Except for one chapter on epistocracy, the book addresses an army of straw men. These straw men are placed to teach informal political theory at elite universities. They preach democracy, but apparently not because democracy leads to better outcomes than alternative arrangements. By contrast, the book maintains that democracy is only as good as the outcomes it generates. Duh!
Brennan argues that, perhaps, epistocracy should be given a chance. Perhaps. To some extent, we already have a version of epistocracy. Voters do not directly decide on most policies. (When they do---for instance, in referenda---they often err badly.) The sophisticated individuals lobby, advertise, lie, and argue, thereby hijacking the votes of the less sophisticated.
Successful democracies are delicate systems. No one understands why they succeed, although many can provide a plausible rationalisation for why they might. Brennan has the right instinct: progress not by revolution, but by incremental intelligent design, trial and error.
14 December 2016
8 December 2016
"The Arrival" (2016)
Linguistic Relativity holds that a language affects the speaker’s worldview or cognition in nontrivial ways. The hypothesis is naive when applied to common languages. There is just not enough variation between the vernacular languages to inculcate individuals to substantially different ways of thinking.
Mathematics and economics are the languages that are sufficiently different from the vernacular, however, to shape reasoning in a distinctive manner. Mathematics makes one act as if arguments are won by persuasion, not by charisma. Economics puts one into the habit of identifying positive-sum games and turns one into a consequentialist.
The best gift of language one can receive are the languages of economics and, by implication, mathematics (which is the hardware on which economics runs). In 1940, Hardy praised pure maths for being useless and, therefore, harmless. We have moved some way forward since then. We have a language that is better than harmless: it is useful in opening up the opportunities to cooperate and in enabling one to think through cooperative strategies.
Mathematics and economics are the languages that are sufficiently different from the vernacular, however, to shape reasoning in a distinctive manner. Mathematics makes one act as if arguments are won by persuasion, not by charisma. Economics puts one into the habit of identifying positive-sum games and turns one into a consequentialist.
The best gift of language one can receive are the languages of economics and, by implication, mathematics (which is the hardware on which economics runs). In 1940, Hardy praised pure maths for being useless and, therefore, harmless. We have moved some way forward since then. We have a language that is better than harmless: it is useful in opening up the opportunities to cooperate and in enabling one to think through cooperative strategies.
Snowbound Blues
(Rochester, 2--4 March, 2016)
Competition extinguishes the supply of mediocrity and, with it, through habituation, the demand for mediocrity. Competition depresses the pay. Only the driven and the passionate remain---those musicians who live music and enjoy being alive.
Blues is alive; there is little point in being anything else. The scale seduces. The downbeat uplifts. The rhythm swings. Repetition reassures. The melody is free. The dancers look ahead, invent, for the dance is but a concept waiting to be operationalised.
Competition extinguishes the supply of mediocrity and, with it, through habituation, the demand for mediocrity. Competition depresses the pay. Only the driven and the passionate remain---those musicians who live music and enjoy being alive.
Blues is alive; there is little point in being anything else. The scale seduces. The downbeat uplifts. The rhythm swings. Repetition reassures. The melody is free. The dancers look ahead, invent, for the dance is but a concept waiting to be operationalised.
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