The Rational Optimist: It's Trade, Stupid

[keirsey]

I read Matt Ridley's new book, The Rational Optimist, and I had watched his presentation of the book on BookTV. He suggests that the tipping point in human history is trade. No other species trades with strangers. Humans will be ok, is his message.

Here is a condensed version of his idea in his TED talk.

Now I agree with most of what he has to say, except I see a more of a Dickensian situation -- "it will the best of times and it will be the worst of times."

But, nevertheless, if you want to see a more positive -- and Rational point of view, Ridley's book is for you.

Remember, when you are arguing about (or complaining) what SHOULD BE DONE, just say to the other person -- IT'S TRADE, STUPID. Those who impede or regulate TRADE are enemies of the future.

[jwetmore]

Riddley has several books that I recommend.

The book I read the most recently is The Origins of Virtue. I also enjoyed Red Queen.

Both of these books provided extensive justification for my beliefs in the evolution of society and reasons for optimism for the human race. In both books Ridley describes the recombining of DNA as well as ideas, genes and memes. The parallels between biology and society are powerful. The complexity that emerges from simple rules of copying and mixing, and copying and mixing is astounding. Today, with social medias, we are copying and mixing ideas at the rate fruit flies reproduce. During most of human history the cultural reproduction rate was more like that of elephants in comparision to today's rate.

I was less impressed with Genome. It was interesting but didn't speak as powerfully to me.

[shytiger]

That optimistic viewpoint was also mentioned in Superfreakonomics by Levitt and Dubner. They suggested that when things seem blackest that a new technology often arrives to save the day. I generally believe that humanity will always find solutions to its problems until it doesn't and then it's bye-bye humanity, just one Black Swan is all it takes.