Let us, then, find the number of ways an unjust person is spoken of. Both the lawless person and the greedy and unfair person seem to be unjust; and so, clearly, both the lawful and the fair person will be just. Hence what is just will be both what is lawful and what is fair, and what is unjust will be both what is lawless and what is unfair.
Since the unjust person is greedy, he will be concerned with goods - not with all goods, but only with those involved in good and bad fortune, goods which are, [considered- unconditionally, always good, but for this or that person not always good. Though human being pray for these and pursue them, they are wrong; the right thing is to pray that what is good unconditionally will also be good for us, but to choose [only] what is good for us.
- Aristotle Nicomachean Ethics Chapter V Parts .13, .14
Dear Readers, we’re currently examining the economia of the Polity - the manner in which the household thrives, and the measurement thereof. We could care less about fake numbers, stats, and whatever bafflegarble Economists want to through our way.
As such, that last planned post in this series was Business in the Budding Polity, which looked at how we treat our neighbors, and that coming together to meet other’s needs - be they friend or family - is the definition of a market place. To desire to avoid that is unnatural. Understandable, yes, as it is an intimate and difficult thing to do. Yet it is something necessary, as it is what the majority of our daily struggles and interactions are based upon. As such, men must come together to agree upon a price for the exchange of values - usually in a budding Polity each side feels like they’re having to compromise. The buyer pays higher than desired, as he can’t shop around if he wants to support the Polity, and the seller can’t find the higher prices outside of the Polity he usually can command.
They meet in the middle.
I also threw at you an unplanned cross post to point us at Value Seeking as a healthy way to live. In the long run, there is not “profit” that is morally allowed. If money is a stand in for labor (and it is) then all exchanges should be exchanges of equal value to those seeking virtue. Anything not equal in value, whether labor exchanged for its equal money, or goods for money, is immoral.
Which brings us to this article, and why I thought the cross post was necessary for everyone to read.
So, from those two posts:
Given - That the two parties are meeting in the middle, as they shift the Overton window within the Polity
Given - That they’re establishing a new norm to live buy that will determine what the Just price of goods and services will be in the future, even if it is not now.
Thus - They are setting the long term living standards of the Polity within daily transactions.
Now, this is not something just within daily transactions, but can also be broken down further.
Are you going to underpay trade labor, overpay it, or pay correctly?
The same for food grown within the Polity.
Goods hand made. Are you correctly valuing the time and skill going into those goods hand made within your Polity?
However, the largest thing right now is overpaying for Capital. Paying too much, and giving too much honor, admiration, esteem, and value to the people that have, the capital that is valued highly in our fiat money system.
So, how much do houses go for, around the Polity?
How much say do the people with expensive houses, money, and donors have within the Polity? Is it commiserate with their virtue and wisdom? Or is it simply because they have the money to ‘get things done’ that the people in power (usually themselves plus one or two decision makers who’s ear they have) want to get done?
How much does land go for?
For, the greedy men drag down the wealth of the Polity. When hording money, which is a means of trade, there is less to be spent. We forget this in the age of money printing and where our mind has the illusion of infinite dollars. Yet, if there are 100 coins to trade between 10 people, who constantly trade them for they see no point in hording, there’s a constant flow of money. If one person begins hording coins, and acquires half the coins, they’re what we now call a “market maker.” They’re able to set the prices in the market. As such, it is important to have real, down to earth conversations with these people.
There are questions to ask, and have answers for. Not to do some crazy, awful, Marxist analysis and take over for. But so that you can have a healthy Polity that rewards virtue and wisdom - not making money.
One that grows in real Wealth - that which is found within people.
Their souls,
Their virtues,
Their skills,
Their ability to get along,
Their ability to overcome,
Their ability to love in good times,
And in hard.
Because, when you live in a Polity, it really is like an extended family.
It’s love - to the death!
To bring it back to the Metropolis - this is what makes the Polity so rugged. Because there is an intimacy with those whom you deal with that makes it a relationship that goes beyond just business. Your neighbors are those you work with, are those you might one day be related to by blood, are those that you exchange seeds and animals with, and are those you pray with.
There is an intimacy forged by loving memories and hardships conquered.
Just like marriage. And you do what you can for the others. When they call, you answer. And you go all in. There is no back up plan. Why would you need one when you have God to trust in?
When you have Him, and have a Polity, those hard times aren’t really hard.
And so they really don’t come any more.
Now the unjust person [who chooses these goods] does not choose more in every case; in the case of what is bad unconditionally he actually chooses less. But since what is less bad also seems to be good in a way, and greed aims at more of what is good, he seems to be greedy. In fact he is unfair; for unfairness includes [all these actions], and is a common features [of his choice of the greater good and of the lesser evil].
- Aristotle Nicomachean Ethics Chapter V Part .14
Yes a return to the guild system of a just fixed price and an end to usury would be a huge upgrade.