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Papers Published
- Timur Kuran. "Explaining the Economic Trajectories of Civilizations: The Systemic Approach." Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization 71 (September,
2009): 593-605.
Abstract:
A civilization constitutes a durable social system of complementary traits. Some of the
complementarities of any given civilization are between elements of “material” life and ones commonly treated as integral to “culture.” Identifying the mechanisms responsible for a civilization’s observed trajectory involves, therefore, causal relationships that cross the often-postulated “culturalmaterial” divide. Complementarities make it difficult to transplant institutions across civilizations
on a piecemeal basis. They imply that reforms designed to jump start an economy will fail unless they are comprehensive. Civilizational analysis can benefit, therefore, from attention to institutional
complementarities, including ones involving both cultural and material variables.
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