Wednesday Wisdom

WHO?

Harold Brighouse (1882-1958) was an English playwright and author, best known for his play "Hobson's Choice." He was born on July 26, 1882, in Eccles, Lancashire, England. He studied at Manchester University and where he is associated Manchester School of dramatists which focused on realistic characters and real-life situations of the working class. These writers had a significant influence over the British theatre as they challenged the upper class and gave a voice for the industrial working class.

What he produced

Harold Brighouse most well-known play was Hobson's Choice, which was first performed in 1915 and later made into a movie in 1954. In the play, the character Henry Hobson, a boot shop owner, gives his three daughters an ultimatum to marry the suitors he has chosen or remain unmarried and work in his shop. Hobson's Choice is a phrase that refers to a situation where one has no real choice or alternative and is a “take it or leave it” situation.

The term "Hobson's choice" has come to represent a situation where someone is presented with only one option, often portrayed as a choice between something undesirable and nothing at all. It implies a lack of real choice or agency, as the individual is compelled to accept the only available option, regardless of their preferences or wishes.

Hobson's choice is often used metaphorically in various contexts to describe situations where the appearance of choice exists but is effectively meaningless due to the absence of viable alternatives. It highlights the illusion of choice when one option is overwhelmingly dominant or when all options lead to the same outcome.

2023 why do we care?

Hobson's Choice raises ethical questions about individual autonomy, freedom, and consent. It prompts discussions about the extent to which true choices are available, and whether the options presented are genuinely in the best interest of those making the decision. We are presented with these dilemmas constantly in environmental issues, elections, jobs and in decision making for one’s values. Often, the choice is the lesser of two evils.

By recognizing when a Hobson's Choice is presented, one can examine the logical structure of the situation and apply reasoning to assess the validity of the options given. This involves analyzing the available evidence, premises, and connections underlying the limited choices to evaluate the rationality of the decision. By scrutinizing the logical aspects, individuals can gain a better understanding of the constraints and implications of the choice they are facing.

Hobson's Choice remains a relevant philosophical question and important in everyday decision making. Hobson's Choice presents the opposite scenario to the Paradox of Choice, where individuals are faced with an overwhelming number of options that make decision-making difficult. In the case of Hobson's Choice, individuals encounter a situation where they have very limited or seemingly forced options to choose from.

Ironically, Hobsons Choice is not truly a choice but rather a decision; take it or leave it.

*The picture presented is the Hoboken bar Hobsons Choice, previously own by my friend and colleague Wayne Hobson. RIP Wayne

And now you know...

Philosophy is the art of thinking, the building block of progress that shapes critical thinking across economics, ethics, religion, and science.

METAPHYSICS: Literally, the term metaphysics means ‘beyond the physical.’ Typically, this is the branch that most people think of when they picture philosophy. In metaphysics, the goal is to answer what and how questions in life. Who are we, and what are time and space?

LOGIC: The study of reasoning. Much like metaphysics, understanding logic helps to understand and appreciate how we perceive the rest of our world. More than that, it provides a foundation for which to build and interpret arguments and analyses.

ETHICS: The study of morality, right and wrong, good and evil. Ethics tackles difficult conversations by adding weight to actions and decisions. Politics takes ethics to a larger scale, applying it to a group (or groups) of people. Political philosophers’ study political governments, laws, justice, authority, rights, liberty, ethics, and much more.

AESTHETICS: What is beautiful? Philosophers try to understand, qualify, and quantify what makes art what it is. Aesthetics also takes a deeper look at the artwork itself, trying to understand the meaning behind it, both art as a whole and art on an individual level. A question an aesthetics philosopher would seek to address is whether or not beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder.

EPISTEMOLOGY: This is the study and understanding of knowledge. The main question is how do we know? We can question the limitations of logic, how comprehension works, and the ability (or perception) to be certain.