001 Humanity
Few economists would agree with the title of this post. Yet, as I often proudly proclaim, I’m no economist. I’m an empiricist, and as such I take seriously the literal meanings of words, or the basic models of concepts. There is disagreement even among economists over the meaning of capitalism; some of that disagreement is [...]
K-species is ecological jargon for a population growth pattern that hovers in balance around the carrying capacity of the environment. At the other end of the survival strategy spectrum are r-species, which colonize rapidly ahead of the competition, but because of this go through a series of booms and busts. Many k-species rely on social [...]
Skepticism, curiosity, adaptability and free will make up our natural rights. These are the fundamental choices Nature granted us in order to survive. When we naturally choose to be skeptical we learn from experience rather than do everything by automatic instinct. When we naturally choose to be curious we seek out new experiences to learn [...]
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The 2010 election draws near. Our mailboxes are stuffed and our phones are ringing. Every candidate indulges us with promises while the “other candidate” will raise taxes beyond what we earn, raise unemployment to 110% and claim our first borns for indentured servitude (OK, I made some of that up). What really distinguishes the candidates [...]
I’m amazed at some of the things great scholars have deemed to be natural rights. Here’s a little tip from my upcoming book, The Five Forgotten Truths: Natural rights, by definition, cannot be provided by civilization. Property that can be stored or hoarded instead of used is not natural. The type of privacy that only [...]
The assumption that human nature is bad provides a nifty scapegoat for civilization. When things go wrong with our social systems we can just blame it on flawed humanity instead. In my next book under development, The Five Forgotten Truths, I counter that assumption. “Civilized systems, not human nature, need to change when society falters.” [...]
Natural humanity learns from experience; civilized humanity learns from dogma. You could use epistemology as a guide to distinguish what is natural from what is civilized. We are natural because we are a natural “product” subject to natural laws. We also are civilized. Some would argue that being civilized results from our natural evolution, yet [...]
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As a British charity, I do not know what Solar Aid’s program efficiency is. I do know their purpose, using solar energy to help impoverished communities become more self-sufficient. In my view this is the best type of humanitarian cause, one that permanently addresses the quality of life of a community. Sufficiency is an important [...]
The compensation for the CEO of CARE is more than three times the compensation for the CEO of Doctors Without Borders. What gives? Here’s a yet to be tested hypothesis. CARE has more strings attached to established institutions, receiving much greater support from government than Doctors Without Borders. When you are the CEO of a [...]
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“Natural humanity is social; civilized humanity has been antisocial.” Hey! Since I’ve been providing quotes by famous people I thought I would include a few of mine own. We ironically brand antisocial behavior as uncivilized behavior. Yet the prehistoric evidence establishes humanity as the most social of animals with a higher intellect. The more “primitive” [...]
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