Abstract：Coase raised fundamental questions on the firm nature and market solution for social conflicts. However, confusion was around the symmetric intonation of transaction costs,the ill-formulated Coase Theorem, and the false analogy in physics. Fundamental issues in the transaction costs approach can be elaborated by the symmetry assumption in equilibrium economics and symmetry breaking in evolutionary dynamics. The Coasian belief of decreasing transaction costs by market competition is against historical experiences of the division of labor and basic law in thermodynamics. The creative nature of the firm and selective role of institution can be understood by Maxwell’s demon of living boundaries and increasing complexity in industrial economy.

Key Words: transaction costs, Coase Theorem, symmetry principle, symmetry breaking,evolutionary thermodynamics

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