How Society Makes Itself: The Evolution of Political and Economic Institutions

Download or read book How Society Makes Itself: The Evolution of Political and Economic Institutions written by Howard J Sherman and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-06-01 with total page 307 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This radical account of the evolution of political, social, and economic institutions weaves together strands of anthropology, sociology, political science, history, and economics. In a highly readable text, Howard Sherman explains the interconnections of ideas and economic forces, and traces the evolution of social and economic institutions from primitive times to the present. Sherman focuses on the myth of "inevitable progress" in technology, and argues that it progresses only when social and economic institutions and dominant ideas encourage it to improve. He shows that throughout history technology, as a part of the economic forces, ebbs and flows to create or undermine existing economic institutions.