Systems of Survival: A Dialogue on the Moral Foundations of Commerce and Politics

Reg (Litz) called the meeting to order and the discussion began with Paul (Earl) highlighting that Jane Jacobs helped him better understand the Western Canadian grain industry. In his words, “the penny dropped” after using Jacob’s ideas. Although not an academic, Jane Jacobs is known as an activist and intellectual who spent the bulk of her career focusing on urban issues, perhaps giving her a unique perspective in writing about the values of commerce and politics. Paul summarized the major concepts of Systems of Survival by Jane Jacobs.