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A synergetic view of institutions

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Abstract

In this paper we attempt to demonstrate how, in the course of human cooperation, compulsions and forces come into existence which compel individuals into regularities of behavior. These behavioral regularities are labelled institutions; the approach selected is called synergetic, since it considers institutions to be the result of combined human actions. The compulsions and forces which emerge from human cooperation are generated by the individuals' dependencies, struggles for independence, and preferences. Whereas individuals act freely as subjects, they become objects under the compulsions and forces of compressed social interdependence.

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Weise, P., Brandes, W. A synergetic view of institutions. Theor Decis 28, 173–187 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00160934

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00160934

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