Thomas Sowell — why can’t everyone write like Thomas Sowell?
In brief:
There is a constrained vision and an unconstrained vision of what shapes human behavior.
The visions are pre-analytic and not necessarilyspelledout when people disagree about politics and culture.
On HUMAN NATURE
UnC:
people are selfless
Intentions matter
People are capable of impartiality
Human nature is evolving
We are all full of untapped human potential
We have a higher sense of social duty
We are magnanimous and generous
C:
We are egocentric
Human nature is unchangeable
We are imperfect and imperfectable
Our morality is taught as self-interest (incentives and tradeoffs matter)
On TRADEOFFS AND SOLUTIONS
UnC:
Mankind makes progress
Seek the causes of war and poverty as something out of the ordinary
Social customs are expendable holdovers (28)
Process costs are unimportant
Better policies produce better people
Intentions EQUAL outcomes (31)
C:
Mankind needs prudence
Seek causes of prosperity and peace as out of the ordinary
Human traditions make sense
Process costs are important
Limited choices are available and ALL have negative tradeoffs (32)
On KNOWLEDGE AND REASON
UnC:
Tradition and custom are an inheritance of ignorance
Smart, cultivated people make better decisions than individuals (41)
We need a special priesthood of leaders
Intellectuals are special
Intellectuals are not ambitious
The wisest SHOULD govern
Society works best when the People are coordinated by experts
Lends itself to arrogance and exhibitionism (67)
C:
Personal knowledge is inadequate
Society must transmit knowledge and civilization
Experience is the best teacher
Customs are time-tested and successful habits
Defects are inevitable
No need for drastic interventions
Common sense is widely understood and instinctive
Society works best through the cooperation of individuals
Dispersed social processes
On LAW:
UnC:
Traditions are dismissed as superstitions
The ends justify the means
Government power should be unlimited
What consequences?
C:
The law should incorporate experience and customs
Government power should be limited
Well-intended policies have negative consequences (51,81)
The importance of precedent
You can not predict the consequences
You can not bring about justice by inflicting injustice
Social justice is beyond man’s ability to achieve
On SINCERITY
UnC:
The utmost importance
C:
Not socially beneficial
Fidelity to duty is more important
A good representative of unconstrained thinking is the engineering pattern; a good representative of constrained thinking is the language pattern.
My notes on political systems:
MARXISM is a hybrid. Capitalism/the bourgeoisie is a necessary step in the direction of progress. The past is constrained, but the future is unconstrained, Comrade!
JEREMY BENTHAM - hybrid. Redistribution isn’t morally wrong - it is wrong because insecurity of property reduces production.
MILL is a hybrid - utilitarianism. Constraints are accepted, even though he seems unconstrained.
Back to the visions...
IMPLICIT ASSUMPTIONS
UnC:
Concerned with social results
Take direct action to achieve results
Freedom = desire
Justice = outcomes
Power = who acts on whom?
Equality = similar outcomes for all (except the experts, who will be rewarded with wealth and position)
Disparate impact is “proof” of injustice
Good, intelligent people can not be opposed to our ideas!
Unlimited human potential!
Decision making is an elite prerogative
Surrogate decision makers make better decisions
C:
It is unwise to concentrate political power sufficient to achieve results.
Freedom = refrain from interfering
Justice = the rules are just
Power = reducing options
Equality = same rules for all
Measure general effectiveness (ie constitutional government, competitive markets)
Opponents are well-meaning but mistaken
Human nature is flawed and limited
Systemic knowledge is widespread
Individual discretion is promoted
Everything is a tradeoff
Individual decision makers make better decisions
Holders of constrained AND unconstrained visions are working toward a public good.
They have different empirical assumptions about human nature and cause/effect
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