Monetize Ethics

To solve world problems

Moderator: Moderators

Post Reply
User avatar
Neatras
Guru
Posts: 1045
Joined: Sat Dec 24, 2011 11:44 pm
Location: Oklahoma, US
Been thanked: 1 time

Monetize Ethics

Post #1

Post by Neatras »

I've been in a macroeconomics class for the better part of a semester, and like most undergrads, I get an inflated, airheaded view of reality, economics, culture, and individuality because I happened to learn something new. But in spite of the arrogance in thinking I've unlocked some truth about reality, I'm still curious about how to improve my worldview. With that in mind, I would like to know what I can do to improve or throw out the following statements.

1. For every cultural value, there is an appropriate monetary policy.

2. Contradictory values create complicated monetary policies that can potentially be exclusive or clashing with the opposing value.

3. If the appropriate monetary policy is matched to the ethics in question, then the following should be possible:
  1. An evaluation of existing ethical codes by examining the implemented monetary policies.
  2. The prediction of future ethical codes by the current trend of monetary policy.
  3. A relatively agreeable ability to predict what monetary policies would arise given a set of desired ethical values.
What evidence or scriptural references can be used to amend falsehoods, discard the above statements, or potentially verify my musings?

User avatar
Divine Insight
Savant
Posts: 18070
Joined: Thu Jun 28, 2012 10:59 pm
Location: Here & Now
Been thanked: 19 times

Re: Monetize Ethics

Post #2

Post by Divine Insight »

Neatras wrote: What evidence or scriptural references can be used to amend falsehoods, discard the above statements, or potentially verify my musings?
I personally wouldn't point to any scriptural references, since anything I cherry picked would only coincidentally be in harmony with my views and not really support them at all.

Here are my thoughts on your ideological musings:
1. For every cultural value, there is an appropriate monetary policy.
I completely agree. However, I would be quick to point out that for some cultural values the appropriate monetary "policy" might actually be that no monetary values should be associated with certain cultural values. So as long as that option is understood and taken into consideration I see no problem with #1.
2. Contradictory values create complicated monetary policies that can potentially be exclusive or clashing with the opposing value.
I would suggest that this is a tautology that shouldn't need to be stated expressly.

3. If the appropriate monetary policy is matched to the ethics in question, then the following should be possible:
As I consider these keep in mind that the "appropriate monetary policy" may not be easily obtained or correctly recognized.
(a) An evaluation of existing ethical codes by examining the implemented monetary policies.
Yes, in theory this would be true given perfect ideologies. But once again care should be taken to be certain that the monetary policies that have been implemented are indeed "appropriate" for the existing ethical codes. If that is true, then reverse extrapolation may indeed be possible.

The danger here would obviously occur when the implemented monetary policies weren't truly borne of existence ethical codes. OR, to cover all the bases, the existing "ethical codes" may have not been genuinely ethical.

So there are many pitfalls to consider here.
(b) The prediction of future ethical codes by the current trend of monetary policy.
Possibly. Given a perfect system where the ethical codes are sound and consistent, and the monetary policy truly is appropriate for the ethical code, then this could potentially lead to the prediction what ethical codes should be for future activities.

Once again, this is wrought with danger if the system isn't already perfect to begin with. And few real systems are perfect. In the real world monetary systems are never based upon ethics. ;)

So from that perspective none of this is realistic.
(c) A relatively agreeable ability to predict what monetary policies would arise given a set of desired ethical values.
Again, in a perfect system this type of predictability may be possible. But if the system is imperfect, then the predictions will also be imperfect.

In fact, your whole hypothetical is based upon the foundational ideal of an "appropriate monetary system", don't lose sight of this extremely important foundational premise. And realize that in the real world it will almost never be true. Then you'll be ok. You can toss out all your idealistic conclusions above by simply realizing that they don't apply to real world monetary systems. ;)
[center]Image
Spiritual Growth - A person's continual assessment
of how well they believe they are doing
relative to what they believe a personal God expects of them.
[/center]

User avatar
bluethread
Savant
Posts: 9129
Joined: Wed Dec 14, 2011 1:10 pm

Re: Monetize Ethics

Post #3

Post by bluethread »

Neatras wrote: I've been in a macroeconomics class for the better part of a semester, and like most undergrads, I get an inflated, airheaded view of reality, economics, culture, and individuality because I happened to learn something new. But in spite of the arrogance in thinking I've unlocked some truth about reality, I'm still curious about how to improve my worldview. With that in mind, I would like to know what I can do to improve or throw out the following statements.

1. For every cultural value, there is an appropriate monetary policy.
That is true only if that cultural value requires the exchange of goods and services, and one wish to control those exchanges.
2. Contradictory values create complicated monetary policies that can potentially be exclusive or clashing with the opposing value.
Contradictory values complicate everything related to those values, and it is role of the economy to sort out these complications.
3. If the appropriate monetary policy is matched to the ethics in question, then the following should be possible:
  1. An evaluation of existing ethical codes by examining the implemented monetary policies.
This might give one clue with regard those who are implementing the policy, but those policies my be in opposition to the actual values of parts of the culture, or the culture as a whole.
[*]The prediction of future ethical codes by the current trend of monetary policy.
Again, that might be a predictor of the intent of those who set the policy and may not correlate to actual cultural values. Also, if those who establish the ethical codes are different from those who establish monetary policy, there might very well be a dissonance that could create a multiple market society.
[*]A relatively agreeable ability to predict what monetary policies would arise given a set of desired ethical values.[/list]
This presumes a command and control economy. Some monetary policies may be associated with a desired outcome. However, ethical values that run counter to the desired ones will just establish an alternative market.
What evidence or scriptural references can be used to amend falsehoods, discard the above statements, or potentially verify my musings?
Economics is a complicated social study and involves many facets of life. Therefore, for the sake of brevity, I will use examples to support my reactions in relation to any specific objections you might have to them.

Post Reply