Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Quote of the Day: Anthony de Jasay, in Praise of Dogs

Did you know that your dog owns your house, or rather some portion of it? If this is not immediately obvious to you, you will find it helpful to consider some aspects of the ethics and economics of redistribution.

Your dog is alert, plucky and a fearsome guardian of your property. For all we know, without his services, you would have been burgled over and over again. Your belongings would be depleted and the utility you derived from your home would be much reduced. The difference between the actual value of your home and its unguarded value is the contribution of your dog, and so is the difference between the respective utilities or satisfactions you derive from it. We do not know the exact figure, but the main thing is that there is one.

~ Anthony de Jasay, from Your Dog Owns Your House

Grouch: We recently had to put our dog to sleep because of her deteriorating health, and miss her dearly. I don't think there is another dog in our future, at least not in the short term, but she was fiercely loyal and without question would have protected us had she believed we were in danger. For her companionship, we were willing to put up with her smell, her drool, her general sloppiness, her fur all over the house. There is no better pet than a dog who loves you back as much as you love them, and more.

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