A conversation with political philosopher Michael Sandel Meritocracy is not an alternative to inequality. If you think about it, it’s a justification for inequality. That’s what it’s become, and the effect of this has been to generate hubris among the winners and anger, resentment, even humiliation among those left behind. Because it is not only […]
The World’s Most Influential Values, In One Graphic
Our basic values can inform ideals, interests, political preferences, environmental views, and even career choices. With sweeping data covering half a million surveys in 152 languages, Valuegraphics identifies 56 values that influence human behavior. It uncovers what people care most about around the world, through a contextualized dataset. The 10 Most Important Values Individual motivations and values are universally organized. That […]
Neither nasty nor brutish
The Ik – among the poorest people on Earth – have been cast as exemplars of human selfishness. The truth is much more startling Slabs of sunlight break through the mist, illuminating the bright pastel ripples of Oribo Valley, the valley I’m named after. I’ve been given this name by the Ik people I’m living […]
When to break a rule
Differences do sometimes make a difference. There will be occasions when taking account of the particularities of an individual and her situation is appropriate, even obligatory for those charged with implementing the law – if not from a legal perspective then from a moral or practical one. This is where judgment comes in. In a […]
Invisible Manipulators of Your Mind
The behavioral techniques that are being employed by governments and private corporations do not appeal to our reason. The term “propaganda” has been replaced by “a behavioral approach to persuasive communication with quantifiable results.” One We are living in an age in which the behavioral sciences have become inescapable. The findings of social psychology and behavioral […]
