I've been thinking about the economic way of thinking. Attempting to think like a non-economist. But the only way I'm able to do this any more is through economics. I can't separate myself from the economic way of thinking. Fortunately, I think that is a good thing.
So what is it that separates the philosophers from the economists? Economists see people rationally (or even irrationally) determining their use value for goods then weighing those use values against the costs of obtaining those goods. People consider the amount of wealth they have and come up with what they are willing to pay. If it is a net gain, then they trade. This is all well and good for predictions. Most people behave like this and most human decisions can be analyzed like that.
Where the philosophers differ is how the use value is established. It seems to me that they see use value as some value created by the objective needs of a person who is attempting to live the "good life." This might include the various rights a person has or the food a person needs to survive. Economists see that too for the most part. The difference is in willingness to pay. Economists take willingness to pay and use value as the same thing. Philosophers seem to take them as different. The wealthy are willing to pay more than the poor for something even though the poor have a larger use value.
A rich man would be willing to pay ten dollars for a bottle of water and would get it if a poor person was only able to pay a dollar and was thirstier. This leads to all sorts of complications. The market allocates water to the people who are willing to pay which is not to say that the goods are allocated in a way that minimizes thirst.
Hmmm.
I seem to have worked my way into a corner. More on these thoughts as they develop.
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