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  • Morgan 8 Trade As An Ethic For Social Cooperation

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    Spencer Morgan
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    Trade is the process by which rational beings exchange or cooperate. Spencer morgan: "no man is an island" is valid and illustrative of an undeniable truth about humanity. Trade requires that we honor their rationality and right of selfdetermination, he says. This ethic can, and should, be applied to all of our social interactions, morgan says.

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    Morgan 8 Trade as an Ethic for Social Cooperation

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    Trade is the process by which rational beings exchange or cooperate. Spencer morgan: "no man is an island" is valid and illustrative of an undeniable truth about humanity. Trade requires that we honor their rationality and right of selfdetermination, he says. This ethic can, and should, be applied to all of our social interactions, morgan says.

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    8 views2 pages

    Morgan 8 Trade As An Ethic For Social Cooperation

    Uploaded by

    Spencer Morgan
    Trade is the process by which rational beings exchange or cooperate. Spencer morgan: "no man is an island" is valid and illustrative of an undeniable truth about humanity. Trade requires that we honor their rationality and right of selfdetermination, he says. This ethic can, and should, be applied to all of our social interactions, morgan says.

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    Trade as an Ethic for Social Cooperation

    bySpencerMorgan
    Lastweekweexploredtheimplicationsofmansnatureasarational,andvolitionallyrationalbeing.Weve identifiedtwomajorimplicationsofthisnature.Thefirstoftheseisrights,whicharetheconceptualbarriers toourselfowningactionsandthenegativeobligationuponallotherstohonorsuchbarriers.Thesecondis trade.Tradeistheprocessbywhichrationalbeingsexchangeorcooperateformutual,butindividuallyand subjectivelycalculated,benefit. Asthesayinggoes,nomanisanisland.Thisplatitudeisoftenlobbedatlibertyadvocatesofallvarieties, containingtheunspokenassumptionsthat, 1. 2. coercedassociationistheonlykindpossible,and thosewhoquestionitsvalidityareadvocatingzerocooperation.

    Wecaneasilyrejectthisclassicargumentjustbyexaminingthesepresumptions.Thesaying,however,is validandillustrativeofanundeniabletruthabouthumanity.Humanshavefoundinteractionand interdependencetobebothpsychologicallyandeconomicallyadvantageoustoadegreethatwecanand shouldrejecttheideaoftotalisolationasanideal.Weneednotrejectthisreality. Ifwedoacceptthathumansarebetteroffconnectedsocially,andcooperating,thenthequestionis:on whatbasisshouldthiscooperationbemotivated?Howdoweobtainthecooperationfromotherswewantor need,wheneachoftheseothersisanindividualselfownerwhoisentitledtoherowndeterminationsand freerangeofselfowningaction?Tradeistheanswertothatquestion. Tradeismorethanjustalabelforoureconomicactivity.Itisaconceptthatpervadesallofourinteraction withothers.Asanethicforseekingandobtainingcooperationofotherselfowners,traderequiresthatwe honortheirrationalityandrightofselfdeterminationbyfindingawaytoappealtotheirdesiresas determinedbythemselves.Thisethiccan,andshould,beappliedtoallofoursocialinteractions.For example
    Inasituationwherewemightbeinclinedtocompelourchildscooperationbyathreatofpunishment, guilt,etc.,wemightinsteadhonorthelogicalcapacitythattheydohaveataveryearlyagebyspendingthe extratimeandefforttohelpthemrealizethewaytheyindividuallybenefitfromthedesiredaction. Whenwemightexpectassistancefromafriendorfamilymemberinanendeavortoassistusoutof obligationorasaresponsetoadisplayofourneed,wecaninsteadfindawaytoappealtotheir selfinterestbyofferinganexchange,whethermonetaryorotherwise. Wecanseeourmarriages,insteadofasaformalitythatentitlesustotheobligatoryenduranceofour partner,asanexchangethatwearerequiredtocontinuetomakedesirabletotheotherinordertoappeal totheirselfinterest.

    Oneinescapablepresumptioncontainedineveryactofvoluntarytradeisthevalidityoftheselfinterestof eachparticipant.Bymakingavoluntaryexchange,whetherIamexchangingaphysicalgood,money,ormy timeandeffort,Iampresumingthevalidityofmyselfinterestandtheselfinterestoftheotherpartytothe exchange.Manyofthedutiesimposedbyourculture,whethergovernmental,traditional,orreligious,seem tostemfromanefforttocircumventthistradeethicandthusdenytheprincipleofindividual selfdeterminationandselfinterest. Aswecansee,thenotionoftraderestsuponsomeveryessentialphilosophicalpresumptions,andhas

    someveryundeniableimplications.Infuturecolumnswellexaminetheseindetail.Nextweekwelllook specificallyatthewaytraderequiresdiversity,andhowvoluntarytrade(unlikeitsparasitic,coercive counterfeits)hasformedthefoundationandengineofeverythingwenowrecognizeascivilization.

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