Self-Interest, Politics and the Environment: A Response to Professor Schroeder

Abstract

"A recent book on public choice economics begins by recounting Pablo Picassos observation on his portrait of Gertrude Stein: Everybody thinks she is not at all like her picture, but never mind, in the end she will manage to look just like it. This enigmatic statement can illustrate several important points. It may mean that Picasso captured the essence of Gertrude Stein so skillfully that, in the end, the inescapable reality of the portrait will dawn on us. Or, it may mean that we will be so captivated by Picassos unusual way of looking at things that we begin to look at his subject that way too, even if, in fact, the portrait is not at all realistic. These competing interpretations make the statement deeply paradoxical, but either way we appreciate how powerful an influence are the lenses physical, intellectual, and artistic-through which we see the world. And, perhaps a more cutting conclusion, we appreciate that once drawn to a lens that we believe should be used, the line between what should be, and what is, is blurred forever."