Talk:Invisible hand

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misuse

Latest comment: 6 months ago5 comments3 people in discussion

Alternatively, it can be misused or misinterpreted as a conspiracy to use a hidden mechanism to control markets or society, or as an existing conspiracy that a powerful "invisible hand" exists.

Any objection to removing the part after the comma, or at least the last phrase? —Tamfang (talk) 01:12, 26 September 2025 (UTC)Reply

Not from me. I suppose whoever wrote this believed that a conspiracy was only a plan, and is not necessarily the best word to use for a plan which was already in effect? Do we even need to have the word conspiracy here, rather than just referring to a hidden control mechanism?--Andrew Lancaster (talk) 05:22, 26 September 2025 (UTC)Reply

Dear @Lancaster and @Tamfang , how can it be a: "hidden control mechanism" if the "invisible hand" is usually misquoted and misattributed in a pseudo-scientific context, in order to justify ignorance and laissez faire as faith into free markets and globalization ? Dark Flow (talk) 09:30, 28 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

You seem to be asking: given that for Smith and his followers the i.h. is a metaphor ("as if by an i.h."), how can other people possibly use the same term for a sinister cabal? —Tamfang (talk) 18:53, 28 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

I find this all hard to follow. If we want to say that the invisible hand is sometimes used as an excuse for bad things, then I think there is a lot to be said, and there are sources. Are there other ideas being proposed?--Andrew Lancaster (talk) 18:57, 28 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

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