Facts Not Explained by Methodological Collectivism (optional material, p. 2)

  1. If human action is simply the expression of social purposes, then why do shortages, surpluses, and unemployment arise when governments impose price and wage controls? Why do producers not simply do their "civic duty" and work a little harder as a group to keep up production and provide jobs?

  2. Why, when "society" inflates the money supply, does it then attach less value to each dollar than before? Why does it create a spiral of rising prices and wages? The collectivist's "explanation" is that businessmen, workers, unions, bankers, investors, and speculators all simultaneously contract the "social disease" of greed. Why then does society succumb to such a pandemic in this particular circumstance?

  3. What causes all the specific phenomena of the business cycle? Why, during the boom phase, does "society" foolishly shift investment away from the lower stages of production toward things like real estate, raw materials, and machinery, only to let that same land and machinery lay idle in the ensuing bust? Why does unemployment then skyrocket? Why do stock prices crash, and why does ready cash suddenly become hard to acquire? (Only an analysis based on methodological individualism provides a unified explanation for all these observations.)

  4. Why does "society's" protection of consumers permit aspirin to remain on the market, while prohibiting products that science shows to be far less dangerous or highly beneficial? Why should "society" harm itself in this way?      Next page

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