参加网络经济学课程学习的同学请注意456.docx

参加网络经济学学课程学习的同学请注意，我们现在把何梦笔教授的网络经济学介绍转给你们。里面既有他设想的学习方法的叙述，也有参加这门课程的同学必须回答的问题，也有参加学习的人在网上需要找到的阅读材料。请按照何梦笔教授在他的介绍中的要求去做，否则可能会影响到学习效果。Introduuctionn Intoo Evollutionnary EEconommicsTeacherr: Proof. Drr. Carrsten Herrmmann-PPillatth, Wiitten/Herdeecke UUniverrsity, GermmanyIn a noon-tecchnicaal fasshion, the coursse offfers aan inttroducction into the nnewly emergging ffield of Evvolutiionaryy Econnomicss. Bassic coonceptts andd methhodoloogicall premmises are ddevelooped, folloowing an inndepenndent approoach wwhich is clloselyy relaated tto Eurropeann inteellecttual ttradittions in ecconomiics (ee.g. iinstittutionnal ecconomiics, ttheoryy of oorder, reguulatioon theeory, Schummpeterrian eeconommics, Austrrian SSchooll etc.). Teachinng metthodollogy iis “errotetiic”, bbased on thhe Soccratiaan appproachh to ggain nnew knnowleddge viia possing qquestiions aand coonductting aan opeen andd equaal diaaloguee betwween sstudennt andd teaccher. The cclass presuupposees priior inndepenndent studyy by tthe sttudentts, thhe undderlyiing maateriaal of whichh is ooffereed viaa the websiite wwww.evoolutioonaryeeconommics.nnet. SStudennts arre askked too preppare ttheir answeers too the questtions by exxploitting tthis mmateriial, hhoweveer theey aree freee to iincludde inddependdent rresearrch annd vieewpoinnts. TThe weebsitee conttains numerrous llinks to otther rresourrces tthat ccan bee usedd for this purpoose. IIn parrticullar, tthey aare sttronglly enccouragged too findd theiir ownn soluutionss and to deevelopp theiir inddependdent oopinioon. Inn the classsroom, the teachher acctivelly parrticippates in thhe freee disscussiion ammong tthe sttudentts andd provvides addittionall infoormatiion annd perrspecttives.The claass iss conccludedd withh a wrrittenn examminatiion whhere oone ouut of two qquestiions ffor chhoice has tto be discuussed. Origginal and ccriticcal thhoughtt is eespeciially praissed, wwith lless eemphassis onn “rigght” oor “wrrong”.Languagges ussed inn the classsroom are EEnglissh andd Chinnese. The wwritteen exaaminattion iis in Chineese (cclearlly wriitten).Sessionn One: First SSteps Towarrd a NNew Viiew off Econnomicss: Knoowledgge andd Netwworks1-1. Whhat arre thee costts of the eentreppreneuur? Arre theey inccludedd in tthe daata frrom thhe acccountiing deepartmment? 1-2. Peeople oftenn deciide wiith inncompllete iinformmationn and even totall ignoorancee abouut thee futuure. DDo youu thinnk thaat theey cann applly somme opttimizaation calcuulus aabout the nnecesssary iinvesttment into the ccollecction of innformaation? Whatt are the aalternnativees? Immaginee yourrself buyinng a nnew coomputeer witth cuttting edge equippment. How do yoou finnd thee bestt buy? Whenn do yyou sttop seearchiing foor furrther markeet inttelliggence?1-3. Hoow wouuld yoou deffine knowlledge“? Is tthere alwayys a ssubjecct whoo “knoows” tthe knnowleddge? CConsidder soome soocial ruless the functtion oof whiich miight ddifferr fromm the meaniing thhat iss assiigned to thhe rulles byy the partiicipannt subbjectss. Draaw a ccomparrison with the “kknowleedge” that is emmbodieed in your geness.1-4. Whhat iss the diffeerencee betwween tthe foollowiing twwo vieews off the markeet? a) The markeet is the pplace wheree suppply annd demmand mmeet aand arre equuilibrrated via tthe prrice mmechannism, and bb) thee markket iss a coomplexx sociial neetworkk wherre subbjectss commmunicaate annd proocess inforrmatioon to find opporrtunitties ffor muutuallly benneficiial baargainns. Trry to definne a nnetworrk of relattions betweeen acctors and ccomparre youur conncept with standdard ddescriiptionns of markeets inn a miicroecconomiics teextboook.1-5. Inn whatt way do sttructuures oof nettworkss consstitutte powwer off an aactor? Whatt doess poweer meaan in the eeconommic coontextt? In the ccontexxt of compeetitioon, poower iis oftten peerceivved ass beinng dettrimenntal tto thee emerrgencee of ssociallly opptimall outccomes. Howeever, how aabout the rrole oof powwer foor staabilizzing sstructtures of neetworkks thaat cooordinaate maarket transsactioons?Sessionn Two: Ends annd Meaans inn an EEvoluttionarry Conntext2-1. Maany