Reciprocity: An Economics Of Social Relations (federico Caffè Lectures)

Reciprocity is the basis of social relations. It permits a peaceful and free society in which people and rights are respected. The essence of families and communities, it also enables the working of markets and organisations, while correcting their main failures. Reciprocity is also a basis of politics, and it justifies social policies. Although the importance of reciprocity has been widely recognised in other social sciences, it has, until recently, been somewhat ignored in economic analysis. Over the past three decades, economic theorist and moral philosopher Serge-Christophe Kolm has been at the forefront of research into the economics of the deepest aspects of societies. In Reciprocity, he provides a unique in-depth analysis of the motives, conducts, and effects of reciprocal relationships. In doing this, he explains crucial functionings of society and its economy, and the ways in which they can be improved. This book should be read by economists, sociologists, philosophers, and anyone concerned with understanding the economy of social relationships and its far-reaching consequences. Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Dedication......Page 7 Contents......Page 9 Illustrations......Page 11 Foreword......Page 13 Introduction: nature, scope, forms, motives, and effects of reciprocity......Page 15 Part I Facts and forms......Page 23 1.1 Evidence, scope, and motives of reciprocity......Page 25 1.2 Social scope and values of reciprocity......Page 28 1.3 Equality and fraternity: the two, three or four types of reciprocity......Page 32 1.4 Reciprocity and reciprocating good or bad......Page 37 1.5 Understanding and explaining reciprocities......Page 39 1.6 Outline of the content of this volume......Page 46 2.1 Scope and role......Page 47 2.2 Direct reciprocity......Page 49 2.3 Extended reciprocities......Page 51 2.4 Reciprocity and exchange and markets......Page 53 2.5 Reciprocity and organizations and labour......Page 55 2.6 Established groups, cooperatives, associations......Page 56 2.7 Reciprocity and community......Page 57 2.8 Public aid......Page 59 2.9 Intergenerational reciprocities......Page 60 2.10 Evidence and history......Page 61 3.1.2 Action, conduct, behaviour, motives, preference......Page 64 3.1.3 Gift giving......Page 65 3.1.4 Types and effects of gifts, refusing gifts......Page 67 3.2.1 A wide variety of motives, from best to worst......Page 68 3.2.2 Benevolent giving......Page 70 3.2.3 Neutral giving......Page 73 3.2.4 Giving, inequality and status......Page 77 3.3 Sequential exchange......Page 81 4.1 Facts and relations......Page 88 4.2.1 Basic structure......Page 89 4.2.2 Extended reciprocities......Page 90 4.2.3 Generalized and general reciprocity......Page 91 4.2.4 Reverse reciprocity and the Descartes effect......Page 92 4.2.5 Chain reciprocities......Page 93 4.2.6 The case of intergenerational reciprocities......Page 94 4.2.7 Why extended reciprocities?......Page 95 4.3 Larger reciprocities......Page 99 4.4 Reciprocity as social or economic system......Page 101 4.5 Reciprocity, revenge, reciprocation......Page 103 Part II Motives......Page 109 5.1 Three basic reasons......Page 111 5.2 An overview of the general structure......Page 114 5.3 The graph of reciprocity......Page 116 5.4 The six basic reciprocations......Page 118 6.1 The propriety of reciprocity......Page 119 6.2 The basic motives for balance reciprocity......Page 121 6.3 The basic rationality: a case of equality......Page 123 6.4 A moral and social norm......Page 125 6.5 The inconveniences of imbalance......Page 126 6.6 Refusing and revenge......Page 127 7.1 Introduction......Page 130 7.2 Reciprocities in giving and in liking......Page 131 7.4 The various reasons for liking to be given to......Page 132 7.5 Causal likings......Page 133 7.6 Gratitude......Page 135 7.7 The existential value of being the object of attention, approval, and liking......Page 136 7.8 Slave or master of one’s passions?......Page 137 7.10.1 General presentation......Page 138 7.10.2 The complementarity of mutual liking......Page 140 7.10.3 Reactions and interactions......Page 141 7.10.4 Information......Page 142 7.11 All liking effects......Page 143 7.12 Imitation, contagion, conforming......Page 144 7.13 Interdependent and dynamic liking......Page 145 7.15 Conclusion......Page 146 8.2 Continuation reciprocity......Page 148 8.3 Comparing the three polar motives of reciprocity......Page 151 8.4 Relational, process, status, or symbolic reciprocities......Page 152 8.6 The motives for extended reciprocations......Page 153 9.1 Introduction......Page 156 9.2.1 Balance reciprocity and justice, equality, retribution, reward and compensation......Page 157 9.2.2 Reciprocal fairness......Page 159 9.2.3 From reciprocal fairness to distributive justice......Page 160 9.3 The principle of universalization: the categorical imperative......Page 163 9.4 Other social sentiments......Page 164 10 Reciprocity in the modes of economic realization......Page 165 Part III Values and reasons......Page 173 11.1 The issues......Page 175 11.2 General respect and sociability from reciprocity......Page 179 12.1 Reciprocal solutions for correcting market failures......Page 182 12.2 Sequential relation......Page 183 12.3.1 Outline......Page 185 12.3.2 Strict self-interest: a cumulative sequential exchange......Page 187 12.3.3 Universalization or "Categorical imperative": a general putative matching reciprocity......Page 189 12.3.4 Matching reciprocity and the necessary non-binding constraint......Page 190 12.3.5 Sequential collective reciprocities......Page 193 12.4 Reciprocities as correcting or superficially creating economic or social inefficiencies......Page 196 13.1 Reciprocity in trust, relational capital, and efficiency......Page 