A new perspective on why Capitalism is superior?

[jrs]

module (n) a self-contained component (unit or item) that is used in combination with other components.

http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=module

A module is a self-contained component of a system, which has a well-defined interface to the other components.

In computing, a module is a software entity that groups a set of (typically cohesive) subprograms and data structures. Modules promote encapsulation (i.e. information hiding) through a separation between the interface and the implementation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Module

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Module_(computing)

Every entity is related in some way to others; each somehow affects and is affected by the others.

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... all knowledge depends on a certain relationship: it is based on a context of earlier information. "Context" means "the sum of cognitive elements conditioning an item of knowledge."

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... always hold the context.

All knowledge is interrelated; every element of it is potentially relevant to the rest. The context one must hold, therefore, is not a mere fragment or subdivision of one's knowledge, however extensive, but: everything known at that stage of development, the SUM of available knowledge.

When you are trying to solve a problem, as when you are writing a computer program, you have to take the context into account. But as Leonard Peikoff said, the full context is essentially everything. However, we are not omniscient. Even if you limit the context to what you already know, it could be impossibly hard to calculate the effects of the context on a proposed solution.

This is where structured programming comes into play. You subdivide the problem into parts, called modules, which have relatively simple interfaces with their surroundings (the context). It may be necessary to iterate this process by subdividing those subproblems into still smaller parts. You cannot ignore context entirely, but you try to control it and limit its effect on each module. This is accomplished by hiding as much information as possible about the external world from the module; and simultaneously hiding as much information as possible about the module from the external world.

This method of modularization applies to many things, not merely to computer programming. It is the reason we form concepts. It is why formal logic abstracts from the particular propositions whose truth or falsity are at issue. It is why mathematics often deals with numbers rather than sets of concrete objects.

In my opinion, it is also why the system of private property and capitalism are superior to other economic systems. A person or business firm and its property are essentially a module for the purpose of economic (and ethical) calculation.