Comments on: Efficiency Disclaimers http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/03/efficiency-disclaimers.html Overcoming Bias is economist Robin Hanson’s blog, on honesty, signaling, disagreement, forecasting, and the far future. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 01:09:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Overcoming Bias : Rah Efficient IP http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/03/efficiency-disclaimers.html#comment-488049 Overcoming Bias : Rah Efficient IP Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:20:15 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=22221#comment-488049 [...] Economic efficiency is our best wide general analysis tool for finding win-win deals that get people what they want. That isn’t everything, but it is a lot. (more) [...] [...] Economic efficiency is our best wide general analysis tool for finding win-win deals that get people what they want. That isn’t everything, but it is a lot. (more) [...]

]]> By: nazgulnarsil http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/03/efficiency-disclaimers.html#comment-444311 nazgulnarsil Wed, 17 Mar 2010 06:06:52 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=22221#comment-444311 the whole point of a money economy is that accounting in money is trivial. accounting in social capital is impossible, and with a lack of transparency comes corruption, as we see in economies that run on such systems. the whole point of a money economy is that accounting in money is trivial. accounting in social capital is impossible, and with a lack of transparency comes corruption, as we see in economies that run on such systems.

]]> By: Michael Bishop http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/03/efficiency-disclaimers.html#comment-444303 Michael Bishop Tue, 16 Mar 2010 23:36:45 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=22221#comment-444303 Might not be the sexiest post but I think its great. Might not be the sexiest post but I think its great.

]]> By: rapscallion http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/03/efficiency-disclaimers.html#comment-444301 rapscallion Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:29:36 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=22221#comment-444301 i) Continuing my criticisms of efficiency analysis from the prior thread, "Efficiency isn't Moral," the problem with cost-benefit analysis is that its accuracy can never be tested. You can only test the accuracy of a cost-benefit analysis by doing another cost-benefit analysis, but all cost-benefit analyses are based on the assumption that prices reflect efficient tradeoffs, which means ipso facto that the previous decisions must have been right. ii) Given the deep methodological problems with efficiency, what’s wrong with just using intuitive moral concepts, ones for which we’re wired, to help us make deals: fairness, reciprocity, honor, etc. i) Continuing my criticisms of efficiency analysis from the prior thread, “Efficiency isn’t Moral,” the problem with cost-benefit analysis is that its accuracy can never be tested. You can only test the accuracy of a cost-benefit analysis by doing another cost-benefit analysis, but all cost-benefit analyses are based on the assumption that prices reflect efficient tradeoffs, which means ipso facto that the previous decisions must have been right.

ii) Given the deep methodological problems with efficiency, what’s wrong with just using intuitive moral concepts, ones for which we’re wired, to help us make deals: fairness, reciprocity, honor, etc.

]]> By: Bryan Caplan http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/03/efficiency-disclaimers.html#comment-444294 Bryan Caplan Tue, 16 Mar 2010 18:31:32 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=22221#comment-444294 It would have been sufficient if you said: "When I said 'everyone,' I meant 'most everyone.'" I'm not jumping on you for lack of disclaimers, but for stubborn overstatement. It would have been sufficient if you said: “When I said ‘everyone,’ I meant ‘most everyone.’” I’m not jumping on you for lack of disclaimers, but for stubborn overstatement.

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