Ben,
I don't want to reject institutions just because they have a bad press.
As has been pointed out to me a number of times in the past when I have
attacked "bureaucracy", even that has its uses and value.
Institutions are, I think, of much greater value than bureacracy.
Can you show me a community of any size without any institutions? Can you
show me a marketplace - of ideas or money or whatever - of any size
without any institutions?
In human affairs, I think "institution" marks the place where there is a
recognised stability - not necessarily fixed or rigid - which provides a
framework for the dynamic interplay of living forces.
These I suspect are necessary and certainly have made many positive
contributions.
--
Michael McMaster : Michael@kbdworld.com
web:http://www.vision-nest.com/BTBookCafe/TIA/TIAmap.html
"I don't give a fig for the simplicity this side of complexity
but I'd die for the simplicity on the other side of complexity."
attributed to Chief Justice Brandeis
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations
For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>