Brad, perfect competition may not be similar to the
belief that objects move in straight lines forever. It's a normative model
that tells us that, in most markets, the greater the degree of competition, the
more efficient the use of society's resources. As I pointed out
previously, much depends on the relationship between firm and market size.
To do some things, firms such as airlines or railroads must be large in relation
to the size of the market in order to achieve economies of scale
(efficiency). Generally, however, competition is the preferred state, at
least in a free enterprise economy. Laws have been passed and legislative
authorities established in order to keep firms from carrying out
anti-competitive practices.
Ed
>
> > Brad:
> >
> > > But the modern person who believes objects really
> > > do move in straight lines forever, just like the modern
> > > person who beleves in perfect competition, has a
> > > grossly distorted view of their environment.
> > You can't "believe" in perfect competition, all you can do is understand
> > it as the ideal state of the market given a number of assumptions.
> [snip]
>
> OK. I was speaking loosely. I meant: But the modern person
> who acts as if objects really do move in straight lines forever,
> just like the modern person who acts as if perfect competition
> was how economic actors actually behave in their society, has a
> grossly distorted view of their environment.
>
> I was "eliding" the relation between belief and action (or,
> as it is scientifically called these days: "behavior").
>
> I think this may have some connection to what I believe
> is a deep structural aspect of human existence: that structures
> which at one level are descripive and taxonomic, at another
> level become normative and voluntative. Example: Heidegger
> defined human existence as "Care". There is a sense in
> which the torturer cares about his or her victim, else
> the torturer would not bother to torture them. But this is
> a very different kind of care from nurturance which the
> recipient would freely choose if given a chance to walk
> away from it without suffering adverse consequences.
>
> Sorry for the imprecision. Conversation is iterative....
>
> Your from the town where former US President Clinton
> has a home (how often he stays there I don't know)....
>
> \brad mcormick
>
> --
> Let your light so shine before men,
> that they may see your good works.... (Matt 5:16)
>
> Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (1 Thes 5:21)
>
> <![%THINK;[SGML+APL]]> Brad McCormick, Ed.D. / [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> -----------------------------------------------------------------
> Visit my website ==> http://www.users.cloud9.net/~bradmcc/
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