This book chapter explores the paradigm of "Evolutionary Capitalism," which reinterprets capitalist economic systems through the lens of concepts and mechanisms from biological evolution theory. Its central thesis posits a fundamental analogy between market dynamics and natural selection processes. Within this framework, firms, products, and ideas are under constant pressure of "economic selection" in a competitive environment, much like biological organisms, striving to survive, reproduce, and evolve.

The chapter first establishes parallels between "natural selection" and "market selection." The economic counterpart to biological "fitness" is "economic fitness," which denotes a firm's capacity to adapt to changing market conditions (competition, technology, regulation, consumer preferences) and sustain performance. Schumpeter's theory of "creative destruction" is placed at the heart of this process; it is emphasized that innovation renews the economic system by destroying old and inefficient structures, operating similarly to the cycle of mutation and selection in evolution.

Secondly, markets are treated as "economic ecosystems." In this ecosystem, supply and demand function as environmental selection pressures. Consumer preferences are shaped by cultural evolution and memetic theory (the spread of ideas), while innovation assumes the role of economic "mutation." The intersection of behavioral economics and memetics reveals that marketing and investment decisions are shaped not merely by rational calculation but by processes of social learning, imitation, and cultural transmission.

The final part of the chapter delves into the ethical dimension and societal implications of capitalism's natural selection mechanisms. Beginning with a critique of Social Darwinism, this section highlights the ethical and scientific pitfalls of misinterpreting market competition as mere "survival of the fittest." Instead, it clarifies that modern evolutionary economics provides a descriptive model, not a normative judgment. Financial crises are analyzed as instances of "economic species cleansing"; they are interpreted as evolutionary bottlenecks where fragile firms are weeded out, the system is renewed, and adaptive capacity is tested. However, considering the destructive social costs of this process (unemployment, inequality), the chapter points to the vital role of policy and regulation in balancing market selection within a humane and ethical framework.

In conclusion, the chapter proposes a shift from the traditional "Homo Economicus" model towards a "Homo Adaptivus" model that centers on the ability to adapt to environmental change. Evolutionary capitalism provides a comprehensive and interdisciplinary framework for understanding economic systems not as static equilibria but as complex adaptive systems that continuously learn, adapt, and evolve.