Comments on: Raise Your Hand If You Are Morally Corrupt http://theunbrokenwindow.com/2006/10/31/raise-your-hand-if-you-are-morally-corrupt/ The curious task of economics is to demonstrate to men how little they really know about what they imagine they can design. - F.A. Hayek Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:54:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.3 By: The Unbroken Window » Blog Archive » Huge Hammer Crushes Tiny Tack http://theunbrokenwindow.com/2006/10/31/raise-your-hand-if-you-are-morally-corrupt/comment-page-1/#comment-20359 The Unbroken Window » Blog Archive » Huge Hammer Crushes Tiny Tack Thu, 06 Jan 2011 16:08:24 +0000 [...] case you think doing stupid, costly things for symbolic purposes is out of the realm of reality, I offer you this.  For those too tired to click through, here is the key part: “I do not believe that the minimum [...] [...] case you think doing stupid, costly things for symbolic purposes is out of the realm of reality, I offer you this.  For those too tired to click through, here is the key part: “I do not believe that the minimum [...]

]]> By: KevinH http://theunbrokenwindow.com/2006/10/31/raise-your-hand-if-you-are-morally-corrupt/comment-page-1/#comment-17876 KevinH Tue, 12 Oct 2010 18:46:15 +0000 I think it's clear that we can prohibit some work contracts. Abusive environments, indentured servitude and other shady practices are clearly immoral and in the long run not beneficial to the economy either because the fail to maximize the work forces potential. I also can't see any clear dividing line between workplace safety standards or laws against slavery and a minimum wage if we are to take each individuals as a rational agent with choices. Making something illegal doesn't stop it from being a choice, just weights against that choice. So, the question really is really about the line we draw somewhere in the middle of basic human rights protections, and trying to set an official wage for everything. It seems to me not to hard to imagine a situation where someone is paid so little for their work that they have no free time or energy to improve their training or look for better work, and something that I would find both morally wrong and inefficient. Arguing if the current minimum wage is above or below that level is pretty damn tricky and not something I will not try to do, but it seems vastly premature to reject a minimum wage categorically. I think it’s clear that we can prohibit some work contracts. Abusive environments, indentured servitude and other shady practices are clearly immoral and in the long run not beneficial to the economy either because the fail to maximize the work forces potential.

I also can’t see any clear dividing line between workplace safety standards or laws against slavery and a minimum wage if we are to take each individuals as a rational agent with choices. Making something illegal doesn’t stop it from being a choice, just weights against that choice.

So, the question really is really about the line we draw somewhere in the middle of basic human rights protections, and trying to set an official wage for everything. It seems to me not to hard to imagine a situation where someone is paid so little for their work that they have no free time or energy to improve their training or look for better work, and something that I would find both morally wrong and inefficient. Arguing if the current minimum wage is above or below that level is pretty damn tricky and not something I will not try to do, but it seems vastly premature to reject a minimum wage categorically.

]]> By: MasterJay http://theunbrokenwindow.com/2006/10/31/raise-your-hand-if-you-are-morally-corrupt/comment-page-1/#comment-1123 MasterJay Sat, 04 Oct 2008 04:14:42 +0000 comparative advantage. people lean towards what they are better at and thats why he is a philosopher. He should have know better before you basically handed his ass on his dinner plate. comparative advantage. people lean towards what they are better at and thats why he is a philosopher. He should have know better before you basically handed his ass on his dinner plate.

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