[Ed. Note: I agree with Perelman's point below re the need for a new thread and I am posting responses to this discussion under "Market Origins." -- HB] ======================= HES POSTING ================= Anthony Brewer and Pat Gunning are emphasizing the spontaneous origins of markets. Mary Schweitzer suggested the importance of a legal infrastructure to nurture markets. This discussion has verged off from the subject of Polanyi, who may have been sympathetic to the idea of spontaneous origins. At least, I do not recall him pointing a finger anybody for "creating" the fictitious markets in land, labor and money. I would like to see us follow through on this new thread. We have already agreed that some people (although we may diaagree about the proportions) were anxious to break the communitarian (or feudal or whatever other labels you prefer) traditions and try to enrich themselves. How much was their success dependent on the creation of new forms of state or legal infrastructures, such as Mary discussed? -- Michael Perelman Economics Department California State University Chico, CA 95929 Tel. 916-898-5321 E-Mail [log in to unmask] ============ FOOTER TO HES POSTING ============ For information, send the message "info HES" to [log in to unmask]