Here’s another gigantic myth about capitalism: That those who innovate and create owe others for the fact they made a lot of money. In other words, they create something that’s so valuable, that so many people need and wish to … Continue reading
Category: Ethics
Who Says Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right?
“Two wrongs don’t make a right.” It’s a fallacy that gets a lot of people into trouble. Taken at face value, it makes a certain kind of sense. If something is wrong, such as initiating violence against another, it’s wrong … Continue reading
Karl Pierson’s Revealing Ideas on Human Nature
Denverpost.com report [12/13/13]: The teenage gunman [Karl Pierson] who entered Arapahoe High School on Friday afternoon and shot two fellow students with a shotgun was outspoken about politics, was a gifted debater and might have been bullied for his beliefs, … Continue reading
Individualism in the Harlem Barbershop
For a fascinating social psychological study, I suggest you view the following video on You Tube: “Guy Brings His White Girl to Barbershop in Harlem.” To summarize, an ABC news team staged an incident where a black hairdresser (played by … Continue reading
Excuse Something, and You’ll See More of It
One of my favorite sayings (I don’t know the author) is, ‘If you subsidize something, you’ll get more of it.’ I’ll expand the saying to a wider realm than economics: ‘If you excuse something, you’ll see more of it.’ Excuses, … Continue reading
Does Money Buy Happiness?
Does money buy you happiness? No. But money is not irrelevant. Money buys you choices. People are happier when they have more choices. It’s not money itself that makes someone happy; it’s the ability to spend it that liberates one … Continue reading
What Do We Owe Parents in Old Age?
A reader asks: Do we have a responsibility to help our parents out as they age because they raised us and helped us become adults? I know you don’t subscribe to an ethical system of self-sacrifice, and wonder where you … Continue reading
Does the State Own the Child? Obama and Germany Say “Yes”
Michael Ledeen of PJMedia.com reports the following on 9/3/13: The Romeike family, Christian evangelicals, wanted to homeschool their children, but the German authorities wouldn’t permit it. So the Romeikes came to America (Tennessee, to be precise), where there’s lots of … Continue reading
Liar, Liar
A journalist from Cosmopolitan Magazine/U.K. recently asked for my feedback on the issue of honesty. Here are the questions, along with my answers. Why do some people find it difficult to be honest? The most common reason is fear of … Continue reading
As With the Highway, So With Life
The conventional ‘wisdom’ suggests that self-interest destroys a society; and self-sacrifice preserves it. Let’s apply this idea to daily life. When I’m driving on a highway, I’m counting not only on my own sense of self-interest and self-preservation, but also … Continue reading
Aristotle: A Beautiful Mind
Aristotle: ‘Those who assert that the mathematical sciences say nothing of the beautiful or the good are in error. For these sciences say and prove a great deal about them; if they do not expressly mention them, but prove attributes … Continue reading
Not Your Mommy or Daddy’s Work Ethic
What’s a work ethic? And if it’s important, why is it important? I found this definition of ‘work ethic’ at Wikepedia: Work ethic is a value based on hard work and diligence. It is also a belief in the moral … Continue reading