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From: mms1646@acf4.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.politics.theory
Subject: Re: What is "capitalism"? (Explorations of "self-interest")
Message-ID: <2380028@acf4.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 11-Jun-85 00:46:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: acf4.2380028
Posted: Tue Jun 11 00:46:00 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 13-Jun-85 01:35:59 EDT
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Organization: New York University
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>/* flink@umcp-cs.UUCP (Paul V. Torek) /  4:38 pm  Jun  9, 1985 */

>Not necessarily.  What I want, even the rather abstract "achievement of
>Y", may not really be best for me.  What is best for me is something I
>discover (not invent) through experience; and I may (and often do)
>discover that my goals were mistaken.

Granted.  But I suspect that for the majority of people the following is
true:  I know what's best for me to a greater extent than those around me
who claim to.  Of course, this is just conjecture.  More importantly,
on what basis can X reasonably decide, "Y knows better than I what is best
for me?"  If Y provides X with reasoning that seems sound to X, and X
therefore decides to listen to Y's advice, then X is actually deciding
for him/herself.  If the reasoning seems unsound, then X would be a fool
to listen to it (note, I am not talking about advice of a technical nature).
If Y refuses to tell X the reasons he thinks the advice is sound, then X
should be suspicious and also not listen to him (note, X is not a child
here).

					Mike Sykora