Robert Wright is Wrong
Robert Wright, author of Non-zero: The Logic of Human Destiny is now a guest columnist on the most influential opinion page in the country, if not the world: the New York Times. In case you don't know who Wright is, a few years ago he wrote a book called Non-zero: The Logic of Human Destiny. Wright's central thesis is that (you guessed it) there is a long term trend towards increasing complexity in the history of life on Earth and our species is the inevitable outcome of that trend. This inevitable trend continues when technology picks up where biology left off and we get complex things like computers and the internet, etc. How does he know this? Because organisms get caught in "arms races" which inevitably creates more complexity.
Of course, this is all nonsense. Wright never bothers to define complexity in a way that is scientifically measurable. Like pornography, he knows it when he sees it, and he sees it in us. But we are naturally biased to view ourselves as being on the top of the heap. Furthermore, who is to say that an organism caught in an "arms race" might not win the arms race by become less complex. For instance, big brains are a huge expense both in the time required for learning and in the energy required for maintaining the brain. Better to dumb yourself down and just make more babies if you feel you are
under evolutionary pressure.
In any case, Wright's book and philosophy were a big hit with left-leaning believers in the Idea of Progress like Bill Clinton and Times columnist Tom Friedman. Surely, it was Friedman who got Wright his current gig at the Times. Friedman's blind belief in Progress caused him to support an absurd war in Iraq because he, like Bush, believed in the inevitability of Democracy.
Wright's last column is an example of the smarmy optimism that results from his Progressive philosophy. According to Wright, "The selfishness of our genes gave us the illuminating power of love and put us on the path to a kind of transcendence." This happened because our genes force us to love our kids. Wright says that this genetic love results in truth because we see our progeny more honestly than we see other people's children. Really?! It seems to me that we are much more blinded to the truth by this genetic love.
Also, Wright fails to mention the enormous hatred that our genes produce in the form of tribalism. Just look and see what is happening in Iraq right now for the sake of tribes.
Given the way Wright has spun his bogus philosophy of Progress into a column in the Times, it seems that I am on the wrong side in this debate. The Idea of Progress is simply too powerful right now in America for my blog to be very successful.
But, I shall persevere! At least until I get too lazy.
Of course, this is all nonsense. Wright never bothers to define complexity in a way that is scientifically measurable. Like pornography, he knows it when he sees it, and he sees it in us. But we are naturally biased to view ourselves as being on the top of the heap. Furthermore, who is to say that an organism caught in an "arms race" might not win the arms race by become less complex. For instance, big brains are a huge expense both in the time required for learning and in the energy required for maintaining the brain. Better to dumb yourself down and just make more babies if you feel you are
under evolutionary pressure.
In any case, Wright's book and philosophy were a big hit with left-leaning believers in the Idea of Progress like Bill Clinton and Times columnist Tom Friedman. Surely, it was Friedman who got Wright his current gig at the Times. Friedman's blind belief in Progress caused him to support an absurd war in Iraq because he, like Bush, believed in the inevitability of Democracy.
Wright's last column is an example of the smarmy optimism that results from his Progressive philosophy. According to Wright, "The selfishness of our genes gave us the illuminating power of love and put us on the path to a kind of transcendence." This happened because our genes force us to love our kids. Wright says that this genetic love results in truth because we see our progeny more honestly than we see other people's children. Really?! It seems to me that we are much more blinded to the truth by this genetic love.
Also, Wright fails to mention the enormous hatred that our genes produce in the form of tribalism. Just look and see what is happening in Iraq right now for the sake of tribes.
Given the way Wright has spun his bogus philosophy of Progress into a column in the Times, it seems that I am on the wrong side in this debate. The Idea of Progress is simply too powerful right now in America for my blog to be very successful.
But, I shall persevere! At least until I get too lazy.
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