i, Pencil

"i, Pencil," an essay written by Leonard E. Reed at face value describes how a pencil is made. Before reading this piece I never thought about how a pencil was made, or how many skills go into making something so simple. A pencil is an item used everyday and not often thought about therefore this item is perfect for exposing the heart of economics, the ideas behind central planning, and division of labor. 

• "i, Pencil" shows how the creation of something so simple cannot be planned centrally. There are many parts that have to played and considered. This makes the individual questions how economics and the economic system should be planned; by ONE authority, or MANY individuals? 
• Also, this essay alludes to the idea that as a humankind we have lost faith in the power of the individual, they use the example of distribution of mail, which is organized and distributed by the government to show how humans and individuals can move so much more than mail but we fail to see the relationship. Therefore we have begun to believe that we can't get anything done without a company, or the government, or a governing force. This essay made me ask myself why have we lost faith in the power of the individual? What has led us to begin thinking that we need a governing force? Also how can we gain more faith in the individual and how would that change our economy?