美国人经济生活中出现的新现象说明美国社会( 二 )


In this essay, I will link the important problems in society to materialism, which is the cause of the violation of the moral axioms.This will provide a plausibility argument for the Fundamental Theorem, namely, that the abandonment of competition for wealth and power is a necessary and sufficient condition for sustainable human happiness.This essay might provide enough material for a short course.
I begin by summarizing briefly the basis of my philosophy.In my book [2] this is done more thoroughly and, in addition, most of my philosophical assumptions are listed.The theory of axiomatic morality laid out in the book is introduced next.We then see how a few of our problems can be traced to violations of our moral axioms.This might make more plausible the claim that all, or nearly all, of our problems are due to violations of the moral axioms.This material will be covered in greater depth in the book.In my essay “On the Work Ethic”, available in the companion volume to the book [3], a new theory of classes is introduced.We describe briefly in that essay how the work ethic effects the classes.It might be helpful to read “On the Work Ethic” at this point.
In the book, we find the author’s list of the defects of artificial economic contingency (AEC) or materialism (M).Immediately following, we read the objections of Marx and Engles [4] to Capitalism, as they predicted it would develop.The reader can compare Marx and Engels’ list to the author’s list now or whenever he wishes.(Capitalism embraces materialism.Actually, Soviet-style communism (state capitalism), while avoiding the most egregious excesses, encourages competition for wealth, power, and fame to nearly the same extent as does American capitalism.)
In this essay, we find a very useful short compact list of every social problem the author could think of at the time this was written.New entries are welcome.The plan is to catalog and classify these individual social evils in the book.In the companion volume [3] a number of complete essays on a few of societies greatest problems are presented.Most of these were written long ago.At the end of Part 1, I will argue that AEC (or C) is a good model of society and issue a challenge to competing models.
In Part 2 of this essay we discuss the general plan – to be implemented gradually – to solve society’s problems.A few specific examples are given concerning first steps.We shall have to watch very carefully for the “law of unintended effects”.If we try something on a limited basis, we must be prepared to retreat rapidly if it doesn’t work as intended.Regrettably, this will be a little like playing the futures market!In this essay, I list the problems that will have to be solved.In the book, I indicate how each problem might be solved.(The idea is to solve problems not ignore them!)
Philosophy
We wish to give our thesis a firm philosophical basis.We base our philosophy on our innate sense of aesthetics, our innate sense of reasonableness, and our acquired sense of utility.These are the basis for three moral axioms, one of which is respect for truth.Thus, we must define truth, which we do at length in the book but summarize briefly here as the congruence of (generalized) statements with events (defined relativistically).(In case you have forgotten, the other two moral axioms are respect for freedom and respect for the environment.)
Human rights are based on the three moral axioms and a number of derived morals.Justice is based on rights and morals.If the resulting derived theory satisfies the fundamental principles of aesthetics, reasonableness, and utility, we declare the theory consistent and stop there to avoid endless recursion.Additional philosophical assumptions are listed in the book and these too are tested according to the fundamental principles.It is hoped that the assumptions are acceptable to most people.
We borrow the theory of intrinsic motivation according to Deci and Ryan [5] to define happiness and to suggest that people will continue to do useful things without direct rewards due to the need to be effective.This is essential to prove the Fundamental Theorem.Also, the theory of emergy and transformity due to Howard T. Odum is employed in the proof of the Fundamental Theorem.This theory is discussed in some detail in “Thermodynamics, Emergy, And Economics”.


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