"The Marketplace of Ideas"

[dust1n]

A traditional American notion has been that free speech allows ideas to compete with each other and the best or truest ideas to win out over the others. But is that what actually happens? Do not the worse ideas also win out, if only for long enough to wreak havoc?

Look at how long Reagan Economics has dominated American politics. Long enough to have contributed to the decimation of the American Middle Class. But if the best or truest ideas always win out, why did Reagan Economics ever get a foothold, let alone become a dominant idea for so long?

People are too impressionable, and have too much surviving to do, for coming up with great ideas for how to handle the world writ large. Brain simply doesn't have that sort of computational power.

 

[icehorse]

People are too impressionable, and have too much surviving to do, for coming up with great ideas for how to handle the world writ large. Brain simply doesn't have that sort of computational power.

I can't argue with Maslov's hierarchy being generally correct. That said, once people are secure past the survival mode, it's time to teach some critical thinking.

 

[dust1n]

I can't argue with Maslov's hierarchy being generally correct. That said, once people are secure past the survival mode, it's time to teach some critical thinking.

Unfortunately, there is no place on Maslov's hierarchy for intelligence or sound decision making.

 

[icehorse]

Unfortunately, there is no place on Maslov's hierarchy for intelligence or sound decision making.

At the higher levels of the hierarchy, Maslov lists: respect of others, morality, problem solving, lack of prejudice, and acceptance of facts. I'd say that those - while not complete - are indicators of sound decision making.