Darwinism in Economics and the Evolutionary Theory of Policy-Making

According to the advocates of a "Generalized Darwinism" (GD), the three Darwinian principles of variation, selection and retention can and should be used as a meta-theoretical framework for the explanation of evolutionary processes in the socio¬cultural domain. Despite their biological origins, GD aims at redefining them in a way that is supposed to abstract from any domain-specific particulars. We argue that in order to qualify as an adequate meta-theoretical framework for evolutionary economics, GD should be able to support and inspire viable practical policy implications. After examining its potential to do so, however, we conclude that GD risks systematically misguiding evolutionary policy advice.