[681] in libertarians
on distribution of the pie...
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Nick Davis)
Tue Feb 14 11:08:15 1995
From: Nick Davis <94728860@mmu.ac.uk>
To: libertarians@MIT.EDU
Date: Tue, 14 Feb 1995 16:00:09 GMT
Suicidal maniac (?) wrote:
When you have the "distribute the pie" scheme, then there has to
be someone who determines how much of a share each person gets.
Otherwise, why can't i take the whole pie? Therefore, the
government...and all the evil with it.. arises..it's what
"distributes the pie."
The "lifeboat" scenario suggested misses the key question "where did
the lifeboat come from?". The point is surely that *before* it is
possible even to discuss the best mechanism for distribution of the
"pie" (free markets, welfare state, state planning etc) one has to
consider how to create the pie.
The creation of the pie itself gives rise to rights over that which is
created. It is not in anyone's interest to create or add to the
pie in the absence of the knowledge that one will acquire such rights
(i.e. that one is entitled to the value one creates - although of
course one may have contracted to exchange one's time (ie the creation
of value) for payment.
Thus the second question - distributing the pie - will not arise.
The distribution will be according to the rights arising from the
pie's creation. That is the essence of justice. It is also the
reason why "social justice" can not co-exist with true justice.
Am about to miss a seminar .................. more later.
