Mutual aid and competition as driving forces of economic development

The theory of competition is one of the main theories of modern economic science and is an important component of its methodological and theoretical apparatus. In the classical and neoclassical paradigm of economic science, competition is objective, independent of individual economic entities, the basis of the market mechanism, an “invisible hand” that coordinates the activities of producers and consumers, the distribution of limited resources, the creation, distribution and use of economic benefits. Over the past 250 years, the theory of competition has gone through the path of formation and development and currently has a developed methodology that has made it possible to distinguish and study various types of competition and various types of market structures: pure competition, oligopoly, pure monopoly, monopolistic competition. The developed economic and mathematical apparatus of the microeconomic theory of competition makes it possible to realize its cognitive, practical and ideological functions. But throughout the entire period of formation and development of the theory of competition, there has been criticism of it. The object of criticism are both theoretical and practical aspects of the theory of competition. The most prominent opponents of the supporters of the theory of competition are Russian scientists: P. Kropotkin, A. Chayanov, N. Kondratiev, M. Tugan-Baranovsky, S. Kirdina-Chandler, G. Kleiner and others. They contrast the theory of competition with the theory of mutual aid, according to which mutual aid, not competition, is the driving force behind economic development. The authors of the article reconstructed the process of formation and development of the theory of competition and the theory of mutual assistance, revealed the relative heuristic significance of both theories, clarified the concept of “mutual assistance” in relation to the concept of “cooperation”, substantiated the existence of the dichotomy “mutual assistance – ​competition” and proved that it is driving force of economic development.

1. Kirdina-Chandler S.G. (2022). Economic theory, ideology, and economic interest. AlterEconomics, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 71–92 (in Russian). URL: https://doi.org/10.31063/AlterEconomics/2022.19-1.5

2. Kirdina-Chandler S.G., Hall D. (2017). Cooperation versus competition in the writings of Russian evolutionists. Journal of Institutional Research, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 6–26. (in Russian). DOI: 10.17835/2076-6297.2017.9.1.006-026

3. Kleiner G. B. (2015). System economics is a platform for the development of modern economic theory. Bulletin of the Tyumen State University. Socio-Economic and Legal Research, vol. 1, no. 2 (2), pp. 136–110 (in Russian).

4. Kleiner G. B. (2019). The principles of duality in the light of system economic theory. Voprosy Ekonomiki, no. 11, pp. 127–149. (in Russian). URL: https://doi.org/10.32609/0042-8736-2019-11-127-149

5. Kropotkin P. A. (1907). Mutual aid as a factor in evolution. St. Petersburg: Association “Knowledge” (in Russian).

6. Malthus T. R. (2014). An Essay on the Principle of Population. Moscow: Direct-Media. 199 p. (in Russian).

7. Marx K., Engels F. (1995). Coll. Works. T. 1. Moscow: Publishing House of Polit. Literature (in Russian).

8. Marshall A. (1993). Principles of economic science. Moscow: Progress; Firm “Univers”. 342 p. (in Russian).

9. Ratzel F. (1901). Ethnology / transl. D. A. Koropchevsky. St. Petersburg: Education (in Russian).

10. Ricardo D. (2008). The beginnings of political economy and taxation. Selected works / D. Ricardo; [transl. from Engl.; foreword. P. N. Klyukin]. Moscow: Eksmo. 960 p. (in Russian).

11. Rosenberg G. S. (2018). Competition and mutual assistance – ​two sides of the “medal” of the interaction of populations (on the 175th anniversary of the birth of Pyotr Alekseevich Kropotkin and the 115th anniversary of the publication of his monograph “Mutual assistance as a factor in evolution”). Samarskaya Luka: Problems of Regional and Global Ecology, vol. 27, no. 3, pp. 262–269 (in Russian). DOI: 10.24411/2073-1035-2018-10081

12. Ryazanova G. N. (2022). Personal or group motivation: which tool is more effective. Bulletin of the University, no. 10, pp. 49–56. (in Russian). DOI: 10.26425/1816-4277-2022-10-49-56

13. Sazanova S. L. (2002). Comparative analysis of the methodology of traditional institutionalism and neo-institutionalism: Dissertation for the degree of candidate of economic sciences. Ulyanovsk. A manuscript (in Russian).

14. Sazanova S. L. (2017). Study of the relationship between the dynamics of the institution of entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial activity, the dynamics of values and incentives for managing. Bulletin of the University, no. 6, pp. 88–91 (in Russian).

15. Sazanova S. L. (2021). First International Lvov Forum. Economics of Contemporary Russia, no. 1 (92), pp. 155–162 (in Russian). DOI: 10.33293/1609-1442-2021-1(92)-155-162

16. Sazanova S. L., Jacques L. (2021). Value Management in Economics 5.0. Bulletin of the University, no. 8, pp. 20–24 (in Russian). DOI: 10.26425/1816-4277-2021-8-20-24

17. Smith A. (2016). An inquiry into the nature and causes of the wealth of nations. Moscow: Eksmo. 1056 p. (in Russian).

18. Chayanov A. (1989). Peasant economy. Selec­ted works. Moscow: Ekonomika. 492 p. (in Russian).

19. Chamberlin E. G. (2007). The theory of monopolistic competition. Moscow: Direct-Media. 374 p. (in Russian).

20. Schwarzburd Ts.V. (2008.) Economic Anthropology of Savings: Historical and Institutional Approach. Historical and Economic Research, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 5–20 (in Russian).

21. Darwin C. (1979). The Origin of Species. N.Y.: Gramercy Books. 459 p. [Originally published in 1859].