Nobel Lecture: On the Possibility of Progress
An economy based on ideas turns other people into allies instead of rivals.
Setup
The unique characteristics of ideas make material progress possible. But that’s not all: Ideas matter not just for what humans have, but also for how they are. During the Pleistocene Epoch, human nature evolved in a Malthusian world of objects. We developed an ugly tendency to split humanity into “us” and “them.” A world that also includes ideas justifies a new mindset that treats all humans with the dignity and respect that we offer to “us.” It is a world in which we may derive net material benefits from the presence of others.
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