1954), Economy and Society (1956; with Neil J. Smelser), Structure and Process in Modern Societies (1960), Societies: Evolutionary and Comparative Perspectives (1966), Sociological Theory and Modern Society (1967), Politics and Social Structure (1969), and The American University (1973; with Gerald M. Platt and Neil J. Smelser).
Hayek never feared evolutionary change in society, nor believed religious values sufficient reason for using power of the state to prevent change.
Thus, until we are capable of constructing synthetic organisms that meet strictly defined design criteria in which future behaviour is predictable in the presence of intrinsic and extrinsic noise, uncertainty and evolutionary action scientists and society should exercise caution before synthetic organisms are allowed to leave the confines of the laboratory.
This would lead to stronger pro-social behaviour and cooperation, giving evolutionary advantage to societies whose communication shows a positive bias.
"The work has implications for society," says evolutionary biologist Andy Gardner of the University of Edinburgh in the U.K. "By looking at our evolutionary origins, and the selective forces shaping our social and antisocial behaviors, we might better understand why we are so inclined towards war".
"This indicates that the act of treating people fairly and implementing justice in society has evolutionary roots," Dr. Gospic said.
His presentation of the science in The Blank Slate was characteristically clear-eyed and carefully argued, but he ran into trouble with some of his claims about the evolutionary causes of enlightened society.
Perhaps one of the chief goals of the study of political systems should be to determine as exactly as possible the conditions and prerequisites of those forms of change that permit the peaceful and evolutionary development of human society.
In particular, it may be important to show explicitly how science does not force a harsh either-or choice between a moral society or evolutionary biology.
Indeed, we see evidence of some back pedaling with regard to evolutionary science in American society, creationist museums in Kentucky, attacks on state standards including evolution across the Midwest and the South East, and calls for opting out of evolution lessons for students with strong objections to evolutionary reasoning.
And perhaps it serves an evolutionary purpose in anesthetizing society at large.
