Society Archives

Cumulative Advantage: Why Success Is a Matter of Luck

What is cumulative advantage? How does it work? Why is it dangerous to society? Who does it help? Cumulative advantage is the idea that small gains compound over time. In the work of Nassim Nicholas Taleb, cumulative advantage refers to the innate human tendency to flock to past successes, regardless of whether those successes are the product of merit or chance. We’ll cover cumulative advantage, where it’s most prominent, and why the rich get richer.

Meaning of “Every Battle Is Won Before It Is Ever Fought” (Sun Tzu)

In The Art of War, Sun Tzu says, “Every battle is won before it is ever fought.” What does Tzu mean by this? How can you win a battle before you fight it? We’ll cover how preparation is the key to victory. Learn Tzu’s recommendations for setting the stage for victory.

Black Swan Theory: The Complete Guide to Critical Events

What is a black swan? What is black swan theory? What does the term “black swan” mean? A black swan is an extremely unpredictable event that has a massive impact on human society. The Black Swan is named after a classic error of induction, the black swan fallacy. We’ll cover the meaning of “black swan,” what black swan theory is, and what “black swan” means in economics.

Atonement with the Father: Hero’s Journey, Stage 9 (Explained)

What is stage 9 of Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey? What is the significance of the “atonement with the father”? The atonement with the father is the stage of the hero’s journey in which the hero meets the figure of a fearsome father-god whom the hero must either overcome or reconcile with. The atonement with the father is stage 9 of Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey, from The Hero with a Thousand Faces. We’ll cover what the atonement with the father entails and look at two examples of this stage of the hero’s journey.

Sun Tzu on Spies: 5 Types of Spies and How to Use Them

In The Art of War, Sun Tzu advocated for the use of spies. What role do Sun Tzu’s spies play in battle? What are the different types? We’ll cover the 5 types of Sun Tzu’s spies and how Sun Tzu suggests warriors use them to be victorious in battle.

Sex vs. Gender Debate: Gender Isn’t Biological

Is there a difference between “sex” and “gender”? What is it? What is the “sex vs. gender” debate? Sex is determined by a person’s genes, whereas gender is determined by whether you fit society’s mold of “man” or “woman.” Although related to sex, gender isn’t determined by your genes. We’ll cover the sex vs. gender debate and why this distinction has been so hard to grasp throughout history.

Global Empire: How Money and Imperialism Tied Us Together

How did our current global empire form? What factors unified disparate cultures, and how were money and empires involved? We’ll cover how the monetary order and imperialism, though they came with many disadvantages, shaped our world into the global empire that it is today. Money and empire were ultimately unifying forces.

3 Major Social Impacts of the Industrial Revolution

What were the social impacts of the Industrial Revolution? What effects of the Industrial Revolution remain in our society today? We’ll cover the Industrial Revolution and its consequences: artificial time, the rise of the state and market, and relative peace. We’ll also look at how the Industrial Revolution gave rise to the idea of individualism.

Future of Humanity: Will Science Worsen Inequality Forever?

The future of our species may be relatively short, not because we cause ourselves to go extinct, but because we become an entirely new species. This is the future of humanity. We’ll cover the various scenarios of intelligent (man-made) design replacing natural selection: biological engineering, cyborg engineering, and inorganic life engineering. Then we’ll discuss the ethical problems that we face today, and we’ll face even more urgently in the future, as the future of humanity is increasingly dependent on the expert few.

History of Racism in America: Its Roots May Not Be Racist

What is the history of racism in America? Where did it start? The history of racism in America starts with the European sugar plantations there. Europeans didn’t want to pay for labor since this would have made the sugar too expensive to buy back on the continent, and, by a historical accident, they went to Africa for their unpaid labor. We’ll look at the early history of racism in America, from the first sugar plantations to discrimination in the 1950s.