I did not make my point clear. The question is still: Why is the self interest of each farmer so at odds with the common interest of all farmers&#x2F;all humanity?<p>The competitive environment you mention is the large scale structure of society itself. Those external actors you mention are the very forces that define the environment and define the context in which a farmer determines their self interest. These structures do not arise from the aggregate of individuals working independently, but from the coherent actions of ensembles of actors. The very notion of &#x27;self&#x27; is ill-defined and subject to change as social forces construct the way people perceive the relationship between their bodies and the rest of the world. There is no state of nature.