Knight_ The Ethics of Competition

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1、TheEthicsofCompetitionFrankH.KnightOriginallypublishedintheQuarterlyJournalofEconomics37(August1923):579-624;reprintedinTheEthicsofCompetitionandOtherEssays(NewYork:Harper&Brothers,1935),41-75.ReturntoTopPageMajorsectionbreaksarenumberedasintheoriginaltext.Unnumberedsectionbreaksintheoriginalte

2、xtareindicatedherebyapartialline.Inthepreviouspaper["EthicsandtheEconomicInterpretation"]thewriterundertooktoargueagainsttheviewofethicsmostcommonlyacceptedamongeconomists.Theargumentwasnotdirectedagainsthedonismassuch,butagainst"scientific"ethicsofanykind,againstanyviewwhichsetsoutfromtheassum

3、ptionthathumanwantsareobjectiveandmeasurablemagnitudesandthatthesatisfactionofsuchwantsistheessenceandcriterionofvalue,andwhichproceedsonthebasisofthisassumptiontoreduceethicstoasortofglorifiedeconomics.Itwaspointedoutthatanysuchviewconsistentlyreducesthe"higher"wantstoasecondarypositionascompa

4、redwith"lower,"andinterpretshumanlifeinbiologicalterms.Butthefactisthathumanbeingsdonotregularlyprefertheirlowerandmore"necessary"needstothosenoteasilyjustifiedintermsofsubsistenceorsurvivalvalue,butperhapsratherthecontrary;inanycasewhatwecallprogresshasconsistedlargelyinincreasingtheproportion

5、ofwant-gratificationofanaestheticorspiritualascomparedtothatofabiologicallyutilitariancharacter,ratherthaninincreasingthe"quantityoflife."Thefacts,asemphasized,arealtogetheragainstacceptinganybalance-sheetviewoflife;theypointrathertowardanevaluationofafarsubtlersortthantheadditionandsubtraction

6、ofhomogeneousitems,towardanethicsalongthelineofaestheticcriticism,whosecanonsareofanothersortthanscientificlawsandarenotquiteintellectuallysatisfying.Wecannotacceptwant-satisfactionasafinalcriterionofvaluebecausewedonotinfactregardourwantsasfinal;insteadofrestingintheviewthatthereisnodisputinga

7、bouttastes,wedisputeaboutthemmorethananythingelse;ourmostdifficultprobleminvaluationistheevaluationofourwantsthemselvesandourmosttroublesomewantisthedesireforwantsofthe"right"kind.Thepurposeofthepresentpaperistodevelopandsupplemen