XMCAers may be interested in the following piece of research that appeared
in yesterday's 'Independent'. Seems to be a classic case of 'A man sees
what he wants to see and disregards the rest' to quote those well-known
epistemologists Simon and Garfunkel. Perhaps it gives a new meaning to the
idea of capitalism as the law of the jungle? Particularly if 'tit for tat'
is the same as 'cooperative behaviour'.
Bruce
Monkey business really does exist, according to scientists who have found
that primates engage in a
version of capitalism where goods are exchanged for labour.
A study of capuchin monkeys - small but big-brained South American primates
- has discovered that
the animals have a barter system where food is paid in return for work.
Capuchins, like chimpanzees,
hunt in groups but only one monkey makes the capture, which is shared
equally with those who took
part in the effort.
Scientists at the Yerkes Primate Research Center in Atlanta, Georgia,
wanted to know whether this
was simple sharing or a more sophisticated barter system, and devised an
experiment in which two
caged capuchins had to co-operate in pulling a tray to deliver food to one
of them.
"The second monkey helped to pull the tray even though there was no
guaranteed reward of food for
him," said Frans de Waal, who devised the experiment with Michelle Berger.
Once the "worker" had
been paid in food, he was much more eager to help out in future. The
research, published in the journal
'Nature', also found the system only worked if the monkeys could see each
other.
"Society wouldn't exist without co-operative behaviour. Tit-for-tat is
essential for our economies," Dr
de Waal said. So it seems monkey business is the acceptable face of
capitalism.
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