In his book, Collapse, Jared Diamond lists reasons why society's fail to detect, and/or solve problems that render them unsustainable, and may lead to their demise. One of his points is that societies often, historically and presently, fail to even attempt to solve a problem once it has been perceived.
"Many of the reasons for such a failure fall under the heading of what economists and other social scientists term "rational behavior,"arising from clashes of interest between people. That is, some people may reason correctly that they can advance their own interests by behavior harmful to other people. Scientists term such behavior "rational" precisely because it employs correct reasoning, even though it may be morally reprehensible. The perpetrators know that they will often get away with their bad behavior, especially if there is no law against it or if the law isn't effectively enforced. They feel safe because the perpetrators are typically concentrated (few in number)"
2007-09-20
01:54:11
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5 answers
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Anders
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Global Warming