It is delightful to encounter arguments from people who claim that I don’t own a full and complete set of rights to myself and the fruits of my labor.
Let’s assume this is true. I think the state religionists among us have again painted themselves into a corner. If you were to ask any of them whether my current profession of a teacher (albeit teaching things that they disapprove of) was more ennobling than that of my past profession of an investment banker, my guess is that they would universally agree.
However, under an institutional arrangement that aligns with me NOT having ownership in myself or my produce, then these folks should be horrified that I have made the choice become a teacher and not stay in investment banking!
By refusing to produce as much as I possibly could produce (i.e. make as much money as I could – at least 10 times what I am getting paid right now), I have decreased how much “stuff” is available for the rest of “society.” In other words, I have diminished the common good. My choice of becoming a teacher is akin to severe laziness and it is no different than taking food, housing, clothing and health care from needy people!
This HAS to be true. Yet I find it hard to imagine that the state religionists would recommend me going back to a career in investment banking.
