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Systems of Survival: A Dialogue on the Moral Foundations of Commerce and Politics Hardcover – February 2, 1993

by Jane Jacobs (Author)

4.6 63 ratings

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The author of The Death and Life of Great American Cities looks at business fraud and criminal enterprise, overextended government farm subsidies and zealous transit police, to show what happens when the moral systems of commerce collide with those of politics.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Written in the form of a Platonic dialogue between a Manhattan publisher and his party guests, Jacobs's often confusing inquiry posits that two contradictory ethical systems underpin the realms of work and politics. The "commercial syndrome," prevalent in business, trade and science, fosters honesty and cooperation, encouraging people to be industrious and thrifty and to invest for productive purposes. The "guardian syndrome," which holds sway over armies, police, government bureaucracies and commercial monopolies, instills obedience, respect for hierarchy, loyalty and fatalism. When either moral syndrome embraces functions inappropriate to it, contends Jacobs ( The Economy of Cities ), corruption ensues. She uses this simplistic schema to shed light on corporate merger manias, Pentagon waste, organized crime (a "monstrous hybrid of the two systems") and Sweden's welfare state. Urging a "guardian-commercial symbiosis" to combat force, fraud and greed, Jacobs cites pollution-cutting technologies and democratic access to business credit as provocative examples.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

In her latest contribution to liberal theory, Jacobs ( Cities and the Wealth of Nations , LJ 6/15/84) argues that modern societies utilize two distinctive moral systems--one being suited to the world of commerce, the other to the world of politics. Commercial morality is unsentimental, nonpartisan, and efficacious; political morality is personalistic, expansive, and vaguely altruistic. The problem is that we don't always know which system of morality to employ in concrete situations. Furthermore, the wrong choice can have disastrous consequences. Unfortunately, Jacobs invents a rather wooden cast of characters who engage in a Socratic dialog that reproduces the author's perspective on the two fundamental types of morality. As a result, the book's credible philosophical message becomes obscured by the superficiality and hamfistedness of the characters' conversations. A few readers may find Jacobs's literary device helpful; most will find it distracting. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 8/92.
- Kent Worcester, Social Science Research Council, New York
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Altogether magnificent... Probably no single thinker has done more in the last fifty years to transform our ideas about the nature of urban life."--Chicago Tribune

From the Trade Paperback edition.

From the Inside Flap

f The Death and Life of Great American Cities looks at business fraud and criminal enterprise, overextended government farm subsidies and zealous transit police, to show what happens when the moral systems of commerce collide with those of politics.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

About the Author

Jane Jacobs was the legendary author of The Death and Life of Great American Cities, a work that has never gone out of print and that has transformed the disciplines of urban planning and city architecture. Her other major works include The Economy of Cities, Systems of Survival, The Nature of Economies and Dark Age Ahead. She died in 2006.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Print length

236 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Random House
Publication date

February 2, 1993
Dimensions

6.25 x 1 x 9.5 inches
ISBN-10

039455079X
ISBN-13

978-0394550794
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Random House; 1st edition (February 2, 1993)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 236 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 039455079X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0394550794
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.15 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1 x 9.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,955,725 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,806 in Political Economy
- #3,313 in Economic Conditions (Books)

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4.6 63 ratings

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David H. Walker

This book has the potential to change how you view the world.

Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2016

Verified Purchase

There are many books that I have found inspiring, but this is the only book I have purchased and given away because I thought the ideas in it needed to be shared---and I did this three times and may do it again.

The main theme is that humanity has implemented two systems for survival. One, guardianship, that seems to spring from our DNA and is practiced by many social animals on our planet. The other, trade or commerce, that appears to be uniquely human. These are not competing systems, they are complementary. They each have their place and they each have their rules. These rules are often, when not directly opposed, not aligned.

For me, the insight that there are two systems at work in our society and that they have different goals and require different rules has made it much easier for me to analyze and understand the forces at work in my environment. It has also made it easier to understand why some things feel "right" while other similar things don't. For example, it seems desirable to have a company creating a competing bank, but not desirable to have the state or federal government creating a competing bank.

One of the criticisms of this book is the choice to write this as a Socratic dialog. I regard this approach as superior to the typical academic approach. Stories are easier to remember and often easier to understand, but I respect the views of those that don't. If you don't like something, then it is a fact that you don't like it. It is irrelevant that I think you should. Further, other readers of these comments may feel as you do--so it is a valid criticism. Just be aware that it will not be true for everyone.

Another criticism is that Jacobs didn't explore concepts or provide guidance that they expected. While I cannot argue that their expectations were met and they just missed it, I can argue that the expectations of the critics are owned by the critics and that there is no evidence that Jacobs promised to meet those expectations. I would also add that just the fact that her book created the desire to have additional ideas covered and guidance provided is a positive thing--not a negative.