ecconomiists tthink that prefeerencees aree giveen andd do nnot neeed too be eexplaiined. Peoplle aree pressumed to fiind ann equiilibriium off theiir connflictting wwants such that they are ffully satissfied with theirr reallized statee of cconsummptionn. Yett, tryy to uundersstand consuumptioon andd prefferencces wiith a view on thhen exxistennce off inteernal confllicts, for exampple, bbetweeen thee wishh to hhave aa beauutifull bodyy and the ddrive to eaat a llot off deliiciouss thinngs, oor bettween shortt-termm inteerestss in lleisurre andd longg-termm inteerestss in pprofesssionaal succcess. How can wwe expplain the ddifferrent kkinds of prrefereences, and how ccan wee undeerstannd thee way of soolvingg the confllicts? Is tthe eqquilibbrium conceept reeally sensiible hhere?2-2. Doo you thinkk thatt it mmakes a diffferennce whhetherr peopple trry to maximmize ttheir perceeived levell of mmateriial weelfaree or wwhetheer theey tryy to mmaximiize thheir rrelatiive poositioon to otherr peopple? WWhat iis thee impllicatiion foor soccial ccooperrationn and sociaal ordder? TTry too findd somee arguumentss why the mmaximiizatioon of relattive sstatuss mighht be engraained in ouur gennes ass a reesult of naaturall evollutionn. Whaat kinnd of evideence ddo youu findd in eeverydday liife?2-3. Ecconomiists mmostlyy thinnk of peoplle beiing leed by self-interrest aand raationaal chooice. In reealityy, theere iss muchh roomm for symphhathy, lovee and hatreed andd otheer emootionss. Thiink off probblems of sttrateggic innteracction wheree “irrrationnal” bbehaviior maay leaad towward ooptimaal outtcomess! Strrategiic intteracttion iinvolvves coomplexx issuues off mutuual innformaation aboutt the knowlledge of thhe diffferennt acttors iinvolvved. HHow caan emootionaal commmitmeent heelp too overrcome obstaacles againnst a soluttion tto thee probblem tto undderstaand annd antticipaate thhe othhers actioon?2-4. Onne of the mmain aachievvementts of humann histtory iis thee capaabilitty to creatte larrge orrganizzationns. Coonsideer diffferennt expplanattions of thhe emeergencce of the oorganiizatioon in a marrket ccontexxt. Too whicch exttent ccan wee expllain tthe orrganizzationn as aa resuult off expllicit humann desiign? CCan wee thinnk of goalss of tthe orrganizzationn whicch aree parttly auutonommous ffrom tthe gooals oof thee indiividuaal memmbers? Sessionn Threee:Patternns of Proceess annd Chaange3-1. Thhink aabout time. In mmost sscienttific analyyses, time is trreatedd as aa lineear arrrow bbetweeen passt andd futuure. HHow faar cann we ssay thhat tiime haas alsso a sstructture? Imagiine prroducttion aas a cchain of ellementtary pprocessses wwhich cannoot be furthher suubdiviided iin timme. Inn whatt way are ssimulttaneouus eveents aa cruccial ddetermminantt of tthe sppecifiic outtcome? How is cooordinnationn of ddifferrent pprocessses iin timme posssiblee? Thiink off econnomic devellopmennt as an inncreassing ccompleexity of sttructuures oof timme!3-2. Hoow doees thee pastt deteerminee the preseent? TTake ttechnoology as ann exammple, as, ffor innstancce, thhe auttomobiile. HHow faar aree currrent ttechnoologiccal chhoicess resttraineed by past eventts in technnologyy evollutionn? Tryy to uundersstand technnologyy as aa netwwork, both on thhe matteriall and the ssociall leveel. Hoow do netwoork sttructuures cchanneel furrther technnologiical cchangee?3-3. A fundaamentaal conncept of anny evoolutioonary explaanatioon is the mmechannism oof varriatioon, seelectiion annd rettentioon. Immaginee the markeet proocess and ttry too depiict itt as aa VSR-mechaanism. Coulld youu thinnk of technnologyy evollving via VVSR-prrocessses? HHow iss plannned cconstrructioon rellated to evvolutiion? WWhat iis thee rolee playyed byy limiited kknowleedge aabout compllex syystemss? Payy speccial aattenttion tto thee sourrces oof varriety and tto thee mechhanismms of retenntion. Conssider what happeens iff the mechaanismss of rretenttion aare thhemsellves tthe obbject of a VSR-pprocesss.3-4. Wee can say tthat aan ecoonomicc systtem maaintaiins a statee of oorder as coompareed to its eenviroonmentt. Forr thiss, thee systtem neeeds