My article on the justice or injustice of profits — “Profits: Good, Bad, and Obscene” will be out in Spanish translation next month. The article takes up the classic issue in business ethics of that status of profits, and my argument with examples explains profit in terms of the underlying concepts of cause and effect […]
Spanish translation of “Profits: Good, Bad, and Obscene” forthcoming Read More »
Six years ago, I snarkily conjectured that the egailtarians would go after libraries on the grounds that most of their content was inaccessible to the deaf and blind. That was meant to be a reductio ad absurdum. But now the Department of Justice has gone after UC Berkeley’s online library for precisely that reason. The
First Chipotle, now Berkeley — egalitarianism wins again Read More »
Here is a list of the 30 most polluted cities on Earth. Per country, here’s where those cities are located: India: 14 China: 6 Saudi Arabia: 3 Pakistan: 2 Iran: 2 Bangladesh: 1 Cameroon: 1 Uganda: 1 All of them are clustered in the bottom half of rankings for economic freedom. Which reminds me of
Free markets versus pollution? Read More »
I am quite the international trader, it turns out. Earlier today I put on my made-in-Argentina jacket and my new made-in-India shoes and got into my made-in-Japan truck. I stopped for gas at a British petroleum station and chatted with its owner, a guy from Mexico. To help pay for it all, I taught my
Free Trade Makes You a Better Person [Good Life series] Read More »
Recently, I met a young man in Miami. Instead of taking a taxi I decided to try Uber for the first time. Rafael (not his real name) showed up a few minutes later. Traffic was bad in rush-hour Miami, and along the way we started chatting. He was a Cuban, I learned, and until recently
Uber, Cuba, and Freedoms Small and Large [Good Life series] Read More »
[When a nation’s debt becomes unmanageable, what is the responsible next step?] The Greek mess is complicated, but in sorting through complex messes it’s useful to start with simpler cases and build up. All sides in the discussion are appealing to moral considerations about responsibility, fairness, and prudence. Part of the debate is over what
On Greek Debts and the Moral Thing to Do [Good Life series] Read More »
Interview conducted at Rockford University by Stephen Hicks and sponsored by the Center for Ethics and Entrepreneurship. Hicks: I am Stephen Hicks. Our guest today is Professor Terry Noel, who teaches Entrepreneurship and Management at Illinois State. He is here today at Rockford College speaking on the theme of the virtuous entrepreneur. Interesting title, but
Dr. Terry Noel on the Virtuous Entrepreneur [video interview transcript] Read More »
What explains the dramatic differences in economic performance between the two Americas? Take some World Bank GDP numbers — one measure of economic success. We want people to make an adequate living, especially poor people who are struggling. And if we are ambitious, we want people to live the good life — including expensive things
Comparing North and Latin America Economic Performance [Good Life series] Read More »