Proposed
Our propensity for trade and commerce is what most makes us distincly human and sets us apart from mere animals.
There are animals with language, with high intelligence, with tool use, and so forth. Trade is our breakthrough.
As Dean would say, discuss.
Interesting idea. It sort of correlates to a book I read on “Swarm Intelligence.” The theory of the book was that the cognitivists are wrong and intelligence doesn’t arise from something internal, but rather from interaction with other members of our group. Trade could lead to human level intelligence.
Posted by Rob on 06/09 at 12:05 PMSmall problem, chimpanzees engage in trade. Females will trade sex for food. Alpha males will trade meat for support. It’s not as extensive and complex as human trade, but they do engage in trade.
It’s not that we can do something no other animal can do, it’s that we do what we do so much better.
Posted by Alan Kellogg on 06/10 at 04:02 PMAdam Smith made a similar comment in The Wealth of Nations: “Nobody ever saw a dog make a fair and deliberate exchange of one bone for another with another dog. Nobody ever saw one animal by its gestures and natural cries signify to another, this is mine, that yours; I am willing to give this for that.”
Posted by Joseph Hertzlinger on 06/10 at 10:31 PM-
Posted by SpakKadi on 06/10 at 11:32 PM
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