The book that changed my life

Read more: http://www.newscientist.com/channel/opinion/dn13647-lifechanging-books-recomm...

Jeremy Webb, Marcus Chown, Caroline Williams and A. C. Grayling tell us about a book that changed their life.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• book
• life-changing
• inspirational
• favourite
• new
• scientist
• newscientist

[NoKingsNoGodsOnlyMan]

@aquamammal There's no "faith" in markets, nor "faith" in anything else in Objectivism. Only reason and logic. The ideas can all be justified using the evidence of reality.  How do you balance collectivism with individual freedom? Self-Sacrifice vs. individual rights? Why mix force and non-force? Why compromise the good, individual rights and man's freedom, to the evil...collectivism where humans are considered sacrificial objects, for the good of the whole. An evil trick to enslave

[NoKingsNoGodsOnlyMan]

@aquamammal Oh, please explain and justify your smears.

[mrcwalk]

@aquamammal I agree that rand was a bad influence, but at the same time, for religious believers and people who have been weary of completely ruling out god, she is sometimes the first step towards enlightenment, and she displays courage to counter dogma.

altruism is what makes us human and her attitude towards marketsare the product of being the mistress of Philippe de Rothschild. if she was the mistress of anthony grayling, i'm pretty sure she would be brought round to more humanistic views

[blazednlovinit]

you cant know know that, ignorant pig

[attacking911]

the worst book ever fucking brits have no taste at all

[super2pac]

where are you spose to get the booke of life

[system0system]

Respect

[freesk8]

I'm on your side, but in my experience, the moral arguments just tend to piss people off. I have much more success with the practical arguments. Free markets provide better conditions for the poor. The poor in free market countries are better off than those with more government control... That kind of thing. Using moral arguments often makes people think you are saying that THEY are immoral.

It is important that the moral arguments are "out there" but ther's a time and a place to make them.

[polyphonic456]

Markets don't fail - the best way to "internalise externalities" is to extend property rights.

However, most people don't care about economics.

The main thing to understand is that laissez-faire capitalism is *morally* superior to the mixed economies and dictatorships of today. It is explaining this morality to the general public (ethical egoism vs. religious and secular altruism) which will be the main task in securing the next few decades in which O'ists might have real political muscle.

[freesk8]

I admit that markets fail now and then, but only when it is hard to link costs/prices to benefits. Externalities need to be internalized, and there is a role for government here. Government is also necessary to enforce property rights and punish fraud and breach of contract. But beyond that, it is government and prohibition that tends to fail 90% of the time, where markets tend to work much better than governments. Evolution is like a market economy with competition. Adam Smith was right.