> > "Because ...diverse humans ... have directly conflicting desires. That
> > ... very diversity of interest is what makes us unique and precious. To
> > the extent that I can get what I want by helping you get what you want,
> > that's great: it's called trade, and I'm all for it."
> >
> > I'm all for trade too. I will trade my refusal to inflict violence on
> > you regardless of whatever personal choices you make for your life in
> > exchange for your refusal to inflict violence on me for making whatever
> > personal choices I make for my life. I think that is a good trade. I
> > will trade my willingness to find cooperative resolutions to our
> > conflicting desires for your willingness to find cooperative resolutions
> > to our conflicting desires. I think that sort of trade is in our mutual
> > interest.
My refusal to commit violence upon you is part of my nature; you need not bargain for it. Your refusal to commit violence upon me is something I require from you unconditionally, and will not pay for. As for trading "my willingness to find cooperative solutions to our conflicting desires" for yours, that's exactly what I propose too. That cooperative solution is called free trade. In what way is free trade, mediated by property rights, not precisely what you say you want--a cooperative solution to conflicting desires? What other cooperative solution to conflicting desires has ever existed, or might exist?
If everyone on the planet is an uploaded entity in a big network, then perhaps we could just all enter our desires and our talents into a big database, and the computers would calculate how each of us could get everything ey wants for the least effort. But in the world we are in, with limited information and communication, there's a simple expedient that accomplishes nearly the same thing--money. We just use allow all free individuals to place relative measures on their desires and talents, and let them engage in free trade by unanimous consent, and it all works out without the need for central planning. It's really quite an ingenious solution to the problem.
-- Lee Daniel Crocker <lee@piclab.com> <http://www.piclab.com/lcrocker.html> "All inventions or works of authorship original to me, herein and past, are placed irrevocably in the public domain, and may be used or modified for any purpose, without permission, attribution, or notification."--LDC