Berkeley Econ 1: Fall 2010: Essay Assignment for October 13

By now you have read the first 264 pages of Seabright, The Company of Strangers. What do you think of the argument that large-scale human socio-economic cooperation is an interesting puzzle that needs to be explained? And what do you think of Seabright’s attempted answers?

By the start of lecture on October 13, write a short two-page essay intended to explain what Seabright’s central argument is to somebody who has not read the book, and giving your evaluation of his central argument.