5 people found this helpful

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Bergsy

Beware of mish-mash

Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2019

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This is a greatly un-appreciated book about the dangers of mixing up the standards, the proper behavior, the provenance, of (what should be) the public and the private spheres. In government, politics, etc., says Jacobs, fanfare, ceremony, tradition, respect for authority, etc. are not only appropriate but, to some degree, necessary, while in the private sphere efficiency, quick response to consumer demand, etc. should rule. What's more, she emphasized, these maxims are far more than a set of Emily Post guidelines; when they are violated, she warns, either or both spheres get corrupted and don't do their job as well as they should. Thus, for example, governments should not get into owning or running banks (she uses the World Bank, where I used to work, as a recurring example), nor should banks be trusted to govern. The recent (2018) opening of Los Pinos, the long-sequestered offices of the President of Mexico, to the public would get immediate condemnation from Jane.

As in her masterpiece "The Life and Death of American Cities," Jacobs has wonderful insights which she proceeds to exaggerate, take beyond the realm where they are correct, and thus leave plenty of openings for a critic's "now wait just a minute, there..." No matter. This little book is well worth a read. Fortunately, I expect it appeals to an older audience than Ayn Rand's romantic tracts on individualism and the free market, and so is unlikely to attract fools who want to go all the way, or even further, with it. Anyway, thanks to the late lady from Scranton!

2 people found this helpful

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May Bees

She is my hero!

Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2016

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Dark Age is better but this is a great book to do an audio on - I would love to see some business class do Youtubes on this with students playing each roll and then discussing it after wards!

This is the way we can keep our economy from sinking to 3rd world and how Developing nations can rise above and succeed.

One person found this helpful

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Howard L. Brady

Deeply thought provoking

Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2013

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Jane Jacobs was one of the most original and profound thinkers of the last hundred years, with the ability to prove conventional thought wrong on many subjects. Here she analyzes the shared ideas and values in western society, and discovers a major dichotomy in these systems of thought. The primary values that guide commerce and science contrast with those most important to institutions responsible for being "guardians"--government, courts, military, etc. This differentiation is both important and necessary, and keeping them separate is vital to effective performance within each institutional sphere. Whenever the two institutions and their values are combined in a single organization or operation, the result is corruption, often major.

2 people found this helpful

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Burton Robinson

Spot On Theory

Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2010

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The amazing thing about reading Jane Jacobs is that she intuitively understands what she examines. She writes as a true intellectual - broadly finding relationships based upon diverse scholarship.

The tone of this book was different than those read previously, but is similar to "The Nature of Economies."

It is set up as a didactic dialogue of varied perspectives. The conversational tone is a little difficult to take seriously initially.

However, all the observations are sensible, and Jacobs has a knack for presenting the theoretical with a solid basis of facts.

One person found this helpful

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charles ross

Two kinds of people...

Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2015

Verified Purchase

Those who believe in dualities, and those that don't.

Very hearty food for thought. I am a little surprised that I don't see folks making the connection between the duality that Jacobs outlines here and the similar duality that is described in the book "Clash!: How to Thrive in a Multicultural World " by Markus and Conner. The way tehy describe something very similar is the clash between Independent and Interdependent cultures.

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Kindle Customer

Insight into two different ethical systems

Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2017

Verified Purchase

Insight into two different ethical systems and when each is appropriate and inappropriate. Also examines the problem of admixture between them.

This explains much of what both sides of the political divide like and dislike about our political leaders, past and present.

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Amazon Customer

The author delivers an understanding of forces preying on every person.

Reviewed in Canada on October 9, 2020

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What I liked most was the author's conviction that logic and enlightened self-interest will win through for the salvation of humanity.

Unfortunately todays global circumstances trump all issues for me so even though the book has an optimistic take-away it did not reflect reality enough.

Still a good read delivering great moral thoughts and discussions.

Pen

Four Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 17, 2018

Verified Purchase

The book is very interesting and provides an imagined dialogue on these topics. Jane Jacobs, of course, is magnificent.

Dan Evens

Very interesting book presenting a very interesting thesis. Presented ...

Reviewed in Canada on August 22, 2014

Verified Purchase

Very interesting book presenting a very interesting thesis. Presented in a lively format that rescues what might have been a very dry listing of facts. The only reason I don't give it 5 stars is because I'm not sufficiently well read on the topic to know how accurate or reliable her thesis is.

Charles Board

Original thinking from Jane Jacobs -again!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 19, 2014

Verified Purchase

With her usual objective observational skills, Jacobs delineates the separate ethic systems of Government and Commerce and why when they overlap everything becomes corrupted. Charles D. F. Board

One person found this helpful

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Systems of Survival: A Dialogue on the Moral Foundations of Commerce and Politics Hardcover – February 2, 1993

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