Thomas Sowell ( 10 of 95 )
Cultures contain many cues and inducements to dissuade the individual from approaching ultimate limits, in much the same way that read more
Cultures contain many cues and inducements to dissuade the individual from approaching ultimate limits, in much the same way that a special warning strip of land around the edge of a baseball field lets a player know that he is about to run into a concrete wall when he is preoccupied with catching the ball. The wider that strip of land and the more sensitive the player is to the changing composition of the ground under his feet as he pursues the ball, the more effective the warning. Romanticizing or lionizing as "individualistic" those people who disregard social cues and inducements increases the danger of head-on collisions with inherent social limits. Decrying various forms of social disapproval is in effect narrowing the warning strip.
Knowledge can be enormously costly, and is often scattered in widely uneven fragments, too small to be individually usable in read more
Knowledge can be enormously costly, and is often scattered in widely uneven fragments, too small to be individually usable in decision making. The communication and coordination of these scattered fragments of knowledge is one of the basic problems- perhaps the basic problem- of any society.
If you have ever seen a four-year-old trying to lord it over a two-year-old, then you know what the basic read more
If you have ever seen a four-year-old trying to lord it over a two-year-old, then you know what the basic problem of human nature is -- and why government keeps growing larger and ever more intrusive.
Liberals are very broadminded: they are always willing to give careful consideration to both sides of the same side
Liberals are very broadminded: they are always willing to give careful consideration to both sides of the same side
The demands of unbounded individualism need to be weighed in the light of inherent social constraints which can only change read more
The demands of unbounded individualism need to be weighed in the light of inherent social constraints which can only change their form but cannot be eliminated without eliminating civilization.
Force is the antithesis of freedom, but force must be used, if only to defend against other force.
Force is the antithesis of freedom, but force must be used, if only to defend against other force.
Unbounded morality ultimately becomes counterproductive even in terms of the same moral principles being sought. The law of diminishing returns read more
Unbounded morality ultimately becomes counterproductive even in terms of the same moral principles being sought. The law of diminishing returns applies to morality.
Many bad policies are simply good policies taken too far.
Many bad policies are simply good policies taken too far.
Much of the self-righteous nonsense that abounds on so many subjects cannot stand up to three questions: (1) Compared to read more
Much of the self-righteous nonsense that abounds on so many subjects cannot stand up to three questions: (1) Compared to what? (2) At what cost? and (3) What are the hard facts?
Facts do not "speak for themselves." They speak for or against competing theories. Facts divorced from theories or visions are read more
Facts do not "speak for themselves." They speak for or against competing theories. Facts divorced from theories or visions are mere isolated curiosities.
