Capitalism,competition, cooperation

Summary As the pace of globalization quickens, firms are up against a proliferation of actual and potential competitors. Meanwhile, competition between nations and regional groupings is heating up, and there is a whole strand of thought that looks at the struggle between different types of capitalism and socio-economic systems. Such a rivalry may lead to beneficial effects, but in many cases interdependence does not automatically produce order. In the search for the public iinterest, there is a need for cooperation to generate a degree of trust and consensus that is superior to what can be expected from the various forms of capitalism.Inaugural Francqui Lecture, 8/2/1994. Université Libre de Bruxelles