The mutual gains from trade moderate the parent-offspring conflict

Da Silva, Sergio (2013): The mutual gains from trade moderate the parent-offspring conflict.

Abstract

By combining basic concepts from economics and genetic economics, I elaborate a rationale for the mutual gains from the exchange of goods between siblings to moderate the famous parent-offspring conflict, an issue of interest for evolutionary psychology. The rationale also fills in the gaps of standard economic theory by justifying why trade (ultimately a cooperative endeavor) is made possible starting from egoistic utility-maximizers.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: parent-offspring conflict
• Subjects: A - General Economics and Teaching > A2 - Economic Education and Teaching of Economics > A20 - General; A - General Economics and Teaching > A2 - Economic Education and Teaching of Economics > A22 - Undergraduate; B - History of Economic Thought, Methodology, and Heterodox Approaches > B5 - Current Heterodox Approaches > B52 - Institutional ; Evolutionary; D - Microeconomics > D1 - Household Behavior and Family Economics

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