Michael Giberson
Five minutes of Matt Zwolinski on price gouging (from Learn Liberty).
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9QEkw6_O6w]
If you think price gouging should be against the law, watch this video. Are you persuaded by Zwolinski? Let me know in the comments.
MORE: Zwolinski has written serious philosophical works on price gouging,which makes the clarity of his position in the video all the more surprising. 🙂 See links to some of Zwolinski’s work on the topic in previous KP discussions here and here.
I did not previously believe that “price gouging” (especially as sloppily defined) was immoral or should be illegal. I do not now believe now that “price gouging” (especially as sloppily defined) is immoral or should be illegal.
I believe spontaneous entrepreneurship in emergency situations should be encouraged, since spontaneous charity would not provide all of the goods and services which might be required, nor should it be expected to do so.The spontaneous entrepreneur must be able to sell products at above normal retail because the spontaneous entrepreneur has higher costs than the normal retailer. The spontaneous entrepreneur must also know beforehand that his/her actions are legal, or he/she would be foolish to expose himself/herself to the potential penalties which might be imposed, especially under a sloppy definition of “price gouging”.