot of they'll support and give to
society. In still others, material welfare is paramount; however one
gains insurance of her or his material well-being by giving to others.
"To him who provides shall be given." Every person gains prestige in
society by how abundant s/he gives. That status demands reciprocity to
the giver and to the family of the giver. The a lot of one impoverishes
himself in betterment of the community the more the community is
beholden to the giver.
This reciprocity on that virtually all cultures are based is uniquely
vilified by neoliberal economic theory that refuses to recognize that
production and distribution will be primarily based on something but greed and
exchange -- discarding one thing solely to realize one thing else. This
distorted economic theory of exchange goes well beyond just "the
market." Economic reasoning has invaded sociology, education,
politics, ethics and therefore the law. Homo Economicus is believed to base all
values and judgments on economic exchange values, what one will gain
materially. It's solely during this distorted Western society that
reciprocity has been subjugated to the concept of exchange.
Bronislaw Malinowski, Claude Levi-Straus, Marcel Mauss, Marshall
Sahlins and other anthropologists have shown the deep roots of
reciprocity; Aristotle, Homer, Hobbes, and alternative political
philosophers trace reciprocity from the Greeks as the base of our
Western society; and Hegel, Adam Smith, Durkheim and Polanyi and
alternative economists, describe reciprocity's relevance to the age we tend to are
in. But it's the longer term which extremely considerations Temple and Chabal.
Money, exchange, and globalism have replaced the human values inherent
in reciprocity with motivations which are leading to social,
ecological, economic and political destruction. Reciprocity exists
deep in ourselves, our families, and our communities; however it's
suppressed by our belief system and its ensuing social institutions.
We tend to see reciprocity in President Bush's "thousand points of sunshine", in
the burgeoning NGOs around the planet, in volunteerism, in our familles,
in our communities, and in several grassroots social innovations. Our
future will be assured solely if we have a tendency to release this constructive force of
reciprocity. Or because the authors end this book, "Si l'esclave veut etre
libre, il ne lui faut pas seulement diff?rer la mort, mais dominer sa
propre vie par le souce de celle d'autrui, maitriser la vie avant
qu'elle ne le condamne a mort."
Author Resource:-
Todd Sanders has been writing articles online for nearly 2 years now. Not only does this author specialize in anthropology sociology,you can also check out his latest website about:
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