Essentialist Realist

February 18, 2005

Here's a recent Will Wilkinson essay on evolutionary psychology.  The perspective on capitalism--or at least a fluid and powerful market--is much as one would expect from the Cato Institute.

As Immanuel Kant famously remarked, "from the crooked timber of humanity no truly straight thing can be made." But, in the words of philosopher Denis Dutton,

It is not . . . that no beautiful carving or piece of furniture can be produced from twisted wood; it is rather that whatever is finally created will only endure if it takes into account the grain, texture, natural joints, knotholes, strengths and weaknesses of the original material.

Evolutionary psychology, by helping us better understand human nature, can aid us in cultivating social orders that do not foolishly attempt to cut against the grain of human nature. We can learn how best to work with the material of humanity to encourage and preserve societies, like [our] own, that are not only beautiful, but will endure.

Via Wilkinson's own Fly Bottle, which also points to an interesting discussion of the relative futility of microfinance schemes in the absence of a functioning institutional infrastructure.

It is plausible to take the measure of saplings before hanging helpful schemes on their branches.