STUPIDITY IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC SENSE, ITS COSTS AND COMBATING STUPIDITY

Year 2022, , 24 - 33, 28.11.2022

Orhon Can Dağtekin

https://doi.org/10.53092/duiibfd.1125268

Abstract

Although some economic policies focus on the increase in welfare, societies do not consist of a single type of individual. From this point of view disciplines such as behavioral economics softens the concept of rationality compared to the traditional theories and offer various suggestions while taking psychological factors into account. Since it is not possible to examine some individuals in such a way for all the time, different perspectives may be necessary. The concept of stupidity and the approach put forward by Cipolla (2021) based on his observations can be considered as one of those alternatives. He offers different perspectives on both the society itself and individuals in order to avoid possible harm resulting from stupidity. This study presents those implications for the economic system and social welfare by addressing Cipolla's arguments on stupdidity and the losses caused by it for the first time in Turkish literature.

Keywords

Behavioral Economics, Stupidity, Public Policy, Optimization, Rationality

İKTİSADİ BOYUTUYLA APTALLIK, YOL AÇTIĞI MALİYETLER VE APTALLIKLA MÜCADELE

Abstract

İktisadi politikaların bir kısmı refah artışını odak noktasına almakta, toplumdaki bireylerin ise tek tip (rasyonel) davranış sergilediğini varsaymaktadır ancak toplumlar tek tipte bireylerden oluşmamaktadır. Bu bakış açısıyla davranışsal iktisat gibi disiplinler, geleneksel teorilerdeki rasyonalite kavramını yumuşatarak çeşitli öneriler sunmakta ve psikolojik faktörleri de dikkate almaktadır. Ne var ki bazı bireylerin bu şekilde irdelenmesi zaman zaman mümkün olmadığı için farklı perspektifler gerekli olabilmektedir. Cipolla (2021) tarafından öne sürülen ve gözlemlere dayalı olan aptallık yaklaşımı da bunlardan biri olarak hem toplumlara hem de olası zararlardan kaçınmak adına bireylere ve yöneticilere farklı bakış açıları sunmaktadır. Bu çalışma Türkçe literatürde Cipolla’nın aptallığa ve öngörülemez zararlara dair savlarını ilk kez ele alarak, ekonomiye ve toplumsal refaha dair çıkarımlar sunmaktadır.

Keywords

Davranışsal İktisat, Aptallık, Kamu Politikası, Optimizasyon, Rasyonalite, Behavioral Economics, Stupidity, Public Policy, Optimization, Rationality

References

• Bárcenas, D. R., Kuperman, J., & Kuperman, M. N. (2020). The destructive effect of human stupidity: a revision of Cipolla’s fundamental laws. The European Physical Journal B, 93(11), 1-6.
• Becker, G. S. (1968). Crime and punishment: An economic approach. In The economic dimensions of crime (pp. 13-68). Palgrave Macmillan, London.
• Cipolla, C. M. (2021). The basic laws of human stupidity. Doubleday.
• Just, D. R., & Payne, C. R. (2009). Obesity: can behavioral economics help?. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 38, s47-s55. Hansen, P., & Jespersen, A. (2013). Nudge and the Manipulation of Choice: A Framework for the Responsible Use of the Nudge Approach to Behaviour Change in Public Policy. European Journal of Risk Regulation, 4(1), 3-28. doi:10.1017/S1867299X00002762
• Laibson, D., & List, J. A. (2015). Principles of (behavioral) economics. American Economic Review, 105(5), 385-90.
• Prato, G. B. (2020). On Human Stupidity and Economic Policies: How Cities Inequality Generates Losses for All. Urban Inequalities: Ethnographically-informed Reflections.
• Săvoiu, G., & Čudanov, M. (2015). Stupidity and normal distribution or the contemporary impact of the Carlo Cipolla’s laws. Econophys Sociophys Other Multidiscip Sci J, 5(3), 4-10
• Tettamanzi, A. G., & da Costa Pereira, C. (2014, August). Testing Carlo Cipolla's Laws of Human Stupidity with Agent-Based Modeling. In 2014 IEEE/WIC/ACM International Joint Conferences on Web Intelligence (WI) and Intelligent Agent Technologies (IAT) (Vol. 3, pp. 246-253). IEEE.
• Tirole, J. (2002). Rational irrationality: Some economics of self-management. European Economic Review, 46(4-5), 633-655.
• Thaler, R. H., & Sunstein, C. R. (2009) Nudge. Improving decisions about health, wealth, and happiness. Penguin. Tversky, Amos, & Kahneman, Daniel. 1974. “Judgment under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases.” Science 185 (4157): 1124–1131.
• VanEpps, E. M., Volpp, K. G., & Halpern, S. D. (2016). A nudge toward participation: improving clinical trial enrollment with behavioral economics. Science translational medicine, 8(348), 348fs13-348fs13.