[Vocabulary] Can evolution teach... ?

[Habituellement]

Hello.

Could you tell me if the following sentence is correct and clear?

Social evolution teaches what to expect from alternative economic systems.

(For example, it teaches that the adoption of a market economy often increases people's wealth but also produces material inequalities.)
I am not sure that "teaches what to" is correct. Is it necessary to say "teaches one" or "teaches people" for example?

Of course I could find other formulations, although not exactly synonymous, like

Social evolution enables to know what to expect from alternative economic systems.

or

Social evolution enables to discover what to expect from alternative economic systems.

However, I want to make a short sentence, ideally as short as possible, hence the verb "teach" in my sentence.

Thank you very much for your answers.

 

[tedmc]

"Teach" is both a transitive and intransitive verb, so an object is optional. "Enable" is transitive though

 

[J&K Tutoring]

How committed to using the phrase "social evolution" are you? What is social evolution but history? I suggest:

We can learn from history what to expect from alternative economic systems.

Not really shorter than your original, but perhaps more instantly understood.

 

[Tdol]

Shows?

 

[Habituellement]

How committed to using the phrase "social evolution" are you? What is social evolution but history? I suggest:

We can learn from history what to expect from alternative economic systems.

Not really shorter than your original, but perhaps more instantly understood.

I am writing an academic article on Herbert Spencer's political and philosophical thought. The phrase "social evolution" is from Spencer himself. This is why I prefer to use it, instead of history.

 

[Habituellement]

Shows?

Yes, I have precisely hesitated between "to teach" and "to show".

 

[Tarheel]

What we learn from history is that we often don't learn anything from history.

 

[Tarheel]

This is why I prefer to use it, instead of history.

How should you change that?

 

[Tarheel]

I wouldn't use an adverb with history.

 

[jutfrank]

I don't like the sentence as it stands. It is not social evolution that teaches anything, it's the theory that does that.

And if you do want to use teach, you ought really to follow with an object. Perhaps:

Spencer's theory of social evolution teaches us what to expect ...

 

[Habituellement]

How should you change that?

Sorry Tarheel but I do not understand your question. Could you develop please?

 

[Habituellement]

I don't like the sentence as it stands. It is not social evolution that teaches anything, it's the theory that does that.

And if you do want to use teach, you ought really to follow with an object. Perhaps:

Spencer's theory of social evolution teaches us what to expect ...

Sorry jutfrank for not being clear enough. I should have clarified the context of my sentence.
Spencer's opinion is that people – scholars, more specifically – can learn from past social evolution what kinds of consequences to expect from alternative economic systems.
In the sentence

Social evolution teaches (or shows) what to expect from alternative economic systems

this is not my point of view which I describe, but Spencer's one.
In other words, the context is this:

Spencer believes that social evolution teaches (or shows) what to expect from alternative economic systems.

 

[Tarheel]

Try:

That is not my point of view, but Spencer's.

Or:

That's not my opinion, but Spencer's.

 

[Tarheel]

Sorry Tarheel, but I do not understand your question.

It's about punctuation. Example: That's why I use it instead of "history".

 

[jutfrank]

Sorry jutfrank for not being clear enough. I should have clarified the context of my sentence.
Spencer's opinion is that people – scholars, more specifically – can learn from past social evolution what kinds of consequences to expect from alternative economic systems.

Yes, I understand all that. My point was that strictly speaking, if you use the word teach, the subject should not be social evolution, because evolution does not teach anything. The learning comes from studying it.

I don't mean to be too pedantic, but it's important to be precise with this kind of academic text.