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gravity existed long before we 'discovered' it. Trade and "the economy" existed long before we 'discovered' it too. The economy is just as much about Cooperati

gravity existed long before we 'discovered' it. Trade and "the economy" existed long before we 'discovered' it too. The economy is just as much about Cooperation as Competition. That's why we call it Free Trade. > If you desire status over other people, admit it. No, it's an observation of human behavior. When I see a large scale change in human behavior, I will change my opinion. What purpose do you debate on an internet forum that doesn't boil down to 'status seeking'. Think of all the the things we do all day that are essentially motivated by 'status seeking'.

danharaj 11y ago
The economy is not a thing that exists without society. Using it to refer to a specific object is at best a metaphorical shorthand for real phenomena or a dangerous fetishism. "Economy" is an ancient concept, perhaps one of the oldest human concepts. "The economy" is new. The way we use words changes, the way we use words is related to the way we understand the world. I really don't care what specifically you think the term "the economy" refers to in this context: I'm talking about the word, not the referent. I made an observation about a shift in the way we understand economy. Here: http://www.npr.org/sections/money/2014/02/28/283477546/the-invention-of-the-economy http://www.npr.org/sections/money/2014/02/28/283477546/the-i... > No, it's an observation of human behavior. When I see a large scale change in human behavior, I will change my opinion. What purpose do you debate on an internet forum that doesn't boil down to 'status seeking'. Think of all the the things we do all day that are essentially motivated by 'status seeking'. Um, do you honestly think i gain any status at all whatsoever with anyone because i argue on the Internet? Like, you have no idea what else could possibly be the result of conversation? i don't think you have as deep an insight into human behavior as you think you do. You still haven't supported the assertion. Either your definition of status seeking renders the statement banal and vacuous, or incorrect. I'd like to hear what your definition is and your justification. What you see in human behavior isn't good enough: we see the same raw reality. We interpret it in different ways. Acting like your interpretation is just obvious doesn't cut it, especially when we're talking about the intentions of human beings. It is quite impossible to directly observe intention. It can only be interpreted from behavior.

danharaj 11y ago

The economy is not a thing that exists without society. Using it to refer to a specific object is at best a metaphorical shorthand for real phenomena or a dangerous fetishism. "Economy" is an ancient concept, perhaps one of the oldest human concepts. "The economy" is new. The way we use words changes, the way we use words is related to the way we understand the world. I really don't care what specifically you think the term "the economy" refers to in this context: I'm talking about the word, not the referent. I made an observation about a shift in the way we understand economy. Here: http://www.npr.org/sections/money/2014/02/28/283477546/the-invention-of-the-economy http://www.npr.org/sections/money/2014/02/28/283477546/the-i... > No, it's an observation of human behavior. When I see a large scale change in human behavior, I will change my opinion. What purpose do you debate on an internet forum that doesn't boil down to 'status seeking'. Think of all the the things we do all day that are essentially motivated by 'status seeking'. Um, do you honestly think i gain any status at all whatsoever with anyone because i argue on the Internet? Like, you have no idea what else could possibly be the result of conversation? i don't think you have as deep an insight into human behavior as you think you do. You still haven't supported the assertion. Either your definition of status seeking renders the statement banal and vacuous, or incorrect. I'd like to hear what your definition is and your justification. What you see in human behavior isn't good enough: we see the same raw reality. We interpret it in different ways. Acting like your interpretation is just obvious doesn't cut it, especially when we're talking about the intentions of human beings. It is quite impossible to directly observe intention. It can only be interpreted from behavior.