Johnson's purpose in w1i6ng "The Myth of the Ant Queen" is co teach us to see complex systems in a new and decentered way that is, he suggests, more consistent with the way nature really works....

Johnson's purpose in w1i6ng "The Myth of the Ant Queen" is co teach us to see complex systems in a new and decentered way that is, he suggests, more consistent with the way nature really works. Instead of trying to identify structures of leadership or basic laws and rules, we need to understand the p1inciple of self-organization, which creates order from the ground up instead of from the top down. In h.is discussion of the rise of the city of Manchester, Johnson implies that self-organization will produce the optimum results. But what would Joseph Stiglitz say about Johnson's proposition? Would he agree that self-organization always leads to che best results, or does he think that the consequences can be quite destructive? What 1night Stiglitz say to Johnson about the l.imitatjons and dangers of decentralized economjes?