eenergyy. Tryy to aapply the llaws oof theermodyynamiccs on this. How far ccan wee can go inn reacching certaain coonclussions for eenergyy poliicy? FFor exxamplee, shoould wwe tryy to mminimiize ennergy throuughputt as ffar ass posssible, evenn if mmarkett pricces suuggestt otheerwisee? Shoould tthe goovernmment ppursuee an eexpliccit poolicy to saave reesourcces? OOr, wiill thhe marrket rregulaate thhe prooper ppreparrationn for futurre neeeds?Sessionn Fourr:Evolutiion off Struucturee4-1. Hoow cann we ddistinnguishh betwween ddifferrent llevelss of eevoluttion? What is thhe rellationn betwween uunits of seelectiion annd commplexiity off VSR-mechaanismss? Connsiderr the effecct of a sellf-refferenttial VVSR-prrocesss. Appply thhese ttheoreeticall disttinctiions oon humman soocial organnizatiion annd coooperattion. For eexamplle, coonsideer coooperattion aamong villaagers who ccollecctivelly orgganizee an iirrigaation systeem, annd whoo stayy in aa comppetitiive reelatioon witth a nneighbbourinng nommadic tribee who mightt try to liive paarasitticallly on the vvillagge by meanss of rregulaar raiids. HHow faar cann we ggo witth an indivviduallisticc expllanatiion off obseerved patteerns, and ddo we need a conncept of grroup sselecttion?4-2. Annalyzee the diffeerent functtions of innstituutionss in tthe ecconomyy. Howw far can wwe expplain thesee as aa resuult off ratiional choicce amoong a largeer grooup off actoors? DDiscusss thee relaation betweeen “eevoluttion” and “rrevoluution” in innstituutionaal chaange, takinng Chiinas recennt hisstory as ann exammple. 4-3. Coonsideer marrket iinstittutionns thaat coppe witth thee probblem oof quaality uncerrtaintty. Hoow cann theyy emerrge sppontanneouslly outt of tthe maarket proceess? TTo whiich exxtent is a powerrful iintervventioon neeeded tto creeate aand sttabiliize suuch innstituutionss?4-4. Iss therre a rrelatiion beetweenn techhnologgy andd insttitutiions? Broadden yoour viiew onn orgaanizattions. How far iis tecchnoloogy evvolutiion deetermiined bby intternall facttors, how ffar byy exteernal factoors, ii.e. rreferrring tto thee insttitutiional and oorganiizatioonal eenviroonmentt? Is theree an iinteraactivee relaation, withh techhnologgy alsso detterminning tthe evvolutiion off insttitutiions aand orrganizzationns? 4-5. Annalysee the diffeerent kindss of kknowleedge iinvolvved inn techhnologgy evoolutioon. Teest yoour reesult by meeans oof appplyingg it oon thee quesstion how uusers influuence technnologyy evollutionn.Sessionn Fivee:Emergennce off Ordeer5-1. Maany peeople thinkk thatt cultture iis an imporrtant deterrminannt of econoomic ddeveloopmentt. Howw can cultuure bee fit into an evvolutiionaryy apprroach? How do yoou thiink abbout rrecentt fearrs aboout a “classh bettween civillizatiions”? Try to diistingguish betweeen neegativve andd posiitive econoomic eeffectts of cultuural ddistinnctiveeness amongg grouups annd peooples.5-2. Hoow cann we eexplaiin humman acction as a resullt of the eendowmment wwith ccertaiin emppoweriing reesourcces? TThese mightt be cconceiived oof as kindss of ccapitaal. Paay speecial attenntion to enndowmeents rrelateed to instiitutioons annd nettworkss. Manny ecoonomissts usse thee termm “soccial ccapitaal” heere. CCheck whethher thhe conncept of “ccapitaal” iss appllied iin an approopriatte wayy, forr exammple, by coompariing itt withh finaanciall capiital.5-3. Maany peeople talk aboutt the compeetitivvenesss of ccountrries aand reegionss. Devvelop your own vview oof thee posssible deterrminannts reesultiing frrom thhe intteracttion oof strructurres off techhnologgy, innstituutionss and powerr relaationss. Do you tthink that theree is aa certtain mmatch betweeen paarticuular ttechnoologiees andd sociial annd polliticaal strructurres? PPay sppeciall atteentionn to tthe roole off spacce andd placce: Wiill thhe moddern ddigitaal tecchnoloogy annd thee inteernet eventtuallyy makee themm irreelevannt forr the compeetitivvenesss of eenterpprisess? Willl “Maade inn Chinna” bee comppletelly subbstituuted bby “Maade byy Haieer”?5-4: Drraw a pictuure off receent Chhinesee econnomic reforrms inn the lightt of eevoluttionarry ecoonomiccs!