Humans don't have needs

You can download the free pdf of The Machinery of Freedom from Friedman's site here:
http://www.daviddfriedman.com/

Look up the section "I DON'T NEED NOTHING". There, Friedman expresses this idea very powerfully.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• State
• friedman
• needs
• wants
• authoritarian

[IHighLikePlane]

You're just arguing semantics. You can determine needs from wants if you define your terms. Need; the resources or environment required to maintain a human being's physical and mental health to the highest possible quality they wish, without negatively impacting the health of other human beings. Therefore food is only a need if there is still enough left over to go around, and it is produced with little to no negative environmental impact. Otherwise it would lower the health of others.

[bitbutter]

@IHighLikePlane "You're just arguing semantics"

I believe the meanings of words are important. I'm addressing the way most people use the term 'needs'.

[bitbutter]

@IHighLikePlane

"Need; the resources or environment required to maintain a human being's physical and mental health to the highest possible quality they wish, without negatively impacting the health of other human beings. "

Unusual definition. If two people are afloat at sea with one sandwich between them, the sandwich cannot be a need, according to your view. I think most people who like the word 'need' would disagree with you.

[GalinorGustave]

this whole video is semantics & circular reasoning based on the assumption that value is subjective. there is no republican or democrat way to build a car. the only thing you got right is that without needs being meet you can't build up to the higher levels on the hierarchy of needs/wants. you can't do science or write poetry if your starving.

[bitbutter]

@GalinorGustave "based on the assumption that value is subjective."

Value certainly is subjective. This is the reason that trade happens so often.

[ACRanger13]

I see this as just semantics. Saying I don't need water I just require it to stay alive doesn't make sense.

[bitbutter]

@ACRanger13 "Saying I don't need water I just require it to stay alive doesn't make sense."

It makes perfect sense.

[bitbutter]

@lookit87 "Human life is infinitely valuable. This isn't a truth, just a matter of consensus. "

It's not even a consensus. The majority of us do not behave in the ways that are optimal for longevity (eg. don't eat unhealthy food, don't travel in a car unless it's to the hospital). Our actions reveal that we value doing certain things more than we value the increased likelihood of a long life that we would get from foregoing them. If life was of infinite value, we'd always choose for longevity.

[R2BCH2]

Watch the film 127 hours (again? if you've seen it) and you *might* become able (assuming at least average intelligence) to understand the distinction between wants and needs.

[acknowledgeandprocee]

@bitbutter It doesn't make sense outside of your delusional reality, which you have seen fit to inflict on everyone else's delusional reality, myself included. I want my 3 minutes and 12 seconds back. I don't NEED it back. See what I did there?

[IHighLikePlane]

@bitbutter Yes the sandwhich can. The solution would be to divide it equally amongst them, because that is the highest possible quality of health they can achieve without negatively impacting the health either.

That definition was just off the top of my head, it could easily be refined and I already have a problem with "they wish" because it adds subjectivity into the mix. So I would remove those words.

[IHighLikePlane]

@bitbutter I agree, defining our terms is important for constructive communication. However, our language is very old, and cumbersome. This allows it to be easily manipulated. Legalese is a prime example of this.

[alternativeknowledge]

all you had say is this.....there are no needs that are valued at the same level, just needs that MOST individuals value MOST highly.