Quote from: mobodick on November 09, 2012, 05:23:54 AM

Quote from: myrkul on November 09, 2012, 05:01:36 AM

Quote from: mobodick on November 09, 2012, 04:42:25 AM

In what way do genes have an idea about what is a better choice and how does that affect their development?

They don't. Remember the slime mold?

And in what way is the mold growth voluntary?
The whole point is that the structure is just the one that happened to work well.
The 'choice' was almost completely driven by the environment, not the mold.
So again, not economical according to your definition.

But the slime mold made the most economical (there's that word again) paths to the oats. That it did this without volition is irrelevant. You yourself said earlier that decision making doesn't require consciousness.

Maybe it will make more sense in the morning. Just remember, "Every voluntary action is part of the market" and "Every decision is an economic one" are two different - related, but different - concepts. Attempting to conflate them only results in the sort of cognitive dissonance you're likely experiencing now.

A third concept that may help you to keep the other two separate is that government introduces distortion into the market by forcing involuntary choices... do this and we'll kidnap you, don't do this or we'll kill you, etc. When you make a choice like that, you're still making an economic decision (not going to jail is preferable to doing the prohibited activity), but it's not a voluntary one, because of the coercion that is present.

Quote from: mobodick on November 09, 2012, 05:41:01 AM

Quote from: myrkul on November 09, 2012, 01:07:44 AM

The market (to be more specific, a human market actor) can, and will, provide a solution, if you let it.

My point is that the markets solution is not necessarily serving humanity well.

So long as there is no coercion involved, the best solution, that which serves humanity the best, will "float to the top."