Category Archives: progress

Joshua Greene, MORAL TRIBES, post 2

Posted on 18 April 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Concluding summary and comments about this book. Some highlights: The author focuses on a modified utilitarianism, which he calls “deep pragmatism,” to solve tribal disputes in the modern world; He observes that “rights” are claims to end disputes, in order … Continue reading →

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Joshua Greene, MORAL TRIBES, post 1

Posted on 17 April 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Here is a substantial book about human morality that offers ideas that, to me, help to knit together the ideas of others. For chronological context, this 2013 book follows, of course, the 1997 Pinker book that I recently read (review … Continue reading →

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A History of Progress and Backlash

Posted on 29 March 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Two items about Fareed Zakaria and his new book; Robert Reich on Roger Ailes; How “DEI” is now substituting for the N-word. * There’s a new book out this week by Fareed Zakaria, whose 2020 book, Ten Lessons for a … Continue reading →

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Case Study of the Psychology of Conspiracy Theorists?

Posted on 28 March 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

First, a quote about progressives and conservatives, the future and the past; Then more about the conspiracy thinking about the Baltimore bridge collapse, with examples from PolitiFact, CNN, and CFI (Center for Inquiry); And how the construction workers who fell … Continue reading →

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Perspectives from Reality and Fantasy

Posted on 27 March 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

How the first scene in Netflix’s “3 Body Problem” is seen differently by conservatives and progressives; Daniel Kahneman, RIP, who realized that people are not rational; More right-wing conspiracy theories about the Baltimore bridge collapse; And items about an earthquake, … Continue reading →

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Progress, and Regression

Posted on 22 February 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Progress: This afternoon the US has landed a spacecraft, albeit unmanned, on the Moon, for the first time in over 50 years; Regression: the religious mindset behind the Alabama IVF decision; more examples of the ambitions of the Christian nationalists; … Continue reading →

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Progress in 2023

Posted on 31 December 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

For this last post of the year, I’ll link several year-end pieces about progress in the world, where most people see only continued doom. (I’ll do a separate post, about progress against my goals in my own life, soon.) NY … Continue reading →

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