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I agree with your analysis but don't agree with the status
argument as a general condition of humanity. There is too much data
as to the ambiguity of status to assign it to consumer goods. But
otherwise I think you are correct in your evaluation of the scientific condition
of economics. Spoken as an artist of course.
REH
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, December 13, 2003 2:56
AM
Harry,
Just as "natural history" in
Victorian times was formative in the development of botany, zoology, biology
and evolutionary theory, the traditional description of economics as dealing
with the "Nature, the Production, and the Distribution of Wealth" shows that
it still at an early stage of understanding.
We can only move towards
economics being regarded as a science when we start to examine the *causes* of
economics and trade. Why did the whole business start in the first
place? If we were able to trace back the history of every single item of
consumer goods -- however trivial it may seem to us today -- we will
discover that, in every case (apart from food), it first made its appearance
as a item desired for its enhancement of status. Status, as in every social
mammal sepcies, is the means by which selection is made for sexual activity,
the strongest of our instincts apart from eating, and for its only slightly
lesser byproduct -- though still valuable -- of social inclusion with the
group or community.
Today, the whole world of politics and business, is
in a dither. Economists can give us no guidance of where we're heading.
Unfortunately, the classical economists can give us no guidance. Major figures
though they were, they had not yet started to ask the Why
question.
Until we do so -- and in my view appreciate that economic
activity is mainly driven by new consumer goods bought for status only -- then
we can make no sensible forecasts of just where modern society in developed
countries is heading. Until we do, economics will remain as a purely
descriptive activity -- as at the 'beetle collection stage' of the
biological sciences 200 years ago or, to change the metaphor, the various
economic nostrums that are prescribed today are no better than the weird
variety of medicines that doctors gave to their patients 200 years ago before
medical science started looking for causes of diseases.
Keith
At 23:00 12/12/2003 -0800, you wrote:
Arthur,
Wouldn't you know
it?
You almost repeated - word for word - what Henry George said
in
1878.
Great minds think alike!
It's the reason why Classical
Political Economy is described as
"The Science that deals with the
Nature, the Production, and the
Distribution of Wealth.
That
"Distribution" bit is the essence of Political Economy.
Would that modern
economists would start thinking about why the
distribution is so unfair,
instead of devising ways to patch the
system by taking from the rich and
giving to the
poor.
Harry
********************************************
Henry
George School of Social Science
of Los Angeles
Box 655
Tujunga CA 91042
Tel: 818 352-4141 -- Fax: 818
353-2242
http://haledward.home.comcast.net
********************************************
-----Original
Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Wednesday,
December 10, 2003 5:26 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED];
[EMAIL PROTECTED];
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cc:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: RE: [Futurework] http://www.glaesernemanufaktur.de/
We have
"solved" the production problem but can't seem to deal
with the issue of
distribution.
Arthur
-----Original Message-----
From: Harry
Pollard [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent:
Wednesday, December 10, 2003 5:15 PM
To: 'Brad McCormick, Ed.D.'; 'Ed
Weick'
Cc: 'futurework'
Subject: RE: [Futurework] http://www.glaesernemanufaktur.de/
Brad,
We
are discussing these problems in a society where the power to
produce has
reached unbelievable proportions (After many have
been thrown out of
work, the industries they left behind are
actually producing more.
Productivity hasn't fallen even though
there are far fewer workers
employed.)
Why these
"problems"?
Harry
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Keith
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