199 13.2 The intrinsic values of reciprocity......Page 203 14.1 The values of reciprocity......Page 206 14.2 Cooperatives......Page 207 14.3 General rules of society......Page 208 14.4 Putative reciprocities......Page 209 14.5 Macrojustice......Page 210 14.6 Welfare states......Page 211 14.7 The Good Society: the classical scientific directing utopia......Page 213 15.1.1 The nature of good social relations......Page 216 15.1.2 Outline of the basic logic of the quality of social relations......Page 221 15.2 Preferences and their consequences......Page 224 15.3 Inter-preference comparisons......Page 230 15.4 Reciprocal and replicative behaviour, and efficiency......Page 232 15.5 Psychological possibilities......Page 235 15.6 Reciprocity and the economy......Page 236 16.1 Understanding......Page 238 16.2 Biology?......Page 243 16.3.1 Motives and behaviour......Page 247 16.3.2 Choice and influence......Page 248 16.3.3 Efficiency and values of modes......Page 249 16.3.4 Processes of social selection of modes of relation......Page 250 16.3.5 Education and development......Page 253 Part IV The economics of reciprocity......Page 257 17 General methodology of reciprocity analysis......Page 259 18.1 Reciprocitarian comparative sentiments......Page 265 18.2 Basic concepts of comparative reciprocity......Page 268 18.3 Neutrality......Page 270 18.4 Structures of imbalance......Page 271 18.5 Choice......Page 272 19.1 Liking reciprocity and comparative reciprocity......Page 276 19.2.1 Giving and liking......Page 277 19.2.2 Liking to be liked, and the altruistic basis of individualism......Page 278 19.2.3 The two gratitudes and their effects......Page 280 19.2.4 Reciprocal liking......Page 281 19.2.5 Giving in order to elicit liking......Page 284 19.2.6 Informational giving......Page 285 19.3.1 The four synthetic relations......Page 286 19.4.1 Preferences......Page 289 19.4.2 The effects of liking and being liked......Page 291 19.4.3 Gifts and actions......Page 294 19.4.4 Reduced forms......Page 295 19.4.5 Group sentiments......Page 296 20.1 Objects of preferences......Page 297 20.2 Interaction and solution......Page 300 21.1.1 Transfers, process and preferences......Page 304 21.1.2 Intrinsic process preference and a basic lemma......Page 305 21.1.3 Process-dependent allocative preferences......Page 306 21.1.4 Preferences and intrinsic preferences among processes......Page 307 21.2.1 General concepts......Page 308 21.2.2 The quantitative case......Page 309 22.1.1 Setting......Page 312 22.1.3 Rationales......Page 314 22.2 The quantitative case......Page 317 22.4 Appendix A. Longer reciprocity processes......Page 324 1. Longer reciprocities......Page 325 2. Myopic reciprocities......Page 326 3. Cumulative reciprocity processes......Page 327 Appendix B. The existence of equilibria......Page 328 Proposition 12......Page 330 Proposition 13......Page 331 23.1 Further studies......Page 332 23.2 Remarks on methodology......Page 333 23.3.1 Sociology and anthropology......Page 338 23.3.2 Social psychology......Page 340 23.3.3 Economics......Page 341 23.3.5 Recent experiments......Page 350 23.3.6 Four recent volumes......Page 352 23.4.1 The role, values and importance of reciprocity......Page 355 23.4.2 Reciprocity in economic life......Page 360 23.4.3 Reciprocity in analysis......Page 365 23.4.4 Reciprocity in society......Page 366 Bibliography......Page 368 Index......Page 392 Reciprocity In Its Various Forms Permits The Existence Of A Peaceful Society In Which Individual Rights Are Respected. Coming At The Subject From The Angle Of Economic Modelling, Kolm Here Provides An Analysis Of The Motives, Conducts And Relationships Of Reciprocity And Altruistic Behaviour. Facts And Forms -- Evidence And Scope -- Giving And Exchanges -- Forms And Structures Of Reciprocity -- The Three Worlds Of Reciprocity -- Balance Reciprocity -- Liking Reciprocities -- Other Reciprocities : Continuation, Relational, Imitation, Extended -- Reciprocity And Social Sentiments -- Reciprocity In The Modes Of Economic Realization -- The Values Of Reciprocity -- Reciprocal Corrections Of Market Failures -- Reciprocity In Trust, And Intrinsic Values -- Normative Uses Of Reciprocity -- The Logic Of Good Social Relations -- How And Why? : Understanding And Explaining Reciprocity -- General Methodology Of Reciprocity Analysis -- The Theory Of Comparative, Matching, Or Balance Reciprocity -- The Theory Of Liking Reciprocity -- Strategic Interaction And Process Preferences -- General Properties About Processes -- Solutions Of Reciprocity Games: Comparisons -- Reciprocity In The Understanding Of Society And Its Economy. Serge-christophe Kolm. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 354-377) And Index. Reciprocity is the basis of social relations. It permits a peaceful and free society in which people and rights are respected. The essence of families and communities, it also enables the working of markets and organizations, while correcting their main failures. Reciprocity is also a basis of politics, and it justifies social policies. Although the importance of reciprocity has been widely recognized in other social sciences, it has, until recently, been somewhat ignored in economic analysis. Over the past three decades, economic theorist and moral philosopher Serge-Christophe Kolm has been at the forefront of research into the economics of the deepest aspects of societies. In Reciprocity, he provides a unique in-depth analysis of the motives, conducts, and effects of reciprocal relationships. In doing this, he explains crucial functionings of society and its economy, and the ways in which they can be improved. This book should be read by economists, sociologists, philosophers, and anyone concerned with understanding the economy of social relationships and its far-reaching consequences.