Comments on: Notes on “The Collapse of Complex Societies” (J. Tainter)

By: elio

elio — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 09:37:23 +0000

I’ve just finish reading this book. In my opinion it can be compared with Marx’s The Capital because of concluding general laws from a whole historical analysis. Thank you Mr Karlin for this complete abstract, and of course for your interesting blog which, jusst discovered today, I’ll try to follow. Regards

By: Wond’ring Aloud – confused of calcutta

Wond’ring Aloud – confused of calcutta — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 00:25:52 +0000

[...] While I’d heard of Tainter, I hadn’t read his work in depth, and I proceeded to dig into The Collapse of Complex Societies. [It was a subject I'd been mesmerised by since [...]

By: Transition Times » Article » Joseph Tainter: Talking About Collapse

Transition Times » Article » Joseph Tainter: Talking About Collapse — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 16:42:44 +0000

[...] can read an excellent summary of Tainter’s book “The Collapse of Complex Societies” written by Anatoli Karlin. Some (long) ruminations of mine about the fate of the Roman Empire can be [...]

By: Transition Times » Article » Peak Civilization

Transition Times » Article » Peak Civilization — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 20:45:05 +0000

[...] coin, which we would expect to follow the same path. Here are the data (the figure is taken from this site [...]

By: Peak Civilization « The Burning Platform

Peak Civilization « The Burning Platform — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 01:35:33 +0000

[...] There is more. Do you remember the curves that are calculated in the dynamic model for the relation Capital/resources? You expect the production curve to peak before the capital curve. Now, I proposed that this relation capital/resources exists between the Roman Army and the gold that they looted. So, do we have data that show this relationship? Yes, we do, although only approximately. Let’s first see the data for gold. We don’t have data for the amount of gold circulating within the Empire, but Tainter shows us the data for the devaluation of the Roman silver coin, which we would expect to follow the same path. Here are the data (the figure is taken from this site ): [...]

By: Interview: Anatoly Karlin – Sublime Oblivion

Interview: Anatoly Karlin – Sublime Oblivion — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:47:09 +0000

[...] – I spend at least as much time procrastinating on teh internets as actually writing, and managing complexity – juggling between a big number of online projects, academia, and social life can be [...]

By: Steven Hales

Steven Hales — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 14:29:27 +0000

Hi, The problem with your analysis of debasement or simply inflation is how has prosperity changed from 1913 to today? The value of a currency from a fixed point will always show decline because of frictional issues in exchange or trade. This frictional inflation or debasement is about 1 to 2% per year. Over exceedingly long periods it would appear that the medium of exchange is losing purchasing power when in fact salaries are rising faster than prices and real purchasing power is rising. Notice on the chart of the dollar that the uptick in value around the time of the Great Depression that is known as deflation and a period of negative growth and falling living standards. We can’t deflate ourselves to prosperity but we sure can inflate ourselves there at modest levels of inflation.

By: Free of State » Blog Archive » “Peak Civilization”: The Fall of the Roman Empire

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:53:21 +0000

[...] [...]

By: The Belief Matrix | Sublime Oblivion

The Belief Matrix | Sublime Oblivion — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 06:03:12 +0000

[...] surpluses, politicians and kings are forced to go back to the future. Way back. Quoting from my notes on Tainter’s The Collapse of Complex Societies: At this point, decomposition rapidly becomes [...]

By: The Dilemmas of Global Dimming | Sublime Oblivion

The Dilemmas of Global Dimming | Sublime Oblivion — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 09:13:32 +0000

[...] hand of government in their lives, for by now net returns to complexity will be decidedly negative (Tainter). Furthermore, not all nations will benefit or agree to this project, though they will no doubt be [...]