Paul Krugman’s “Ricardo’s Difficult Idea” is a play on that of a book by the philosopher Daniel Dennett, Darwin's Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanings of Life. This book is an examination of the reasons why so many scholars remain unfavorable to the idea of evolution through natural selection. The idea that seems simple to those who understand it, but scholars somehow manage to get confused. The book explains the idea of comparative advantage, meaning a trade between two countries that normally raises the income of both. Similar to evolution through natural selection, this concept seems simple for those who understand it. However, the author is concerned why intellectuals find this concept to be too complicated to understand. Krugman’s
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According to Krugman, he provided some tactical hints: take ignorance seriously, adopt the sense of rebel, don’t take simple things for granted, and justify modeling.
“A Petition” Frederic Bastiat’s “A Petition” is structured as a letter to the Honorable Members of the Chamber of Deputies from the Manufacturers of everything connected with lighting. Bastiat begins tell the members that they are reject abstract theories and that they’re on the right track. The Manufacturers offered the members the opportunity to apply their practice to their industry.
The Manufacturers are competing with a foreign company who works far better conditions than theirs for “the production of light that he is flooding the domestic market with it at an incredibly low price.” Lately have of the manufacturers’ sales stop and all of their customers go to the competition. The competition rival, also known as the sun, is waging a war with them. With that, the manufacturers asked to pass a law requiring the closing of everything of which light of the “sun” will not enter …show more content…
In “Ricardo’s Difficult Idea”, the audience seemed to be the general public; however, he considers students to be the ideal audience. The author, Krugman, even referred to himself a few times to explain his point of view. The author didn’t specify who the audience actually is.
However, Bastiat’s “A Petition” seemed to be just the opposite. “A Petition” is structured a letter; therefore, the essay was made for a specific audience, which was the Honorable Members of the Chamber of Deputies. Bastiat structured at the beginning of the “letter” from a very specific group, “From the Manufacturers of Candles, Tapers, Lanterns, Candlesticks, Street Lamps, Snuffers, and Extinguishers, and from the Producers of Tallow, Oil, Resin, Alcohol, and Generally of Everything Connected with Lighting.”
The Arguments I believe that the arguments in both essays are presented as largely normative; however, the authors’ tones are presented differently. In “Ricardo’s Difficult Idea”, Krugman’s tone in his essay was mostly critical, caustic, and disdainful toward economists. Krugman was very critical of economists who are primarily against the learning of comparative advantage. He gives examples of how economists should want to learn more about comparative advantage, but doesn’t get any reasons why economists don’t prefer
According to Krugman, he provided some tactical hints: take ignorance seriously, adopt the sense of rebel, don’t take simple things for granted, and justify modeling.
“A Petition” Frederic Bastiat’s “A Petition” is structured as a letter to the Honorable Members of the Chamber of Deputies from the Manufacturers of everything connected with lighting. Bastiat begins tell the members that they are reject abstract theories and that they’re on the right track. The Manufacturers offered the members the opportunity to apply their practice to their industry.
The Manufacturers are competing with a foreign company who works far better conditions than theirs for “the production of light that he is flooding the domestic market with it at an incredibly low price.” Lately have of the manufacturers’ sales stop and all of their customers go to the competition. The competition rival, also known as the sun, is waging a war with them. With that, the manufacturers asked to pass a law requiring the closing of everything of which light of the “sun” will not enter …show more content…
In “Ricardo’s Difficult Idea”, the audience seemed to be the general public; however, he considers students to be the ideal audience. The author, Krugman, even referred to himself a few times to explain his point of view. The author didn’t specify who the audience actually is.
However, Bastiat’s “A Petition” seemed to be just the opposite. “A Petition” is structured a letter; therefore, the essay was made for a specific audience, which was the Honorable Members of the Chamber of Deputies. Bastiat structured at the beginning of the “letter” from a very specific group, “From the Manufacturers of Candles, Tapers, Lanterns, Candlesticks, Street Lamps, Snuffers, and Extinguishers, and from the Producers of Tallow, Oil, Resin, Alcohol, and Generally of Everything Connected with Lighting.”
The Arguments I believe that the arguments in both essays are presented as largely normative; however, the authors’ tones are presented differently. In “Ricardo’s Difficult Idea”, Krugman’s tone in his essay was mostly critical, caustic, and disdainful toward economists. Krugman was very critical of economists who are primarily against the learning of comparative advantage. He gives examples of how economists should want to learn more about comparative advantage, but doesn’t get any reasons why economists don’t prefer