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If we assume that free will doesn't exist (which I don't agree with, but for the sake of argument we'll assume it doesn't), one might still expect people to mak
by elihu 9y ago
If we assume that free will doesn't exist (which I don't agree with, but for the sake of argument we'll assume it doesn't), one might still expect people to make choices that maximize their own well-being and it isn't too much of a stretch to suppose that such choices are more often than not good for society, or at least more so than a planned society where most choices are made for you by some authority.
One can argue for democracy, free speech, and other modern liberal ideas on the basis that they produce a more stable, prosperous society.
This assumes that we've already decided that stability and prosperity are attributes that society should have.
I think science is a great tool for figuring out what the consequences of a particular action are likely to be, but it's not a tool that will tell us which of several outcomes we should prefer.
- amasad 9y agoYou're echoing Hume's is-ought distinction which I generally agree with.
- techbio 9y agoOptimism and Hume notwithstanding the outcomes regarding prosperity and stability may be bestowed upon the society as a whole without the choices by individuals having individually assisted their own life outcomes.
- skookumchuck 9y agoSocieties where the choices are made by the government, not the individuals, have not bestowed prosperity and stability on the whole.
- brabel 9y agoChina seems to be a counter example to that (and the largest example in the history of mankind, with 600 million people having a prosperous life thanks to, arguably, the government making decisions on their behalf, not to mention it has been the most stable civilization on Earth despite a few periods of instability), though on the whole, you might be right. I just wouldn't claim that with nearly as much confidence as you do.
- skookumchuck 9y agoChina has free'd up quite a bit from the old centralized planning system, and the material well-being has improved quite a bit since they did.
- cjsthompson 9y agoYou can't argue that liberal society produces a more stable, prosperous society because your government is bombing any attempt at finding if this is actually true.