Thursday, February 1, 2007

The problem with commerce

Commercial society allows those with different views on how to order their lives to peacefully coexist with one another. This is its virtue. But there is no mechanism within commerce that helps us to actually understand one another’s views, rather than merely coexisting with them. The market rationally and effectively equalizes supply and demand, but it never asks us to discuss why we supply what we supply, why we demand what we demand.

In a rational discussion, false opinions are challenged, opposing arguments are brought to bear. In the marketplace, both true and false opinions create demand, so there is really no need to distinguish them. Both are opportunities for sales and profit. No matter how false and irrational the demands of customers are, criticizing them is rarely the path to commercial success.

The market leaves each of us to figure out for himself the path to a virtuous and happy life. It requires each of us to develop independence of mind. And yet it provides no mechanism by which we might help one another in developing that independence.

No comments:

Post a Comment