A slight detour....

A glance backward to the philosophers that spoke about economics or economists that were philosophers or, both - well, I remember Marx, Keynes and John Stuart Mill from university days.  Bertrand Russell had some asides as well, but, seemingly, his works are probably suited more to the everyday traders and brokers than the high-minded economists currently being consulted by Obama and the like regarding the current situation.  I do not mean to say Bertrand was not an intellectual with a capital I, no - he most certainly could run circles around most folks - but, his ideas generally drifted toward applied and theoretical mathematics, which I reckon would be a good start if one were a trader.  In that, perhaps a philosophical hedge funder (there must be such a thing) might be a good addition to the economic team of advisors Obama has formed.  As my Keynes was in need of a refresher and he seems to be the man of the day in the current crisis I've done a quick consultation with Wikipedia which has provided volumes of fun -- I almost felt like a student again.  Anyway, I read an awfully depressing and shockingly mirror-like-to-the-current-situation treatise on the Great Depression before drifting into more cheerful Keynes gossip, such as the fact that he was a homosexual, had a fantastic collection of contemporary art, and was charitable to Sadler's Wells and instrumental in establishing the British Arts Council.  Afterward, I skimmed through J.S. Mill and again, I was diverted -- by one of his teachers - a friend of his father - Jeremy Bentham, who had a "Happiness Principle" that was somewhat simplistic and made a bit more interesting by Mill.  Bentham was all for doing the thing that brought the  most happiness to the greatest number of people.  Mills was a bit of an intellectual snob and took this utilitarian thought apart and decided really, that, intellectual and moral pleasures outweighed, well, sex I think.   That can't be right.  I've been thoroughly derailed in a good way this morning - thoughts of economics have given way to visions of lusty homosexuals buying contemporary art and consulting Bertrand Russell about the stock market....

Far more fascinating than that market-that-crashed-again-yesterday and my children I think.