Is there a time and a place for the good Samaritan?

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I was told of the social experiment below by an American Priest. As he told it it had a very clear message about our priorities. And it struck me because this is a message I was brought up with, but also a message that my experience has led me to reject. What do you think?

100 Priests in various locations were told to teach the parable of the good Samaritan (where 2 Jewish religious men passed by a man in need, but a Samaritan, believed to be less good than the Jews, stopped to give help). 50% of the priests were given a new time last minute, so that they had to rush to their classes. And along the way for every person was an actor pretending to be in need of help. The experiment showed that we are far less likely to help when in a rush, and the message behind the story is that we need to re-order our priorities such that we do take time to help, even if that interferes with other parts of our schedule. Do you agree? Or like me do you believe there was a weakness in this argument?

Is it wrong to judge God?

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Owen had his Baptism a few days ago. As an atheist I struggled to make the vows. But my wife’s Christian, as are both of our families. So I willingly went through with it all, and it was a beautiful day. I even managed to get some history in by organizing the service in one of only 2 remaining Puritan chapels (think Oliver Cromwell). And I plan to introduce him to all religious teachings in any case.

Now however, I’m reading biblical stories to Owen at his bed time (presents from the godparents). This I absolutely do not mind doing, but I’m now half way through Genesis and I haven’t found a single passage where I don’t find myself judging God (sorry to say in a negative way). If this God truly exists, I would not worship Him. In fact I’d be tempted to try and find an alternative so I could fight Him. Now for an Atheist this isn’t so surprising. But am I right to think that I can make such judgements on a deity worshipped by millions? Further, am I right to write this post? Or where such blasphemous issues are concerned, and especially ones where I could offend so deeply, would I be better keeping my mouth shut?

Are we truly free?

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Capitalism is often espoused as an economic system that liberated people from Serfdom. Linear models of history tend to place it after Feudalism as the most free of social models. Fukuyama even went so far as to say it marked the end of history.

And yet when we compare 2011 with 1848, which looks more revolutionary? Neither resulted in the overthrowing of existing theories. Both spread ideas far and wide. And 2011 was a lot bigger! So if we assume that 2011 and Occupy was largely about Capitalism then it seems that many are far from happy with the amount of freedom that they have.

Your immediate thought may be that people are unhappy because of the Great Recession. At this moment there are more 16-25 year olds in the world who aren’t in education or work than there are citizens of the United States. These people clearly have reason to think that the system let them down. But what about those protestors with a job? What about those who wanted to protest but feared that they could be fired for doing so, or that they were working so much that they didn’t have time to protest? Movements as big as Occupy don’t result solely from recessions, no matter how big they are.

This now brings me to my main point. I saw a Dilbert cartoon some months ago, and it stuck in my head. Dilbert kept looking at various animals kept in captivity, each time deriding them for their stupidity in allowing themselves to be virtually enslaved. And then in the last strip he went to sit in an office booth and tapped away on a keyboard; a slave, or so we are to think, of a faceless corporation.

Capitalism says that it permits labour freedom of movement, so they can work where they want. But critics say that Feudalism at least protected one from being fired and/or unemployed. And of course you are only free to choose where you have a choice. Where’s your freedom to quit if you know that there aren’t any other jobs out there? After all how many people have you met who work in their dream career? How many people have you met who work for who they want to work for? In a Capitalist system you generally need capital in order to be your own boss.

So what is it that we have right now? Freedom of labour movement? Freedom to choose which company you enslave yourself to? Or worse still rigid slavery to an entire system that we cannot escape, and serves only the 1%? Are you truly free? Or will our grandchildren look back on these times with pity?

What is the primary motivation behind group formation, actions and interactions?

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Group psychology focuses on how groups come to be, how their identities are forged and shaped, how they grow, and ultimately even what they come to do e.g. if they tend towards violence or arm theirselves why do they do so?

