Wednesday Wisdom

WHO

William Godwin (1756–1836) was an influential English philosopher, novelist, and political thinker. Born in Cambridgeshire England, he studied at Hoxton Academy in London as a minister in the Calvinist tradition. One of the fundamental doctrines of Calvinism is the belief in predestination, the idea that God has predetermined who will be saved (the elect) and who will be damned, independent of individual actions or merit. Godwin came to reject this idea, finding it incompatible with his growing belief in human reason, free will, and moral responsibility, instead accepting the ideals of the Enlightenment movement. He believed that individuals had the capacity to shape their own destinies through rational thought and ethical behavior, a view that contrasted sharply with Calvinist fatalism.

He is best known for his contributions to political philosophy, particularly through his work "An Enquiry Concerning Political Justice," published in 1793. Godwin's ideas were grounded in Enlightenment principles, advocating for reason, individualism, and the inherent potential for human perfectibility. Godwins is also known as an advocate of womans rights which he partnered with his wife Mary Wollstonecraft; a pioneering feminist thinker known for her work "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman." Together, they had a daughter, Mary Shelley, who became a renowned author, best known for "Frankenstein."

Godwin is often regarded as one of the first modern proponents of anarchism. He argued against the state's authority and believed that a society could function without government through the exercise of reason and moral understanding. Godwin was also a notable novelist, with his most famous work being "Things as They Are; or, The Adventures of Caleb Williams" (1794). This novel is considered one of the first works to explore the psychological aspects of guilt and the consequences of social injustice.

Archnemesis

Thomas Robert Malthus was born February 13, 1766, in Westcott, Surrey, England and was known as a prominent English economist, demographer, and Anglican cleric, He is best known for his theories on population growth and its impact on resources. Malthus was educated at home by private tutors before attending Jesus College, Cambridge, where he studied Latin, Greek, and mathematics. He graduated with honors in 1788 and was ordained as an Anglican clergyman in 1797. His work laid the groundwork for the study of population dynamics and had a lasting influence on economics, social policy, and environmental thought. Malthus was born into a well-off family and his father, Daniel Malthus, was a friend of the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau and exposed Thomas to a broad range of Enlightenment ideas. Enlightenment thinkers generally believed that through the application of reason, humanity could improve its condition, reduce suffering, and create more rational and just societies. Malthus thought these ideals as utopian and believed suffering of mankind was due to limitations of resources or progress.

An Essay on the Principle of Population, published in 1798, laid the foundation for what is now known as Malthusian theory. Malthus argued that while population tends to grow geometrically (i.e., exponentially), food supply only grows arithmetically (i.e., linearly). This means that if left unchecked, population growth would outstrip the available resources, leading to widespread famine and hardship. The "Malthusian Trap" refers to the cycle where populations grow until they reach the limits of food production, at which point famine, disease, and other checks reduce the population. Once the population decreases, resources become more abundant, leading to a new cycle of population growth. Malthus' ideas influenced economic thought, particularly in the fields of demography, resource management, and environmental studies. His theories also impacted social policy, particularly debates over poverty and welfare. Malthus was skeptical of efforts to improve the living conditions of the poor, arguing that such efforts might lead to higher birth rates, exacerbating the problem of overpopulation.

The industrial revolution, especially in England brought Malthus ideas to the forefront. Malthus' ideas influenced a range of thinkers, including Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, who drew on Malthus' observations about population pressure in developing their theories of natural selection.

Godwin strongly argued that human reason and social institutions could overcome the challenges posed by population growth, directly opposing Malthus's more pessimistic view that population growth would inevitably outstrip food supply, leading to widespread poverty and suffering He argued that as people become more rational and enlightened, they could create a more just and equitable society. This belief in progress was a central theme in his work, particularly in "An Enquiry Concerning Political Justice" (1793), where he outlined his vision of a society free from the corrupting influence of government and other forms of authority. Two Hundred years later and with a 6 billion population, Godwins ideas on human progress and technology advancements have proven his logic and ideas over Malthus. The debate between Malthus and Godwin has proven Godwin as victorious and casting Malthus as a dystopian failed philosophy on economics. So why are the ideas and theories of Mathus still relevant today?

2024 why do we care?

The Sierra Club is one of the oldest and most influential environmental organizations in the United States. It was founded in 1892 by conservationist John Muir and a group of like-minded individuals who sought to protect the natural beauty of the American wilderness. Over the years, the Sierra Club has played a key role in the environmental movement, advocating for the preservation of natural landscapes, promoting sustainable practices, and influencing environmental policy. The Sierra Club was instrumental in securing Yosemite as a national park and in the 60s and 70s became more policy driven helping establish legislation like The Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act.

In 1952, David Brower became the first Executive Director of the Sierra Club, a position he held until 1969. Under Brower’s leadership, the Sierra Club became more active in political advocacy and environmental campaigns. Brower was a dynamic leader who expanded the Club's reach and influence significantly, however he was often criticized for dystopian view of mankind and the environment.

Malthusian ideas were revisited in the context of concerns about overpopulation and environmental degradation, particularly in works like Paul Ehrlich's The Population Bomb (1968) in which he collaborated with Sierra’s club executive David Brower. Essentially the book and Brower believed in the Malthus theory that overpopulation would lead to famine and degradation of the environment. They were both criticized for unethical solutions of population control, sterilization and ethnocentrism which is the belief that one culture is superior to others.

This Neo Malthusian philosophy and view of the world always seems bleak and dark and like Malthus never accounts for progress of mankind and advancement in technology. Brower and the Sierra Club were fierce opponents of nuclear energy and along with Chernobyl, Three Mile Island, the movie The China Syndrome and Homer Simpson, the advancement of nuclear power was delayed a generation.

Godwin’s response to Malthus book and view was "The errors of Mr. Malthus’s theory are those of a man who, with too sanguine expectations, endeavors to present us with a gloomy and appalling picture of the future prospects of mankind."

The exponential advancements in “Artificial Intelligence” will bring out fresh group of Neo Malthusians with their gloomy view of the future. In response, remember the words of the William Godwin when he says, "There is no limit to the improvement of the human faculties, and there is no limit to the extent of human happiness."

And now you know...

Thank you, Dad, for the gift of curiosity.

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 the 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.