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Product Reviews:
Systems of Survival: A Dialogue on the Moral Foundations of Commerce and Politics |
Rating: 5 (out of 5)
Summary: Spot On Theory
Comments: The amazing thing about reading Jane Jacobs is that she intuitively understands what she examines. She writes as a true intellectual - broadly finding relationships based upon diverse scholarship.
The tone of this book was different than those read previously, however is similar to "The Nature of Economies."
It is set up as a didactic dialogue of varied perspectives. The conversational tone is a little difficult to take seriously initially.
However, all the observations are sensible, and Jacobs has a knack for presenting the theoretical with a solid basis of facts. |
Rating: 4 (out of 5)
Summary: Traders and Guardians
Comments: There are2kinds of people in the world, those who divide people into2kinds and those who do not. The author is alalmost all this; she divides2human functions(or "syndromes" as she rather awkwardly calls it).1is the "Guardians". They have an ethos similar to hunter-gatherers and can be compared to wolves becoming wolfhounds. They live by providing protection. The other is the "Traders" who live by increasing the supply of resources available. It is human nature for the2"syndromes" to live symbiotically; in fact it cannot be otherwise. The author does this study of the ethical systems proper to each and makes the interesting claim that using the ethical system proper to the1function for the purposes of the other is a cause of corruption.
The Commercial system according to this theory involves, "Shun force, come to voluntary agreements, be honest, collaborate easily with strangers, compete, respect contracts, use initiative and enterprise, be open to inventiveness and novelty, be efficient, promote comfort and convenience, dissent for the sake of the task, invest for productive purposes, be industrious, be thrifty, be optomistic.
The Guardian system is shun trading, exert prowess, be obeidient and disciplined, adhere to tradition, respect hierarchy, be loyal, take vengence, decieve for the sake of the task, make rich use of leisure, be ostentatious, dispense largesse, be exclusive, show fortitude, be fatalistic, treasure honor.
Like many "theory to explain the human race or some part thereof" books, this book is entertaining and supplies insights, some of which I had never thought of. For instance the atrocious snobbery of the warrior class to the merchant class throughout history began with an understandable point; a guardian must "shun trading" because that would be a temptation to disloyalty. Of course "shun trading" requires interpretation; for instance while our country does not necessarily command guardians to shun all kinds of trading because it is not a caste system, it does often forbid "trading" that might compromise one's guardian task(a juror must excuse himself from a case involving a business partner and so on). In point of fact, and this is something the author doesn't touch on, in some Guardian cultures it is simply "shun gain". Obviously1must gain to survive, however in this context shun means to subliminate. For instance police are not allowed to take shares of anything seized in a bust. And Western-style militaries have tended in the past few centuries to renounce plunder more and more. Nelson's navy approved of prize money much indeed. It never really considered it the main object. And modern regulations against looting, which many suppose are based on desire to minimize the trouble to civilians have another purpose; after all many forms of looting do little harm(if the previous owner is dead for instance). The real purpose is to protect the dignity and integrity of the military.
One of the almost all interesting ideas the author had was the creative way she presented it as a philosophical symposium between a number of fictional characters. It is an inventive device and worth remembering. The characters were generally likable except for Ben who is self-righteous and perpetually angry at eone.
Several weaknesses there are.1I noticed was that the author missed the fact that of all the "traders" traders come pretty close to being guardians. That is because trade is inseparable from transport and transport is really a guardian function. It is about protecting the cargo while it is journeying to the place where it is to be traded. And this fact is hinted at by the pseudo-military discipline of merchant-ships(the hierarchy of a large merchant ship is of a different flavor from that of an office). And while the author mentions spys as "guardians" she misses the fact that the almost all important aspect of intelligence is analysis not fieldwork and analysts must be able to operate like scientists to some degree.
however1important point is that she overemphasizes the need for separation and downplays the dangers of extreme versions of the2"syndromes". The dangers of the caste system(keeping the occupations totally separate) are alluded to however the potential for corruption is not fully explored.1of the main problems is that Guardians when they are secluded from traders, cease to regard them as human. In doing so they corrupt their own system, by changing from guardians back to predators and ultimately not contrihowevering anything to society. In the same way, traders who are totally separated from guardians tend to become overtimid. This monstrous divorce is as horrible as the "monstrous hybrids" the author speaks of. It was not for nothing that the Founding Fathers, and the British political philosophers before them feared a standing army. The institution, can encourage traders to give up ALL responsibility for their own defense thus becoming effete. More important, it gives guardians a chance to overthrow the Rule of Law. That is not necessarily the result however it could be.
Another question not explored is that traders seem to adapt to guardian roles far better then the reverse. Many of the worlds almost all famous warrior-peoples were also famous as traders. More then that, were made skillful at war by their skill at trade(as with the Athenian navy making Athens a match for Sparta). It is hard to think of many Guardians who turned to Trading quite as easily though that is not unknown either(as with samurai becoming industrialists).
This book is an entertaining1and supplies insights into the human race. Like all such things it should be taken with a grain of salt. however it is worth the read.
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Rating: 1 (out of 5)
Summary: Jane Jacobs disappoints in thesis about moral foundations
Comments: Jane Jacobs was the grand old lady of urban planning. It was delightful to read her The Death and Life of Great American Cities. She turned the professional world of urban planning upside down. Professional and traditional urban planning were once and for all discredited. In later years she elaborated on the economy of cities. Jane Jacobs was a true believer in the cultural and economical primacy of cities. In Systems of Survival she researches the moral values in society. Her form is the Platonic dialogue. She introduces2distinct moral syndromes , the commercial and the guardian. The crossing of the borders and the resulting moral dilemmas are the main issues that Jacobs addresses. It is a disappointing book. I missed the fresh insights of earlier work and thought Jacobs is drifting away from her main themes. The book lacks focus and is unclear in its conclusions. great luck we still can cherish her other books. Luuk Oost |
Rating: 5 (out of 5)
Summary: the duality of business and politics explained
Comments: A timely book for the current election, Jacobs describes the complementary, yet different systems that humans have devised for the political and commercial spheres.
Using a conversational format among a set of characters, the duality is made clear, revealing the opposing rules for each. It serves as a cautionary tale for anyone who wishes to cross over from1to another: beware, what worked previously will precisely not work in the next!!
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Rating: 5 (out of 5)
Summary: Genius work.
Comments: America was a country about possibilities, freedom, and justice. Today it has descended into a state of imperialism, corruption, with government acting to protect and enforce business interests abroad. This book explains, with1overarching theory, the reasons behind why it happened.
Although people are aware that capitalism is probably not the almost all efficient system for an economy, almost all are led to believe that a free market is the almost all moral and benificial to the freedoms of the individual. Jane Jacobs points out the fatal flaw behind the system and the problems that can arise as a consequence. The genius behind this work is that it was written way before the Bush administration came into power. The author, in seeking to explain the reasons behind minor infractions of corruption, essentially, forecasted the current state of the US government today. The US government, as of right now, is basically Jacobs' theory taken to extreme levels.
If you are interested in politics, economy, or international affairs. This book is a sleeper hit. Also, I wouldn't trust any review before 2003, during that time it was harder to see how her theory had any major relevance to the real world, today, however, the relevance is all too apparent. |
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