Is the sharing economy a good thing?

This is more complicated and philosophically interesting than it may at first appear.

The promise of the sharing economy is that it allows people to share resources, providing extra income and making better use of existing resources.

The reality may not meet up to the promise. Take Uber for example. It hires people as contractors, so there are no Social Security benefits or workman’s compensation. The workers need to supply their own cars and are responsible for operating expenses and insurance. There are no background checks on the drivers or safety inspections on the vehicles. A few European countries have restricted or outlawed Uber, in part as a response to taxi companies, which have been adversely affected.

Then there is the question of whether there are limits to what can be marketed. This opens up a whole new area, which I will just touch on briefly. I read of a company that has people wait in line for you. Shouldn’t people be forced to wait in line for themselves? How do we determine what is right to market? Is ticket scalping moral? Should we be allowed to sell children or body parts? Where do you draw the line?