Economics Questions

Re: Is thinking considered to be action?

bcyclwutztht — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 04:52:46 GMT

Thanks. Yea, for a second there I had slipped into the empricist's fallacy: i.e. the only thing that counts is, literally, that which can be counted.

(You can see the economics = materialism fallacy behind the structure of my question, in that it's written from an IP-themed example of action.) I'm glad to be back!

Re: Is thinking considered to be action?

kash-money — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 04:24:36 GMT

"like thinking of a story to write in a book"

you seem to have answered your own question here.

Are you choosing to do this (instead of something else with your time)?

Would it be treated as consumption of leisure?

in the examples you are describing developing ideas: producing them. Your brain is expending energy to create these ideas. You are describing what people typically call working (professional authors and songwriters for instance).

'like thinking of lyrics for a song you are currently writing'

is this an action?

'like thinking of lyrics for a song you are currently listening to'

is this an action?

'like thinking of a story'

is this an action?

'like thinking (of X)'

is this an action?

why/why not?

Re: Is thinking considered to be action?

MrSchnapps — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 05:12:27 GMT

Is action limited to physical movement of body parts? I don't think so. It certainly does involve the firing of neurons, anyhow.

But thinking is certainly purposeful, if that's what you mean by action. It's acting with an end in mind, like increased knowledge, or wealth, or health, und so weiter.

Is thinking considered to be action?

bcyclwutztht — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 04:42:14 GMT

I mean thinking as in the mental development of an idea---like thinking of a story to write in a book, or thinking of music and lyrics so some housewife can be sued one day by record companies for $millions because she downloaded your music.

Would it be treated as consumption of leisure?