László Mérö: A pénz evolúciója (The Evolution of Money
348 pages (Hungary, 2008)
On the Origins of Economic Endeavor and the Logic of Evolution)
Life as we know it consists of organisms that reproduce with the help of replicating units called genes. How, then, can money be said to be alive? Just as genes, which are not themselves alive, nevertheless determine how proteins develop into a living organism, money—or to put it more precisely, capital—calls economic beings, namely commercial enterprises, into existence by analogous mechanisms. Genes are capable of producing an astounding variety of biological life forms, and capital in turn is able to bring forth an astounding variety of enterprises.
The evolution of biological, economic, and intellectual life is based on a single logic, that of the replicator, though of course there are crucial differences in the natural methods—biochemical, monetary, and psychological—at work.
An understanding of the logic of evolution offers a compelling answer to many complicated questions about contemporary civilization: Why is global capital such a powerful force? Is globalization dangerous? Should we distinguish, and if so how, the human being that is developing in the information age (Homo informaticus) from us, his ancestors (Homo sapiens)?
The answers to such questions constitute a unified picture in Lásló Mérö’s book: how it is that psychological replicators (memes) and monetary replicators (mones) can be thought of as creating forms of “life”—culture and enterprises—analogous to biological life forms controlled by genes.
This book shows another side of one of Hungary’s best-known writers. Like all his work it is distinguished by wit, elegance, and a compelling intellect that gives us all something to think about.
Kritiken / Reviews:
der Freitag (DE)
der Freitag (DE) cont.
Harvard Business Manager (HU)
Magyar Radio (HU)
Neue Zürcher Zeitung (CH)
More works of this writer:
Az elvek csapodár természete (I Have My Principles!)
Uj Észjárások (Habits of Mind)
egyforma (Moral Calculations)
Az Érzelmek Logikája (The Logic of the Emotions)
<-- László Mérő