Emerging technologies are reshaping our future

Issue #106

Campuses Conflicted over Free Expression

- learning why and how to reconcile hurt feelings is also what Microsoft faced when Bing crossed the line

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    The Failure of Neoliberalism. A Call for a Normative Political Re-set – by Robert McGarvey

Attached - the entire original article

The current crises in geopolitics, finance, and society represent a systemic failure of neoliberalism, which has been the governing orthodoxy of Western thought since the 1970s. Neoliberalism's ethical roots in extreme individualism have limited the role of government and imbued free markets with wisdom as the ultimate arbitrators of value, justice, and morality. However, normative worldviews start with the centrality of the individual-in-society, accommodating change while remaining consistent with historical social values and imperatives in Western civilization. Normative economic principles are rooted in private ownership of property, but society and its changing norms, values, and sensibilities are both the starting place and strategic goal of normative economic theory. Normative accounting principles are dynamic and champion formal recognition of intangible assets, leading to more socially-aligned business decision-making.

The Origins of Normative Progress and the Normative Gap. The concept of normative progress and its historical origins in the English-speaking world originated with the signing of Magna Carta in 1215. Magna Carta established rights and entitlements that were inalienable, meaning they were above and beyond the authority of the monarch to override, and elevated the rule of law, checking unrestrained executive power. Normative progress is the elevation of the individual in society, supported by solid rights and a widening estate of individual ownership in all vectors of social power. However, a downside of normative logic is the tension at the pace of change, which can create a normative gap between what ought to be and what is, leading to cycles of progressive reform and violent confrontation in Western history.

The Need for a Normative Political Re-set. There is a need for a normative political re-set, as the current cultural fabric of nations embodies dark narratives and negative forces that are deconstructing Pax Americana. The rise of neoliberalism in the late '70s infused conservatism with an ahistorical and inflexible logic that led to extreme individualism, identity politics, and victimhood. Identifying the root cause of the undesirable outcomes and returning to the normative solution, begins with the Enlightenment period. The Enlightenment period of the 17th and 18th centuries saw the rise of rationalism and scientific inquiry, leading to the decay of the doctrine of Divine Right and the establishment of democratic legitimacy. The period was pivotal for liberty, supporting self-governance and rights movements. However, the Enlightenment also created a Normative Gap, where the modern social vision clashed with established political, social, and economic realities. The State of Nature debate attempted to reconcile this gap, with philosophers such as Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau casting modern frames of reference that continue to influence contemporary political animosities and societal discourse.

The Conservative, Liberal, and Romantic Frames of Reference. The critical dilemma of political legitimacy and the human state of nature fall into three frames of reference: the conservative, liberal, and romantic, regarding. Thomas Hobbes presents the conservative frame of reference where the state of nature is violent and humans surrender their liberty for security. John Locke offers the liberal frame of reference, where humans have the unique capacity for reason to improve their condition, advance democratic institutions and rights, and rise above the iron laws of nature. Jean Jacque Rousseau's romantic frame of reference idealizes humanity's natural state and demonizes the establishment, viewing society as the destroyer of natural liberty. He calls for the moral imperative to destroy the cruel structure of society and unleash violence for liberation, which inspired the French Revolution's Reign of Terror.

Conclusion. Both conservative and "Woke" narratives are half right in their views on Western society, but also half wrong. The first lesson of history is that the normative character of Western civilization is an ever-evolving continuum that must be judged from the present actuality. While the principles of liberty remain unchanged, the ethical reality has evolved and will continue to do so. The Western story of progress is one of expanding productive assets and a growing sense of social justice that has eased the struggles of underprivileged groups into the mainstream. Formal recognition of intangible assets could unlock vast economic potential and pave the way for a 21st century renaissance that inspires the world. Instead of succumbing to the belief that Western society is inherently oppressive and in need of complete overhaul, we should recognize that it is the foundation stone of human progress and work to build upon its principles to create a brighter future for all.