Given that these questions are so wide ranging the subject obviously finds ground in various other subjects. Yet for example in International Relations there is a lot more research needing to be done. The main theoretical branches of IR use almost no psychological justification, and yet all are willing to base their ideas upon very profound psychological components of human nature. Realists cite power and security as the main motivation for group actions, Liberals cite utility or wealth maximization, and constructivists call human nature nothing more than a social construction.

Do any of these views hold true to you? Or would you need to see the data? Why do you join and/or start groups? And if there could be one then what do you think is the primary motivation behind group actions?

After Pragmatism and Agnosticism

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The words pragmatism and agnosticism are very popular in today’s society. In fact they form a large part of modern society’s identity. But they are as ideological as any other mode of thought from human history. Indeed neither arose from simple ‘common sense’ as people often like to say. Pragmatism for instance, arose thanks to a large amount from the works of theorists such as John Dewey et al.

But given that we find it hard to even identify such things as ideologies it seems impossible that we might be able to guess what we will be thinking and saying 50 years from now, right?
In actual fact there have always been clues as to what the next leap in human thought would be through history. And they were almost always found in our beliefs about reality.

It is therefore quite profound to note that ideas such as the above are based on outdated beliefs in science. As Henry Staff (theoretical physicist from Berkeley) said “orthodox quantum mechanics insists […] that the physically described world is not a world of material substances, as normally conceived, but it is rather a world of potentialities for future experiences.” To this extent modern science completely rejects the very bedrock of pragmatic and agnostic beliefs, for both are built upon a materialist conception of reality. Or to put it another way both would have a hard time explaining Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle.

The important question that remains therefore, is what will replace such beliefs? What do you think?

Is stress on the rise?

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The BBC has broadcasted a report noting that the number of people who suffer levels of stress so high that it affects their health was over 40% of those surveyed. No matter what the sample was this is a staggeringly high figure. So it’s perhaps sad that some readers won’t be surprised. Those people might highlight the number of new technologies introduced in recent years, particularly in developing countries, increased expectations from the recession, and also the sheer quantity of information to which we’re exposed today. It’s also possible to simply look at our way of life for an explanation. Stress hormones are produced naturally by the body, in order to prepare us for an action or event. We can in some cases burn them off through physical exertion, even taking a walk. But if we’re stuck in the car or the office this simply isn’t possible.

Given the above evidence of increasing stress, do you think overall levels of stress are increasing? If so do they look set to increase still further into the future? What can we do to reverse the trend as a society?

How much fresh perspective is given by history?

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In an LSE lecture by Professor Christopher Clark, Clark outlined the focus of his new book: the origins of the First World War. He explained that despite this being an area that has been researched greatly already, history brings new perspective. He also explained that he would focus on how the war began, rather than why.

Clearly this area of history is of almost unparalleled importance. Without the Great War we would probably not have seen the rise of fascism, the holocaust, Naziism, the Russian October Revolution and all other manner of significant later occurrences.

But will Clark’s study really add to existing literature? How much of a difference does history really make in your opinion? Will he be able to bring an entirely fresh perspective? Or will he be likely instead of what he terms Presentism – making the past fit present circumstances?

Is innovation increasing or receding?

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We have 3d printers, cars that park themselves, iPhones and apps, and advances in robotics. At 7 billion there are more of us to create and innovate than ever before. And yet this week the Economist’s main article is highlighting the number of scientists who think that we’re not only in an economic recession but also a recession of innovation, invention and creativity.

Given that one of the premises of a book that I’m currently writing is in fact the opposite (that we’re living in a creative revolution) I immediately sought to challenge their article. But what do you think?

Why do we persist in wishing away our own lives?

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Most of us want to live. In fact most of us would do almost anything to stay alive. But at the same time we have a tendency to wish our lives away.

‘After I’ve finished school things will be better.’
‘I can’t wait until I’m out of education.’
‘I just need to get these few years out of the way, and then I can do a job I actually enjoy.’
‘I can’t even remember what rest feels like. We’ll get more when the kids go to university.’
‘Just 3 more years until retirement. I wish they’d go faster.’
…
‘I wish I was young again.’

Why do we do this? Might there ever come a time when we don’t?

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