"Dear Cleinias, the class of men is small . . . who, when assailed by wants and desires, are able to hold out and observe moderation, and when they might make a great deal of money are sober in their wishes, and prefer a moderate to a large gain. But the mass of mankind are the very opposite: their desires are unbounded, and when they might gain in moderation they prefer gains without limit; wherefore all that relates to retail trade, and merchandise, and the keeping of taverns, is denounced and … [Read more...] about The Inherent Virtues of Commerce
Modern Society
Can Sober Smithians Soften Polarized Partisans?
The centre cannot hold;Mere anarchy is loosed upon the worldYeats’ lines seem to have a particular resonance these days. One of the most frequent laments about the state of modern politics is the rise of polarization. Where, people ask, is the spirit of compromise, the willingness to come together to get things done? Each side blames the polarization on the other. Those who feel trapped in No Man’s Land frequently point to the rise of social media with its separate closed ecosystems. … [Read more...] about Can Sober Smithians Soften Polarized Partisans?
The Lonely Ones
We are the hollow menWe are the stuffed menLeaning togetherHeadpiece filled with straw. Alas!Sometime in the early 2020s, humans managed to eradicate themselves in a giant nuclear conflagration. Well, fortunately, “eradication” is not entirely correct. A few remnants of humanity were able to move off-world. Fortunately, between 1999 and 2005, humans colonized Mars. Well, fortunately for the humans; it was not quite so fortunate for the Martians. It’s funny how science fiction written in … [Read more...] about The Lonely Ones
Money, Wealth, and Whuffie
A common fantasy of adolescence is imagining a world without money in which you can get whatever you want without needing those pesky green pieces of paper bearing pictures of George Washington. The fantasy quickly turns into annoyance that some people have lots of those Washington portraits. What makes those people so special? Why should they get to acquire all that cool stuff when you can’t? Enter Cory Doctorow’s novel Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, a veritable Fantasyland … [Read more...] about Money, Wealth, and Whuffie
Beyond Black and White
Richard Wright’s most recently published novel is a cause célèbre. The Man Who Lived Underground, originally written in 1941, was rejected by his publisher at the time. Excerpts were subsequently published in a few places, including the posthumously published short story collection Eight Men. Thanks to the Library of America, we now have the complete novel. The story: Fred Daniels is a black servant picked up by the police as a suspect in a murder he did not commit. Brought to the police … [Read more...] about Beyond Black and White
Godel and Escher and Bach! Oh My!
I actually did it! I read the whole thing. Every single page. All 742 of them. The Book? Godel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid, by Douglas Hofstadter. The book was original published in 1979. It won the Pulitzer Prize. If you go to a library book sale, you will likely find a copy of it. The book is like some rite of passage. At some point you see the book enough times and you think “I should probably read that.” Godel! Escher! Bach! A philosopher, an artist, and a composer walk into … [Read more...] about Godel and Escher and Bach! Oh My!