Re: Economics of rank vs. Economics of the most money
Jacob W Braestrup [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: How well this 'philosophy of envy' is rooted in people seems to me to be very dependent on culture. In the US people seem to care more about absolute gains than Europeans (especially Scandinavians, who seem to focus solely on relative gains). That sounds interesting. Can you back it up? Gustavo
Re: Economics of rank vs. Economics of the most money
Fabio Guillermo Rojas wrote: pretty ignorant. Is it only rank about people who exist, or do potential people count as well? Is it rank of money, power, or subjective utility? It doesn't have to be that complicated - how about rank among some small group? Like businesses trying to maximize market share at the expense of profits, or racial prejudice, where some employers might enjoy minimizing the wages of some workers, even if doing so has some tangible cost. It doesn't have to be complicated, but it does have to be specific. A business trying to maximize market share is pretty specific, though with multiple product lines and sets of consumers there remains the question of how to weigh these different market shares. An employer wanting only to minimize the wages of workers of some race is also specific, though we have to distinguish that from them wanting to minimize the consumption of those workers, to minimize the regard in which those workers are held by associates, or to maximize their mating with potential partners who these workers might compete for. Robin Hanson [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://hanson.gmu.edu Asst. Prof. Economics, George Mason University MSN 1D3, Carow Hall, Fairfax VA 22030- 703-993-2326 FAX: 703-993-2323
Re: Economics of rank vs. Economics of the most money
Maybe the real puzzle is under what conditions do people maximize rank or total stuff. F It doesn't have to be complicated, but it does have to be specific. A business trying to maximize market share is pretty specific, though with multiple product lines and sets of consumers there remains the question of how to weigh these different market shares. An employer wanting only to minimize the wages of workers of some race is also specific, though we have to distinguish that from them wanting to minimize the consumption of those workers, to minimize the regard in which those workers are held by associates, or to maximize their mating with potential partners who these workers might compete for. Robin Hanson [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://hanson.gmu.edu Asst. Prof. Economics, George Mason University MSN 1D3, Carow Hall, Fairfax VA 22030- 703-993-2326 FAX: 703-993-2323
