Why Homo Economicus Might Actually Be an Idiot - Bloomberg

Be careful of these kinds of articles. The presumption here is that some form of altruism is beneficial to both the individual and society. But underlying this article is the dangerous concept of forced coercive altruism or in other words, government redistribution and market intervention. The critical issue with altruism, is that it is a CHOICE made by both individuals and groups to act in each other interests, VOLUNTARILY. It is not an argument to force people to act in each others interests. In fact, I argue that forcing people through the government mechanism actually reduces the normal altruistic response and leads to lower than expected outcomes for individuals and groups.

Why Homo Economicus Might Actually Be an Idiot - Bloomberg