Why
do you think your paper is highly cited?
 |
 |
|
“This paper argues that there exists no
alternative to the core Darwinian principles
of variation, selection, and inheritance to
explain the evolution of such systems..” |
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There is now a large and growing interest in the relevance of
core Darwinian principles for the analysis of social and
economic evolution.
Does
it describe a new discovery, methodology, or synthesis of
knowledge?
The novelty in the paper lies in its use of recent work
in evolutionary theory and the philosophy of science to
clarify and apply core Darwinian evolutionary ideas.
Would
you summarize the significance of your paper in layman’s terms?
It is a foremost and up-to-date account of why Darwinian
principles are relevant for the social as well as the
natural sciences.
This paper argues that there exists no alternative to the
core Darwinian principles of variation, selection, and
inheritance to explain the evolution of such systems.
Neither the actual existence of human intentionality nor the
hypothetical possibility of Lamarckian acquired character
inheritance offers a barrier to the use of Darwinian
principles. On the contrary, Darwinism is always required to
complete the explanation. However, while Darwinian
principles are always necessary to explain complex evolving
population systems they are never sufficient on their own.
How
did you become involved in this research, and were there any
particular problems encountered along the way?
My co-author and I have been working in the area of
evolutionary economics for several years. Among others,
there is also a growing interest in evolutionary ideas in
the social sciences, but there remains an enduring
reluctance to consider the application of Darwinian
principles. The main technical problem is to clarify these
principles in a generalizable form.
Where
do you see your research leading in the future?
One of our aims is to show how Darwinian principles can
help us to understand evolutionary processes in society. We
are also considering more specific questions, such as under
what conditions does evolution lead to greater potential
complexity?
Are
there any social or political implications for your research?
In general, our arguments show that evolutionary
processes can work in a number of different ways, even in a
Darwinian framework. Consequently, there is no reason to assume
that (Darwinian) evolution generally leads to optimal
outcomes, especially in the social context.
Geoffrey M. Hodgson
Research Professor in Business Studies
School of Economics
University of Hertfordshire
Hatfield, Hertfordshire, UK
Thorbjørn Knudsen, Professor
Strategic Organization Design Unit
Department of Marketing and Management
University of Southern Denmark
Odense, Denmark
