The paradoxical result is that a richer and potentially more powerful player may lose out to a poorer player, because the opportunity cost of fighting is greater for the former. ![]() A starting point is a game (developed by Hirshleifer) in which two players allocate their resources either to producing wealth or to fighting over wealth. This article develops a mathematical model of barbarigenesis-the formation of “barbarian” societies adjacent to more complex societies-and its consequences, and applies the model to the case of Europe in the first millennium CE. “Barbarism” is perhaps best understood as a recurring syndrome among peripheral societies in response to the threats and opportunities presented by more developed neighbors.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |