Premium
Nonlinear Thermodynamics and Social Science Modeling: Fad Cycles, Cultural Development and Identificational Slips
Author(s) -
Khalil Elias L.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
american journal of economics and sociology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.199
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1536-7150
pISSN - 0002-9246
DOI - 10.1111/j.1536-7150.1995.tb03247.x
Subject(s) - nonlinear system , appeal , metaphor , thermodynamics , statistical physics , physics , political science , philosophy , law , linguistics , quantum mechanics
A bstract The paper argues that the application of nonlinear dynamics borrowed from thermodynamics for the study of the evolution of institutions amounts to an identificational slip. While the paper welcomes the importation of techniques from the natural sciences, thermodynamic feedback is simply an inappropriate technique for the study of evolutionary change. Thermodynamic feedback is only appropriate for the study of social dynamics like mob behavior, stock market gyrations, and fad cycles. One should rather appeal to the evolution of species‐as recorded by change of gene frequency and phenotypic traits —as the appropriate metaphor for the study of evolution of culture —as manifested by change of rules and principles and their consequent order.