We need principles to guide our thinking as citizen-rulers. Throughout history, the best rulers have possessed wisdom, an important aspect of which is an understanding of things that are always true. Rulers must make decisions for which no amount of knowledge and information are sufficient for a good decision. Citizen-rulers need wisdom.
This is especially true today. Our world is complicated, specialized, and integrated. The rate of change in science and technology continues to increase. No one can grasp or keep up with everything. Society functions as a complex adaptive system rather than a deterministic system. That simply means that we can neither know nor control all the results of decisions we must make. To make our situation more difficult, some of our most important decisions relate to things that will play out over decades. And finally, we have overwhelming evidence from the last seventy years that society cannot be managed like a company. The central assumption underlying the governance of society since World War II has been proved wrong.
We have not yet fully come to terms with the failure of that assumption. We know we have problems that are getting worse rather than better. We know that some of those problems are reaching a crisis point. We know that a growing number of Americans are becoming less hopeful. We do not widely accept what to do about those things. While many average Americans are losing faith in our current system, many citizens who hold power in government, industry, and elsewhere, still believe (or hope, because they have no alternative) that the old ways will still work. They believe in vain that if they have more data, if they use artificial intelligence (or whatever the latest idea happens to be), and if they spend more money, they can fix our problems.
To achieve progress, we must change our framework for thinking about society. We can do so by understanding and applying fundamental principles to every aspect of society, from government to economics to every institution in society.
This article discusses principles for several subjects which are most essential to our current task. I present fundamental principles, things that have been true since the beginning of history. The presentation is itemized, with each principle isolated. At the end of each subject, I provide brief comments about the principle applied in our time. These comments are intended only to draw attention to current thinking and issues, not to talk about solutions.
Human Nature
What we believe about human nature is a core part of our worldview and shapes how we understand everything else.
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Human nature, in its basic propensities, does not change. Human behavior changes depending on the milieu of a society, but basic nature does not change. Throughout history, every society had a moral code specifying things that should be done and should not be done. These are passed along to succeeding generations; they must be taught. Finally, each society implements ways to enforce that code.
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People always socialize, they form groups. The group may be a small tribe, it may be a huge civilization. Groups require some form of hierarchy. A need for hierarchy is part of human nature.
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Part of what it means to be human is the possession of a worldview, the collection of understandings about how the world works and how it should work. The most important part of a worldview is a belief system addressing ultimate reality, human nature, and right and wrong. Some commonality in worldviews is necessary for a harmonious society—the alternative is a ruling group so powerful it can enforce common behavior on the threat of death.
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People are pattern-seeking and meaning-seeking beings. This element of human nature shapes our worldview over time.
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Human nature is such that people show wide variation in all characteristics. Some are more athletic than others, some are less intelligent than others, some are better looking than others, some are naturally more kindhearted or more conscientious than others, and so on. This variation is what allows societies to develop and function because some people are better at certain functions than others.
An example from sports helps illustrate this variation. Of the small percentage of people who are exceptionally good at athletics an even smaller percentage of those have what is required to be on a professional sports team.
This extends to all of society. Given current conditions for a society, some people will have a set of characteristics that enable them to be more successful than others. This fact of human nature creates a social hierarchy which, in some societies is referred to as a class structure.
The variation in human nature means that some individuals will be better suited for leadership in society, not only in the rulership structure but also in the economic structure and other structures within society.
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People are motivated to improve their condition. As a simple example, if we are cold, we want to be warm; if we are warm, we want to be comfortable; if we are comfortable, we want to surround ourselves with beauty. As with all aspects of human nature, this motivation is also variable. Some are more strongly motivated than others to constantly improve things. People also vary in what they consider an improvement: an improvement for one person may be undesirable for another.
I find Abraham Maslow’s model of human motivation useful. His model has six levels represented as a pyramid with the lowest level being physiological needs and the highest being self-transcendence.
Application
Worldwide, the twentieth century saw massive experiments that tried to create utopian societies. Each of those attempts failed miserably after imposing unprecedented human suffering on members of those societies. Hopefully, we learn from those lessons that trying to create a perfect society is dangerous, primarily because if those in power believe they can create a perfect society, they feel justified in using coercion and violence to bring it about.
In the United States today, we see a growing trend to ignore some of the principles of human nature. An interesting, concrete example played out recently. A few major cities thought that if they “defunded the police,” and decriminalized criminal behavior that their cities would see less crime and a better environment for everyone. That understanding, of course, contradicts more than one of the principles discussed above. In this case, they quickly experienced the exact opposite of their expectations. As a result, some cities are beginning to reverse their actions. This example is easy to understand, and most citizens knew it was going to fail.
