Part 2 of A Discussion of Thomas D. Simpson’s Capitalism versus Socialism Chapter 1 “Pillars of Economic Systems” Last blog, I introduced the four pillars and the four economic systems they define. Now, Simpson is looking to the Bible for any direction for answering the four pillars. Pillar 1: Who Owns Property It…
Tag: Economic Thought
Capitalism versus Socialism
First We Examine the Four Pillars to Define Four Economic Systems
Part 1 of A Discussion of Thomas D. Simpson’s Capitalism versus Socialism Chapter 1 “Pillars of Economic Systems” It seems like a bold statement to say the Bible can tell us what economic system we should have. In fact, Simpson does not think it can directly, but if we define each economic system…
Capitalism versus Socialism
Does the Bible Have Anything to Say About Our Economy?
A Discussion of Thomas D. Simpson’s Capitalism versus Socialism “Preface” Some years ago the author of the next book I am going to discuss, Thomas D. Simpson, was asked to give a talk about the different economic systems and which were most compatible with biblical teaching. Out of the research for that talk,…
Why We Bite the Invisible Hand
Economic Statistics Boost the Illusion of Control
Part 3 of a Discussion of Peter Foster’s Why We Bite the Invisible Hand Chapter 12 “Homer Economicus” Foster asserts that anti-capitalists have long feared that people’s desire to raise their standard of living would devolve into envy-driven conspicuous consumption that would trump virtue. (p. 264) Related to this criticism…
Why We Bite the Invisible Hand
Do We Want the Government Nudging Us?
Part 2 of a Discussion of Peter Foster’s Why We Bite the Invisible Hand Chapter 12 “Homer Economicus” In the last blog, we explored Foster’s critique of behavioral economics, and now we will see how its incorrect diagnosis of the problems in economics has led to conclusions for more economic…
Why We Bite the Invisible Hand
Behavioral Economics: Correcting a Problem Economics Does Not Have
Part 1 of a Discussion of Peter Foster’s Why We Bite the Invisible Hand Chapter 12 “Homer Economicus” Foster turns his attention to the field of Behavioral Economics that gained a lot of attention in the early 2000’s. However, it is clear Foster is unimpressed. Two psychologists kicked the field…
1913
The Next Turning Point
A Discussion of Oliver DeMille’s 1913 Chapter 13 “The Last Turning Point” As Oliver DeMille concludes his book, he titles his last chapter, “The Last Turning Point,” which I find bleak, though perhaps that was not the intention. I prefer the idea of the next turning point. He opened his…
1913
We Only Need a Few to Restore Freedom
A Discussion of Oliver DeMille’s 1913 Chapter 7 “Wanted: A Small Group of Committed Citizens” Oliver DeMille began laying out his case for what it will take to undo the 1913 turning points away from freedom the last chapter. And as I went through his suggestions, I said I was worried because…
1913
We Need to be the People The Founders Expected
A Discussion of Oliver DeMille’s 1913 Chapter 6 “The Founding of Freedom in Modern Times” Oliver DeMille shifts his focus from the first five chapters where he laid out how we broke the founders’ design to an exploration of how we can fix things. He cites economist Murray Rothbard’s observation that you…
Bourgeois Equality
Both the Right and the Left Oppose the Bourgeois
A Discussion of Bourgeois Equality Chapter 65 “Despite the Clerisy’s Doubts” Dr. McCloskey continues her discussion of the threats to a continuation of the bourgeois trade tested system of betterment that has given us a 3000% to 10,000% growth in incomes over the past two hundred years. In this chapter…