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From: mms1646@acf4.UUCP (Michael M. Sykora)
Newsgroups: net.politics.theory
Subject: Re: Explorations of "social-interest": Origins of Human Society
Message-ID: <2380073@acf4.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 3-Jul-85 20:56:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: acf4.2380073
Posted: Wed Jul  3 20:56:00 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 5-Jul-85 06:29:00 EDT
References: <373@spar.UUCP>
Organization: New York University
Lines: 17

>/* lkk@teddy.UUCP /  1:27 pm  Jul  2, 1985 */

>Consider how many men (or women) actually make conscious decisions 
>about the future of society.  Most people are born into a society, and
>live by its rules as the default behavior.  Societies seem to change
>in ways which can't be predicted by  using only rational self-interest as a
>motivating force.

What you need to consider is that society or aspects of society are products
of "human action" but not always of human design as Hayek has pointed out.
The net result of the aggregate of human activity whose goal it is to
maximize individuals' self-interest can and does lead to organization.
So you are probably right that these changes can't be predicted, because
they are the aggregate result of many decisions made by many individuals,
far too many for anyone or any reasonable sized group to keep track of.

						Mike Sykora