A more widespread and more dangerous misunderstanding of the principles has developed over the past seventy years, and more intensely so in the past twenty years. It is more difficult to discern than the simple “crime” example. The resulting problem can be represented by the single word equality. It came about for two reasons. First, by misunderstanding (or choosing to ignore) the principles dealing with variance in human characteristics and the necessity of hierarchy. Second, by misunderstanding what equality means under a democracy.
The laws of nature and the principle of human variance will always result in different outcomes for different people. Today, some citizens have assigned inequality to represent those differences, and furthermore have decided that all inequality is bad and should be eliminated. First, differences cannot be eliminated. The choice a society makes can only be the distribution of those differences. Furthermore, any attempts to force the removal of differences—that is, different outcomes—must necessarily reduce the freedom and prosperity of society.
Similarly, some citizens believe that “equality under the law” in a democracy means equality in other areas. The following common statements capture this idea: “my opinions are as good as yours” and “my view of what is true is as good as your view of what is true.” A bit of common sense at once shows the statements to be demonstrably false. Some people have more ability to understand a problem and find solutions for it than do others. Some people are better at understanding what is true—or closer to being true—than do others.
If we want a society in which everyone has an opportunity to flourish, we must have a proper understanding of differences among people. As citizen rulers, who can vote politically, economically, and socially, our task is to cast all those votes so that the people with the best characteristics are in the best positions for the good of society. We must accept differences, indeed embrace differences, first because they are reality, and second because they are good for society.
Human Action
Although, as we saw above, human action is part of human nature, it calls for special attention. This is particularly true in our time because the capacity for human action has never been greater.
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Human action is always individual. It is only the individual who has the capability to rationally decide when and how to act. We may speak of a group acting, for example “the government” or “the school board,” but those groups are collections of individuals.
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Human action is motivated by a desire to achieve something or obtain an objective. That is, the individual has particular ends in mind. In deciding how to act, the person must consider their collection of means such as knowledge, resources, information, technology, and opportunity. The probability that a person obtains their desired ends depends upon their means, their worldview, and luck.
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All human action in its essential nature is an exchange, and the individual does not make the exchange unless they judge they are giving up something of less value at that moment to get something of more value.
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All action is rational to the actor. When an observer judges an action to be “irrational,” it may mean, among other possibilities, that the actor and the observer have different worldviews, or they have ends so different from each other that they are incomprehensible to the other.
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Human action drives history. External events occur, of course, whether brought about by other people or nature. Even so, people decide how to respond to those events.
Application
Human action is a central characteristic of our time. Huge gains in material prosperity together with the absence of major-power wars led to unprecedented capacity for human action. For the first time in history, most people in many societies can act in the upper levels of Maslow’s hierarchy. Options for action abound. At the same time, we have abandoned or weakened belief systems and institutions that previously instructed citizens on the shoulds of society. Additionally, we must deal with an ever-quickening pace of change. Collectively, the capacity for action, weakening of guidance for should, and increased pace of change have generated anxiety and disordering.
Worldview
As we saw above, an essential aspect of human nature is that each of us has a worldview, which is the totality of how we understand human nature itself, how the world works, and how it ought to work. As with all things human, there is variability in the worldviews of people.
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Our worldviews differ not only because of our individual makeup but also the circumstances and roles of our life. The worldview of a subsistence farmer in a tribal community holds content that is much different than the worldview of the president of the United States. Yet the core categories within each of their worldviews are remarkably similar.
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Not all worldviews are of the same quality. As a simple example, a person whose worldview holds no knowledge of modern medicine has a distinct disadvantage when facing a severe infection compared to the individual whose worldview includes the function of antibiotics. This principle extends to the most difficult of concepts including human nature, freedom, and prosperity. Not all understandings are equal.
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The quality of life in a society depends on the combined effect of the worldviews held by the citizens and rulers.
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Variability in some categories of a worldview is valuable; they contribute to a well-functioning society. However, strong disagreements in some categories of worldviews, belief systems are a prime example, can harm a society—and if taken far enough, destroy the society.
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Much of our worldview comes to us because of where we were born and raised. As we move through life, we adjust aspects of our worldview based upon experience. Much of that experience takes the form of feedback. We observe the results of actions of ourselves or of others; we think about those results in terms of our worldview, and when the evidence seems sufficient, we alter some piece, perhaps only a small piece, of our worldview.
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If something happens to make our world unintelligible, if our worldview no longer reliably guides us in decisions and actions, we become stressed. If this process is intense enough and lasts long enough, we may become psychologically disordered. If this happens to increasing numbers of citizens, society will become disordered.
Application
At the heart of our social problems, our frustration, and our political contention is competition among worldviews. A clash of worldviews, especially of values, has been building for decades and has now become the fundamental driver in society. We have not yet begun the essential work to figure out how to handle this clash. One thing we do know, a conflict of worldviews in which some citizens want to force their values on others, if left unresolved, will threaten free society.
