The Fatal Conceit By Friedrich Hayek: Chapter Summary
Eco 410
Take Home Test 2
Response #1 Treating one another like family is often thought of as being a fair, just, or humane way to deal with one another. In The Fatal Conceit by Friedrich Hayek, he expands on the evolution of the small group to the extended order. Hayek first elaborates on the small group interactions, attitudes, and governance. Hayek believes that “man’s instincts” were adapted to suit the lives of those in small groups, such as a band or tribe. Within these small groups, instincts were adapted to “steer the cooperation of the members” of the group. The members of small groups shared the same goals and attitudes, each knowing and trusting one another. Hayek refers to the instincts driving the small groups as “solidarity and altruism.” These primitive groups were united by a shared purpose that came before the interests of each member and were often led by single leader. Each small group differed as the instincts applied “to the members of one’s own group but not to others.” In primitive society based on small group interaction, survival of man depended on the group, and survival of the group depended on trust. Hayek then talks about the evolution of small …show more content…
Clark and Dwight R. Lee introduce the concepts of “magnanimous morality” and “mundane morality.” According to Clark and Lee, actions that are categorized as magnanimous morality satisfies “three characteristics: helping intentionally, doing so at a personal sacrifice, and providing the help to identifiable beneficiaries.” This type of morality fits the mold for the type of behavior that was present in what Hayek refers to as small groups. In small groups, the help that was provided to each other was “given intentionally by and to identifiable people who knew each other well.” The behavior fits the third characteristic of magnanimous morality as well. Members within small groups made personal sacrifice for the common purpose of the
Take Home Test 2
Response #1 Treating one another like family is often thought of as being a fair, just, or humane way to deal with one another. In The Fatal Conceit by Friedrich Hayek, he expands on the evolution of the small group to the extended order. Hayek first elaborates on the small group interactions, attitudes, and governance. Hayek believes that “man’s instincts” were adapted to suit the lives of those in small groups, such as a band or tribe. Within these small groups, instincts were adapted to “steer the cooperation of the members” of the group. The members of small groups shared the same goals and attitudes, each knowing and trusting one another. Hayek refers to the instincts driving the small groups as “solidarity and altruism.” These primitive groups were united by a shared purpose that came before the interests of each member and were often led by single leader. Each small group differed as the instincts applied “to the members of one’s own group but not to others.” In primitive society based on small group interaction, survival of man depended on the group, and survival of the group depended on trust. Hayek then talks about the evolution of small …show more content…
Clark and Dwight R. Lee introduce the concepts of “magnanimous morality” and “mundane morality.” According to Clark and Lee, actions that are categorized as magnanimous morality satisfies “three characteristics: helping intentionally, doing so at a personal sacrifice, and providing the help to identifiable beneficiaries.” This type of morality fits the mold for the type of behavior that was present in what Hayek refers to as small groups. In small groups, the help that was provided to each other was “given intentionally by and to identifiable people who knew each other well.” The behavior fits the third characteristic of magnanimous morality as well. Members within small groups made personal sacrifice for the common purpose of the