The economics of non-human societies Gordon Tullock Pallas Press, 1994, 87 pp.

Abstract

In this book, Gordon Tullock offers a general theory of society, i.e., a theory encompassing both human and non-human societies. His strategy is to apply to non-human societies the tools that have evolved in economics. Specifically, Tullock's thesis says that the behavior of the social insects can be thought of as the interaction of preference functions and the environmental consequences of individual behavior. Thus, a theory evolves that, in principle, is capable of predicting whether a given species will survive in a particular niche. Mixed in with the theoretical discussion is an engaging description of several non-human species. Given Tullock's success in applying economic tools to political problems, it will be interesting to see if bioeconomics attains the stature of public choice.