Economics
When thinking of economic principles, it is not helpful to think of what is meant today by economics, something done and controlled by government. It is more helpful to think of the origin of the word itself, an ancient Greek word referring to the management of a household—a very practical and everyday understanding.
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All economics is derived from two simple facts. First, human nature is such that we always seek to improve our condition. This can range from desperate struggle for survival to the loftiest attempts at self-transcendence. These actions always require the consumption of something, tangible or intangible, and are governed by the natural reality of limited resources. Second, production must precede consumption. Someone must produce anything that is consumed by themselves or another person. We cannot will into existence what we want.
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Economic activity in any society always involves exchange. One person produces something that they can exchange with another person for their mutual benefit. Money evolved as a human institution to facilitate exchange. Note that money did not originate from a rulership structure but rather from basic human activity.
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To increase the standard of living in a society requires increases in productivity. For thousands of years until modernity, productivity growth was low, which meant that increases in standard of living and population were also low.
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Material prosperity is not a natural situation. Almost all people through all of history have struggled for mere survival. Material prosperity requires a social environment that is difficult to create and keep—it can be far more easily lost than created.
Application
Most of the world is governed for continuous growth in economic production as measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP). GDP has served as a proxy for quality of life for decades. Will this work going forward? It is too soon to tell. We do know that the “economic system” will continue to be attacked based on effectiveness and perceived fairness. What is missed in these debates is the distorting effect of the monetary and financial structure. Much criticism of the economic system is directed at the free market and capitalism, terms which as commonly understood are hopelessly misleading.
Knowledge, Tools, Science (KTS)
Knowledge, tools (technology), and science result directly from characteristics of human nature. KTS is as old as humanity, with archaeological evidence predating written history by thousands of years.
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The advancement of KTS requires resources. The pace and nature of KTS development is influenced by our worldview; our worldview, in return, may be changed by the KTS development. The best insight and ideas will not produce new technology without the investment of resources.
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Two common motivations for development of KTS are war and power. No matter the development motivation, KTS is always employed for war or power.
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Knowledge includes more than what relates to technology and science. It applies also to philosophy and belief systems, which are more powerful in shaping society than are the more tangible outputs of KTS.
Application
Two things stand out. Recent developments in science and technology have the potential to disrupt not only society but individual lives. Major advances are happening so fast they are outrunning our ability to understand and govern them. Unless citizen-rulers understand and act soon, these advancements will be used to further concentrate rulership and economic power.
Secondly, science as a field of study kept the confidence of the public longer than most others, outlasting traditional religion. The government has long used science as a tool of credibility.
Recently, however, many individuals in the field of science have supported or allowed the transformation of science into a belief system, scientism. Unless reversed, citizens will quickly lose respect for science, and government therefore will have lost a major pillar of credibility.
Power and Freedom
Power drives history. Power is a more commanding force and value than freedom.
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Power and freedom are always in tension with each other.
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Society cannot exist without power structures. Societies always have three common power structures: rulership (government), economic (production), and creed (belief system).
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Freedom does not mean that each citizen gets to do exactly what they want when they want. Freedom is a property of society. When freedom is understood as personal license rather than as responsibility toward society, society will be harmed and may lose its freedom.
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Power develops naturally, freedom does not. Freedom is difficult to achieve and can be easily lost.
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Freedom demands great personal responsibility, without which freedom will be lost.
Application
Government and economic power have concentrated tremendously in the past fifty years—and concentrated power is not favorable for freedom. A primary reason for the concentration is the implicit bargain that began in 1950 between citizens and rulership. The second reason is a natural consequence of our monetary system.
For the past twenty years, society has become more divisive and contentious, government has stalemated, and negotiated solutions have almost ceased. As a result, we are in a trend in which there is a race for power for the purpose of “winning” by subduing and coercing opponents. We must reverse this trend if we want a free society.
Belief Systems
Because it is part of human nature, every person has a belief system whether they call it a religion, ideology, philosophy, or give it no name because it is too syncretic to do so.
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Belief systems are a powerful force within society. The belief systems within a society shape the rulership and economic structures. Belief systems encourage peace or war, prosperity or poverty.
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Belief systems determine values. If one belief system within a society threatens the values of another, conflict will always follow.
Application
For most of the past 150 years, the United States was widely judged as the most religious of all developed countries. Elsewhere, in Europe and Canada specifically, it was the goal of formal policy to minimize the role of religion, first in government and then in society broadly. In the past two decades, the United States joined that trend. In this Western context, “religion” refers to Christianity. Today, the conflict is still discussed in these terms.
This is a complete misrepresentation based on an improper understanding of religion. This misunderstanding is one reason I use belief system rather than religion. Every person has a belief system, even those who claim otherwise. Thus, what has taken place in much of the West, and is underway in the United States, is not a removal of religion from the public square but rather a prohibition against one belief system in favor of another.