tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16355954.post3864340003972022282..comments2024-03-28T08:57:53.180+00:00Comments on Darwinian Conservatism by Larry Arnhart: Does Strong Reciprocity Support a Darwinian Left?Larry Arnharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14619785331100785170noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16355954.post-83065064440536853462012-07-02T16:23:27.191+01:002012-07-02T16:23:27.191+01:00Troy,
I agree.Troy,<br /><br />I agree.Larry Arnharthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14619785331100785170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16355954.post-52329462342233266022012-07-02T16:01:17.486+01:002012-07-02T16:01:17.486+01:00Here's a thought: if humans exhibit "stro...Here's a thought: if humans exhibit "strong reciprocity," then there is absolutely no need to have governments force people to be generous.Troy Camplinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16515578686042143845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16355954.post-21872728865739300922012-07-01T21:44:20.272+01:002012-07-01T21:44:20.272+01:00Kent,
Yes, you're right about my use of label...Kent,<br /><br />Yes, you're right about my use of labels.<br /><br />I still believe that contemporary American and British conservatism is rightly understood as a fusion of classical liberalism and traditionalist conservatism. But I know that the tension between these two strands of thought is confusing.<br /><br />I tried to make my argument for Darwinian science as supporting this fusionist view of conservatism in my lecture to the Philadelphia Society some years ago.<br /><br />My general impression is that my arguments find a somewhat warmer reception with the libertarians/classical liberals than with the conservative traditionalists.Larry Arnharthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14619785331100785170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16355954.post-85713050097270537992012-07-01T21:25:18.787+01:002012-07-01T21:25:18.787+01:00Thank you for taking the time to examine Gintis...Thank you for taking the time to examine Gintis' thought in such detail. I have been puzzled about that ever since his comment in Cato Unbound, which made no sense to me. <br /><br />One more thing. Darwinian Conservatism, Darwinian Liberalism, Darwinian Libertarianism -- they all mean exactly the same thing, right? Isn't this a great source of confusion and real marketing problem? There are many people who would never, under any circumstances, accociate themselves with anything carrying the 'conservative' label. Ditto for the other two labels. Each is a red for someone. I think this has a large effect on how your thought is understood and received. I wish I had a solution to offer.Kent Guidahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00119882444127499607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16355954.post-90146958906504406382012-07-01T19:58:25.745+01:002012-07-01T19:58:25.745+01:00It seems to me that once you drop the notion of eg...It seems to me that once you drop the notion of egalitarianism and the blank slate (which has always been the left's faith-based ideology), accept the fact that behavior is largely heritable, and that kin selection is (and must be to exist) the basis of altruism, it is difficult to understand how the left can recast itself. <br /><br />Thus in order for the left to survive, it must ignore these Darwinian principles and instead adopt the notion of group selection, which is indeed a dangerous idea, especially for the left.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16355954.post-43294549778195142502012-06-29T18:14:40.401+01:002012-06-29T18:14:40.401+01:00As I have suggested in my posts, the change that B...As I have suggested in my posts, the change that Bowles and Gintis have undergone over the past 14 years can be quickly seen by comparing what they say in the December 1998 issue of the BOSTON REVIEW with what they say in the May/June issue.<br /><br />One should also note that in 1998--in their RECASTING EGALITARIANISM-- they were arguing for guild socialism (worker-owned firms)established through a coercive governmental redistribution of assets, while now they don't talk about that.Larry Arnharthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14619785331100785170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16355954.post-54109976884817388552012-06-29T18:07:18.229+01:002012-06-29T18:07:18.229+01:00w,
Yes, I think you're right: Gintis is a &qu...w,<br /><br />Yes, I think you're right: Gintis is a "former leftist."<br /><br />It would be helpful, however, if Gintis and Bowles could explain their change of mind, and how Darwinian science contributed to that change.<br /><br />Actually, even Singer's DARWINIAN LEFT gives up so much of the traditional vision of the left that one might wonder--as many readers of his book have--what's left of the left in the "Darwinian left"?<br /><br />To me this indicates how any commitment to the Darwinian science of human cooperation tends to push one towards classical liberalism or traditionalist conservatism.Larry Arnharthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14619785331100785170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16355954.post-19300582398635581472012-06-29T02:28:02.767+01:002012-06-29T02:28:02.767+01:00Gintis does not strike me asleftist, but more as a...Gintis does not strike me asleftist, but more as a former leftist. <br /><br /> <br /><br />Most of his positions lead to a position in the modern world of classicliberalism. I suspect, however, he maypolitically favor, e.g. the so-called economic “happiness”literature as a way to intellectually justify a broader welfare state. <br /><br /> <br /><br />By analogy to Darwin’s grandfather’s quote about Unitarianismas being a “featherbed for falling Christians,” this rather suspect“happiness” literature strikes me as being a featherbed for fallingprogressives. <br /><br /> <br /><br />D. McCloskey has a nice recent piece in the NewRepublic titled: “Happyism.”W. Bondhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11876061563314623223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16355954.post-62501414562659773702012-06-28T18:06:22.471+01:002012-06-28T18:06:22.471+01:00I wonder if you could say more about which areas o...I wonder if you could say more about which areas of life are best left to governments, which to markets, and which to communities.Empedoclesnoreply@blogger.com