The Biological Bases of Economic Behaviour (eBook)

David McFarland studied zoology (BSc Hons) and psychology (DPhil). He researched and published in the fields of animal behaviour, philosophy, physiology, psychology and robotics. He retired in 2000, and is an Emeritus Fellow of Balliol College, Oxford, UK. Since retiring, he has published seven books.

ContentsList Of FiguresPrefaceGlossaryPART I: THE EVOLUTION OF ECONOMIC BEHAVIOUR1.1 Evolution By Natural Selection1.1.1 Life History Strategy1.1.2 Kith And Kin1.1.3 Reciprocal Altruism1.1.4 Cultural Evolution1.1.5 Tool Use And Intelligence1.2 Human Evolution1.2.1 Recent Genetic Changes1.2.2 Human Cultural Evolution1.2.3 The Neolythic RevolutionPoints To RememberFurther ReadingEssential ReadingPART II: THE ECONOMIC BEHAVIOUR OF THE INDIVIDUAL2.1 A Biological Approach2.1.1 The Animal As An Economic Consumer2,1,2 The Supermarket Analogy2.1.3 Time And Energy Budgets In Animals2.2 Animal And Human Economics 2.2.1 Problems With Microeconomics2.2.2 Specific HungersPoints To RememberFurther ReadingEssential ReadingPART III: BEHAVIOURAL ECONOMICS3.1 The Experimental Situation3.1.1 The Sterile Environment3.1.2 The Captive Animal3.2 The Real World3.2.1 Animals In The Real World3.2.2 Humans In The Real World3.2.3 Hoarding And Caching3.3 The Rationality Muddle3.3.1 Rational Choice Theory3.3.2 Biological RationalityPoints To RememberFurther ReadingEssential ReadingPART IV: THE BIOLOGICAL BASES OF DECISION MAKING4.1 Decisions4.1.1 Recapitulation4.1.2 The Biological View4.1.3 Functionional Aspects Of Decision Making4.1.4 Trade-Off 4.2 'Voluntary' Decisions4.2.1 Introspection4.2.2 The Teleological Imperative4.2.3 Whither Homo Economicus?Points To RememberFurther ReadingEssential ReadingGlossaryEndnotes