Phil TV Review

Don Marquis and Michael Tooley

I didn't think that Marquis was quite on top of how the examples were supposed to put pressure on his view. Though, it seemed like he doesn't have a very full view.

Marquis' response to the "extensive amputation" case -- a human's high brain is transplanted into another body and the body from which it is removed dies -- is really unsatisfying. He does admit to just respecting street intuition but it's ad hoc and I'd like to hear a good response to it. I'd like to hear something substantial.

Republicans Saving Money

By selling the pillars at the statehouse!!!! Yippee. What you can't see is the tool that construction worker is using. He's got a big saw up there and he's cutting a groove near the top. It looked like he was going to remove the pillar, in my mind.

Labor Market Eventualities

"Now, I am leaning closer to my father's view. I think that a lot of structural changes are taking place that are driving the marginal product of many workers well below their opportunity cost. Their lost output is not missed terribly much, because productivity is doing so well elsewhere."
The Hobgoblin of Simple Minds, by Arnold Kling, Econlog

I have been thinking about this for a long time now. What do we do with so many people who cannot be efficient in the market place? Again, when manufacturing becomes as is predicted, cheap and incredible (here), how will most humans be useful?