Understanding The Evolution Of Institution

Complex adaptive systems (CAS) are the Dynamic systems, made up of the interactions of heterogeneous agents. And diversity and nonlinear is strong power of mutation and self-organization of CAS. The evolutionary economists believe that the CAS theory reflects the complex essential of socio-economic structure, so it will be a significant exploration to attempt to understand the evolution of institution under the CAS theory. Through comparative study of some representative scholars'viewpoints, such as Hayke, North, Grave and Hodgson, this paper concludes that a convergence of scholars'researches of the evolution of institution can be found, since the fundamental principle of CAS are used in varying degree by the scholars in their theoretical analysis. And the convergence shows that the known theoretical analytical frames are not enough to interpret the fact that the process of the evolution of institution is seen as the one of the increasing complexity. Thus it might be necessary to take an attempt to replace the old theoretical analytical frames by a new one. However, the limitations of the Methods of Hayke School and others'restrict overall investigation of CAS.The complexity essential of the evolution of institution is not the situation, just like predecessors used to consider, which can be interpreted by the grafting of known theoretical frames and some viewpoints of CAS. Its complete interpretation is only conducted under CAS.In addition, it is necessary to modify the CAS originated from physics before explaining the problem of the evolution of institution. There are two main Modifications as follows. The first place, it is attempted to set up the dialogue platform between the terms of natural sciences and the one of social sciences. The second place, it is attempted to establish the CAS theoretical frame based on the ontology of double evolution in order to interpret the evolution of institution on dependence of agents'intentionality. In fact, CAS is not an analogy of method. The essence of agents'adaptability, which is presented as the active adaptation in socio-economics systems, varies along with different system.The theoretical core of CAS is irreducibleness of Multi-level structure, which means there are different evolutionary dynamic in each level. In Micro level, the evolutionary dynamic is presented as agents'(organizations') active learning. Learning is a basic form of agents trying acclimatization, shown as the process of the agents apperceiving to the environment. And in Macro level, the evolutionary dynamic is mainly artificial selection: competition and cooperation. Loose relations among agents product many uncertainties, thus various behaviors of exploring solutions are carried out simultaneously, and form competition in complex systems. Competition will cause feedback; meanwhile, innovative adaptive behaviors will be caused by feedback. Accordingly, competition drives the emergences of innovation of system. Yet, competition is not the only selection mechanism, and the sustainable agents'relations need effect of cooperation. In some special space and time, the history of a successful institution is described as a story, which is on the improvements of cooperation and complementary behavior.Hence, the stability of complex systems is sustained by cooperation. To all appearance, the systems look in chaos, because of the uncertainty caused by direct or indirect interactions of heterogeneous agents. Under the combined action of adaptive learning and selection mechanism, the evolution of socio-economic systems is called"Order emerging on the edge of chaos".In this paper, it is attempted to use the Soviet historical documents to verify the interpretation of disintegration of the Soviet Union, the process of the revolutionary change of institutional structure, under modified CAS, and compare the interpretation with North and Hodgson. After comparative analysis, we draw a conclusion that CAS is superior to North's theoretical frame of increment institutional changes in interpreting the problems of the evolution of institution far from equilibrium state, such as the revolutionary change of disintegration of the Soviet Union. Moreover, CAS can make up the defects of which North's theoretical can not interpret the process of dynamic evolution as well as Hodgson. In addition, because of the defects of Hodgson's theory based on biological analogy, his frames are incapable in interpreting the institutional changes of disintegration of the Soviet Union. The evolution of biological systems is a long incremental process. What's more, one traditional problem hasn't been solved that biological analogy can not interpret individual intentionality.