Re: Distribution & Redistribution

From: Ron Allen (rallen2_at_bellsouth.net)
Date: 12/12/04 

Date: Sun, 12 Dec 2004 15:39:21 -0500

jmhall@apex.home.net wrote:
> Oh, I should perhaps add, and I don't know if
> you are or are not a Mises [Ludwig Edler von
> Mises] fan but the general sentiment applies
> here as well since you're making an appeal to
> authority.

Robert J. Kolker wrote:
> Any "authority" Hume [David Hume] has lies in
> the correctness of his thinking. I happen to
> agree with Hume on many points and I love
> quoting his little bit about commiting nonsense
> to the flames, although I doubt seriously that
> Hume ever burned a book in his life.

Ron Allen answers:
David Hume believed that we must cooperate in
societies if we are to meet our natural needs.
I fully agree with this belief.

jmhall@apex.home.net wrote:
> Unless one believes that all the important
> knowledge and truths have been discovered
> already and all we have before us are the crumbs
> that statement should alway be kept in mind when
> making appeal to authority type arguments--even
> when that are valid appeals ;-)

Robert J. Kolker wrote:
> We only know a little bit about reality and we
> learn more and more every day. The idea is not
> to clog our heads up nor waste time with
> balderdash. Hume gave some very cogent methods
> for recognizing balderdahs. One of the kinder
> things we can do for ourselves is ignore or
> ridicule metaphical *** when we can. One things
> humans are very good at is creating technology,
> which is a morally neutral business. Humans are
> by their nature story tellers and problem
> solvers. What we are not particularly good at is
> being good.

Ron Allen answers:
And yet, most of us do manage to live a morally
decent life.

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"The meaning of good and bad, of better and worse,
is simply helping or hurting."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

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