Cheers, Ken Hanly
----- Original Message ----- From: Ken Hanly <khanly at mb.sympatico.ca> To: <lbo-talk at lists.panix.com> Sent: Tuesday, July 03, 2001 11:21 PM Subject: Re: Reply to Ted and Brad
> Do economists talk about the hierarchy of needs? Unless u can somehow
> measure utility how can u make the claim that satisfaction of needs
"higher"
> in the hierarchy increase utility? But I understood that the standard view
> is that utility is not measurable.
> Surely Bentham was closer to the truth...a dollar spent to feed a
> starving person produces greater utility than if spent by some overstuffed
> Epicure....apologies to Epicurus of course...
>
> Cheers Ken Hanly
>
>
> Brad claims:
>
> > --As you ascend the hierarchy of needs, utility increases. Someone
> > who "needs"... dropping down into the Chez Panisse website for a
> > second... grilled Hoffman Farm chicken breast with pancetta, garlicky
> > chard, and sweet corn polenta has a higher utility than someone who
> > "needs" meat, who in turn has a higher utility than someone who needs
> > a lower price of tortillas so their children don't cry. Human
> > progress is the development of higher and more complicated new forms
> > of "need" as the old forms get satisfied..
> >
> >
>
>