Reddit reviews Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal
We found 16 Reddit comments about Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
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Reddit reviews Capitalism: The Unknown IdealWe found 16 Reddit comments about Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Top 3 is obviously going to vary from person to person. Here's a good set of 3 books I'd recommend:
Between those three, you should get a basic grasp of economics and the ethical arguments for libertarianism.
(Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal also comes with the bonus of reading an article by Alan Greenspan in defense of the gold standard.)
> The only solution at the moment is to let true capitalism takes its course and allow the banks to fail.
Just to make it clear. Capitalism is a separation of state and economics. No regulation of private business only protection of rights. What we have now is NOT capitalism. Banks and money is the most regulated and controlled industry ever.
What is failing is cronyism, regulation, central banking. Bitcoin is free market money and is a step towards capitalism.
Capitalism is the solution. Let the free market choose. End of story.
Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal: http://www.amazon.com/Capitalism-Unknown-Ideal-Ayn-Rand/dp/0451147952
There is not conflict between individual's rights. Violating your rights is not in my interest. My rights end at your property. Do whatever you want with your property. For me to say I have the right to decide what you do on your property leads to...well...our current state of affairs.
However, I just finished a many day argument with a redditor about this stuff, in which I made no progress in convincing him, which was very disappointing. I'm not really ready to get in to it again so soon. Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal does a good job of explaining my opinions on the subject.
Thank you for asking so nicely. What pool_dolphin said, pretty much. Capitalism is misrepresented by its opponents, and misunderstood by most of its advocates (e.g. conservatives and some libertarians). The same can be said for communism and socialism, which is why I empathized with the socialist above.
 
This is WAY out there for posting on Reddit, but if you'd like the crash course on my view of capitalism, here's a short nonfiction book. For an even shorter and less convincing version, this page.
> Perhaps you'd care to disclose the particulars of the metaphysical pincicples that cash out capitalism, and what the rational/axiomatic justification is for accepting them, then?
This is a start - http://campus.aynrand.org/more/selected-full-essays/
I know I sound like a broken record but it really helps to read and grok before seeking out discussions or debates.
Finally, the ARI offers some decent academic courses on Objectivism.,
Capitalism, the Unknown Ideal
I'd start with [Economics in One Lesson by Hazzlit](
http://www.amazon.com/Economics-One-Lesson-Shortest-Understand/dp/0517548232/ref=sr_1_1)
It's easy to read, easy to understand, no strange jargon, puts things very simply, primarily using logic and examples.
And try to thoroughly understand:
1.) Benefits of voluntary exchange
2.) Law of Comparative Advantage
3.) Broken Window Fallacy
For further reading, I'd try Ayn Rand's collection of essays called Capitalism the Unknown Ideal - that was a huge influence for me, again, quite readable and easy to understand. And finally Ludwig von Mises's The Anti-Capitalist Mentality.
I'm sorry, I don't know of anything available online. If you have a few bucks though, Rand's "Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal" provides a good treatment of the concept of intellectual property.
>...but what would be the harm in having someone speculate on the arbitrary? Since it is arbitrary, it is akin to thinking that a hypothetical situation might be possible.
An arbitrary claim is only properly entertained long enough to identify it as arbitrary. Once it has been identified as arbitrary, it is outside the realm of your cognition. It is not even a proper subject of speculation, since "speculation" implies that there is some shred of a reason for thinking it might be true. Thought about arbitrary statements should not be considered speculation, but should be acknowledged for what it is: fantasy.
In regard to monopolies:
>Would using market force as a means to eliminate competition be a use of force or cohersion?
There's no such thing as "market force," only voluntary trade, real coercion by physical force, and indirect coercion by fraud.
You need not worry about "predatory pricing": Attempting this depletes the profitability of the business and, even if it momentarily "succeeds" in a free market, there will always be another competitor waiting to undercut the overcharging business; if not another start-up, then a big conglomerate. If an inefficient business wanted to undercut all of its competition, it would have to run at a loss almost constantly.
Starting a business, or moving a conglomerate into a new business, would be much easier in a free market. That fluidity is people's protection against so-called "coercive monopolies."
By the way, have you read Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal?
I would recommend seeing the total picture of Objectivism, and seeing it is a superior ideology than libertarianism (or that Objectivism is in a way libertarianism, plus much, much, much more). Objectivism focuses on ethics, epistemology, and metaphysics which freedom absolutely depends on.
Atlas Shrugged
http://www.amazon.com/Atlas-Shrugged-Ayn-Rand/dp/0451191145
The Virtue of Selfishness
http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pagename=objectivism_nonfiction_the_virtue_of_selfishness
Capitalism The Unknown Ideal
http://www.amazon.com/Capitalism-Unknown-Ideal-Ayn-Rand/dp/0451147952
Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand
http://www.amazon.com/Objectivism-Philosophy-Rand-Library-Volume/dp/0452011019
There is a significant difference between libertarianism and Objectivism, and people need to look hard at both sides and choose.
Epic fail.
> Have you read any Ayn Rand? Yes. If so, what is your opinion of capitalism? That has literally nothing to do with the previous question.
Ayn Rand wrote a book called Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal.
> I also don't believe that laissez-faire capitalism leads to the most happiness for the most people.
Then how can you include "libertarian" in the label that describes your political philosophy when one of the primary tenets of libertarianism is capitalism? Me being a libertarian and you being a "left libertarian," how are our political philosophies even remotely comparable?
> No. Communism is not "total government".
I will concede it's possible that anarcho-communists have changed the meaning of the word; I'm talking the modern understanding of the word. e.g. Soviet Union/North Korean communism. As an example, the word liberal is commonly used to describe a statist/authoritarian position, thus we need "descriptors" to define the previous meaning such as "classical liberal" (libertarian) and "neo-liberal" (neo just means "new").
What do you want to get out of it? Do you want to read overblown maximalist literature with ideology? Then go for the 50 page speech in the middle of it. Or any of her terrible philosophy books, or some secondary literature by protege Leonard Peikoff.
If you want the story, just watch the movie. It was even more boring than the book, but it's a movie.
If you are looking for well written philosophy that supports capitalism, I wouldn't start with Rand. Maybe read some Adam Smith, or Milton Friedman. Maybe another Comrade on here can help you with that? I'm under-read in capitalist philosophy and economics honestly.
https://www.amazon.com/Capitalism-Ideal-Ayn-Rand/dp/0451147952
>Private property encourages the consolidation and abuse of power, and is based in violence.
WELL THEN, ANOTHER READ I SUPPOSE ANYONE TALKING ABOUT CAPITALISM SHOULD HAVE READ, HERE YOU GO FUCKO. IF YOU TURN TO PAGE 148, LINE 14, IT SAYS YOU'RE RETARDED.
People keep demanding the explicit link between property rights and all other human rights; I refer them to "Capitalism: the Unknown Ideal" by Rand. If they can read that and still not grasp the unavoidable connection, then they are guilty of the same evasions as the guy who started this thread.
http://www.amazon.com/Capitalism-Ideal-Ayn-Rand/dp/0451147952