A socialist alternative to a vcommand economy

[Kuciwalker]

Here's where it started. I was arguing with Aggie about self-interest. I said:

Certainly everyone acts in their self-interest in that they take the course of action that they believe will maximize their happiness. Either that or they're insane (in fact, the definition of a rational agent is one that attempts to maximize its utility function).

Aggie replies with his usual bull****:

That's a mindlessly idiotic definition. See... this is why people need philosophy.

And I said:

No, that's the only meaningful definition. See any decent AI textbook.

Get it yet?

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker

No, that's the only meaningful definition. See any decent AI textbook.

Get it yet?

Yes. I understand that you tried to place a definition of a word from a context that no one was using while we were talking about the ECONOMIC defintion of the word.

[Kuciwalker]

No we weren't.

Again:

Certainly everyone acts in their self-interest in that they take the course of action that they believe will maximize their happiness.

[Flubber]

excellent-- it really livens up a thread to have a dozen posts that are the equivalent of " YES we are, No we're not".

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Kidicious


I have no confidence that worker capitalism can be made efficient.

Is this because you reject capitalism entirely or is there something inherently worse about what you term " worker capitalism"??

My point before was simply that wage or income restrictions will not work as long as there are are some free entities and individuals

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Flubber
Is this because you reject capitalism entirely or is there something inherently worse about what you term " worker capitalism"??

Neither. I just don't see how worker capitalism will work as intended.

Originally posted by Flubber
My point before was simply that wage or income restrictions will not work as long as there are are some free entities and individuals

I don't think I disagree with you. I just thought you were under the impression that I advocate worker capitalism.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
No we weren't.

Again:

Certainly everyone acts in their self-interest in that they take the course of action that they believe will maximize their happiness.

Again. Why are you (and only you) talking about AI?

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
Hell, you work for Citibank, don't you? Is that only good for "making a profit"?

Not since March, 2002. Citibank really isn't your best choice about services and all that, considering the sheninagins they've been up to.

[Agathon]

Leave K-walker alone. He's so obviously deluded that he will believe what "economists" tell him about human motivation rather than actually looking at how real people act, that he's irretrievably lost.

[chequita guevara]

My only real problem is the assumption that people are automatically rational actors. Anyone who has spent muh time around people will realize this is far from the case.

[Agathon]

Even if they were, it wouldn't entail that they were selfish actors.

There's nothing intrinsically irrational about wanting to kill yourself, for example.

[chequita guevara]

Yes there is. Suicide is only considered rational under extreme situations, such as to save the life of others or to escape torture or another more painful death.

[Agathon]

Then it's not intrinsically irrational.

Dude, where's your metaphysics?

[chequita guevara]

I'm a materialst. Marxists don't do metaphysics.

[Agathon]

The two aren't mutually exclusive anymore.