Homo oeconomicus / Political economy

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The concept homo oeconomicus understands humans as carrier of individual preferences, on the basis those it by utilization of all available information its decisions meets. Each action homo oeconomicus is determined alone by the maximization of the personal use on basis of rational considerations. The term is a humoristic allusion on the biological Taxon (group) Homo sapiens.

In the social sciences, in particular in the sociology and the economic science, become beginnings, which develop in their basic assumptions on the people picture homo oeconomicus, when designates rational Choice beginnings. In the economic science the participants are usually modelled as egozentrische Nutzenmaximierer, i.e., very specific acceptance are made over the preferences of the Homo Oeconomicus. This becomes for many questions, in which conflicting interests arise, when adequate and practicable simplification accepts. In particular the experimental the evolution and are concerned with limit rational behavior patterns of humans, whose reasons lie among other things in the complexity of the decision situations (evaluation of information, formation of future expectations etc.). Ralf Dahrendorf coined/shaped and used the term similar to in addition for its role theory homo sociologicus.

Homo oeconomicus often as an antisocial or amoralisches nature one sees. Also deception and fraud lie within the spectrum of rational ways of acting for the own advantage. However also not egozentrische preferences can be modelled; the general concept of the Homo Oeconomicus accepts preferences as given and makes no acceptance over their concrete contents.

History

Adam Smith

The beginning of the political economist and philosopher Adam Smith recognizes in homo oeconomicus (it did not coin/shape however this term!) the basis for the prosperity of the nations. The "egoism" ("itinterest") of the particular and not next love or Altruismus leads to the fact that also the socially material prosperity is increased, because "not by the sympathetic consideration of the butcher, Brauers and baker expects we what we need to the meal but of it that they notice their own interests. We turn not to their people but to their self-love, and we mention not the own needs, but speak of their advantage" (out: The prosperity of the nations - an investigation of its nature and its causes. First book, second chapter "the principle, that the division of labor is the basis"). In this central dispatching mechanism of the marktlichen interaction (market or exchange principle) Smith sees a social control possibility, which he probably estimates as extremely efficient. It seems for it, as if this principle, because it seems to function evenly so efficiently and reliably, is directed of invisible hand (Smith did not coin/shape also this term really, since he emerges in the entire work only once. The "invisible hand" stood with Smith less for the principle of the "free market without any interference of the state", but pressed rather its admiration out for the of a principle, which gets along without hierarchy and seems quasi as automatically to be functioned. Smith was everything but a radical proponent of the Markets or Manchester liberalist, to which the term of the invisible hand has to owe the often worth-loaded Konnotation. Nevertheless appoint yourself it, often too wrongly, to Adam Smith.)

Eduard Spranger

The expression homo oeconomicus, coined/shaped of Eduard Spranger in its book ways of life (1914), designates the maintained basic tendency of humans to align the life according to purely economic criteria. Spranger describes several Grundtypen, from which homo oeconomicus the one is: theoretical humans, economic humans, aesthetic humans, social humans, the power human being and religious humans.

Economic humans in the most general sense are thus that, which places the usefulness value in front in all life relations. Everything becomes for it means of the life support, the natureful fight around the existence and the pleasant life organization. (P. 148). [...]
Wealth is power. Economic humans unfold first power over nature, its materials, forces, areas and the technical means to their accomplishment. [...] More to have want than the other one, are one in the social economy itself again and again automatically screen end will direction. Economic aspiration for power appears thus in the form to the competition; it prevails from the simplest stages and can be exterminated only with the economic motive. (P. 153/154)
The power of the money is based on its motivation strength for humans; it presupposes thus again economically arranged nature. And equal as if one beflissen would be to recognize this already in advance money gives today also reputation if one did not acquire it and neither by its diligence nor by its intelligence in it is involved. [...] The economic value is even already for this kind of humans the highest value. (P. 155).

Today

With the establishment of the experimental economic research the concept was more frequently experimentally examined homo oeconomicus in passed the years ever. It showed up that sometimes on certain narrow-defined laboratory conditions this concept can be consulted as a suitable prognosis for actual human behavior. In numerous other attempts this behavior hypothesis could not be confirmed however. For explanation observe laboratory behavior in these cases the Homo oeconomicus model frequently one extends. These extensions refer thereby frequently to the use function, which e.g. along-considers the behavior of other participants. Homo oeconomicus reciprocans is such an model extension.

Criticism

In culture, philosophy and of many economists is often rejected the people picture of the rational Homo Oeconomicus as linear: The history, which psychology, which art, which religion, anthropology and Ethnologie counter examples enough would supply. Humans are no (egoistic), purely rational machine. Particularly in the sociology the meaning of standards and values for human acting is stressed. Recapitulatory criticisms are in nearly each introduction book to the sociology.

Literature

Gebhard: Homo oeconomicus - the economic model of individual behavior and its application in the restaurant and social sciences. 1991.
Manstetten, pure: The people picture in the economics - homo oeconomicus and the anthropology of Adam the Smith. Freiburg 2002.
Dietz, Alexander: Homo oeconomicus. 2005.