The Tragedy of the Unconstrained Vision
by Bill WhittleOne of the great adventures in current human understanding is the search for the Grand Unified Theory of physics… an attempt at a construct that explains both quantum mechanics on one end of the scale and gravity on the other – one that brings the four forces of the universe: the strong and weak nuclear force, gravity and electromagnetism – all together into one big comfy equation (or set of equations.)
Thomas Sowell
I mention this because not too long ago I started reading A CONFLICT OF VISIONS by Thomas Sowell, and as I did, I started to get the sense that Sowell may have developed a Grand Unified Theory of politics, because he went (as usual) right to the core of the issue: beyond Republican / Democrat, beyond Conservative / Liberal… all the way down to the brass tacks of why people believe what they believe. — VIDEO BELOW THE FOLD…
Sowell argues that when it comes to the culture wars, each of us will be drawn to a specific trench not because of policies or parties but rather because of the vision we may hold of human beings and how they are constructed. He names these the Constrained and Unconstrained visions of humanity; Mankind either as constrained by his biology to moral weakness and self-interest, or, on the other hand, a creature unconstrained by his biology and therefore perfectible.
The kind of society you would construct for each model of the human heart is vastly different; opposite, even. And so I decided to test his theory against history and look for examples. The results are here:
Thomas Sowell is uplifting. He is also terribly depressing, at least to me. Because only when I read a mind like Thomas Sowell’s do I fully realize just what a second-rate thinker I really am. Still, he gives us something to aim at… no matter how far from the mark we may fall.
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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by uscarlos and Michael Chavez. Michael Chavez said: The Tragedy of the Unconstrained Vision http://bit.ly/D9hnA [...]
Thank you — it sums it all up very nicely.
The ultimate casualties of the lib revolution will be those who wanted it the most.
Have you seen Thomas Sowell interviewed by Peter Robinson (Uncommon Knowledge National Review) if not please see. I became an instant fan, since then I relate all of the failed Obama policies and the radicals in the white house to Obamas moral relativism an his Unconstrained Vision. Also see The Peoples Cube and read Obama Regresses to Cold War Mythology and the entire series , it all comes together.
Very nice Bill! Thomas Sowell, and we get Barry …hmmm
Bill, I couldn't agree more, and I look forward to the video. I also recommend the Peter Robinson interviews for anyone wanting more. There's also some amazing footage of Sowell debating welfare economics back in the early '80's (I believe). He's been speaking the truth about human nature for decades, and the tragedy of his vision is that many people will never be able to hear or see it.
Bill Whittle rocks!!!
You should also read Thomas Sowell's "The Quest for Cosmic Justice" if you haven't already. Heck, you just can't go wrong reading anything written by Sowell.
David Mamet considered Sowell to be our greatest living philosopher, and I agree. Quest for Cosmic Justice is excellent, but I also recommend Vision of the Anointed.
Professor Sowell has a profound grasp of the sensible and the sharp clarity of the gifted. Truly genius.
Sowell rocks! I first found out about him after seeing an interview on Fox. Then I gave my father one of his books – I think it was Cosmic Justice. I try to keep up on his columns – today's "the Underdogs" is great!
Yes, "Quest for Cosmic Justice', 'Vision of the Annointed", and "A Conflict of Visions' or all worthy and pretty much bark up the same tree. I thing "Conflict of Visions" is the most succinct of the three, but they are all good. "Conflict" is the best point-by-point comparison of the two world views I've read and is a very even-handed treatment of both sides. Because of the even-handedness, it's also the most recommendable book of this type to an open-minded left-of-center type. Another worthy book by Sowell is "Culture Matters', which is sort of a response to Cornell West's "Race Matters". It's more of a scholarly look at the impact of culture (as opposed to a racial view) from an objective, historical perspective.
I first encountered Bill Whittle at his website, http://www.ejectejecteject.com. He has a series of essays there that should be required reading for every high school and college student in America, if not the world. It is in those essays that I completely, unabashedly, fell in love with this man's brain. So if he says Thomas Sowell makes him look like a second rate thinker, I will have to read what he is recommending. While I confess to being skeptical, I am willing to lust after more than one clear, concise, brilliant mind.
*I also recommend highly Bill's videos at PJTV, along with other thoughtful contributors. Subscribing to that site is the best $5 a month I have ever spent.
Talk about serendipity. I referenced Dr Sowell earlier today.
Excellent analysis of one of the clearest thinkers today. You can always count on Dr. Sowell to get to the heart of the matter. And the constrained vision is right on target. I would say the problem with the statist mentality is the confusion of faith in the people who run the government and belief in the principles behind the government. Some seem to think the leader(s) is(are) the government. The very opposite mentality of limited government. On Medved's show today, he had a guest, Micheal Huttner, who has a book called "50 Ways You Can Help Obama Change America" We have all seen the "I Pledge" video. This kind of faith in one person is very disturbing. And can lead to horrendous outcomes.
I've read most of his 40+ books,and still think "Basic Economics" is his best – as I've said many times before, if it were taught to a decade's worht of high school students, there would be no modern Democrat party. Sowell is a national treasure.
Explains why the Leftists are so enamored with the elite from Harvard and Yale. Too bad they do not understand where they are being led!!
Wonderful as always Mr. Whittle!
Two favorite quotes of mine from Dr. Sowell's 'A Conflict of Visions':
"The anguish of the apostate comes from within, as well as from the condemnation of his comrades. Those who lose their faith but continue outward observances, or who quietly withdraw if they can, are likewise testimony to the power of visions and the pain of change. The terms in which such changes of social vision are discussed — conversion, apostasy, heresy — are borrowed from religious history, though they apply equally to secular creeds which evoke similar emotional comitments." – http://tinyurl.com/nzbn7d
And,
"Theories can be devastated by facts but they can never be proved to be correct by facts." -http://tinyurl.com/kup26c
Thomas Sowell Translates Political Rhetoric:
"Crisis: Any situation you want to change":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaouMZGICcc
Yes I agree it is a basic difference of vision or understanding of human nature. That is why it is so difficult to have a debate/conversation with someone who does not even see the same world. It is why so many policies and programs instituted by those of a different vision are doomed to failure. This unconstrained vision has been around for a long time. The French Revolution was probably the most manifest event of that vision until the modern forms took hold. Communisim, Facism, Socialism, and most of the other isms have this vision in common. Humanity is perfectable. In our own modern culture all we need to do is look to Star Trek to see what they believe that vision could lead to. I liked Star Trek but never bought the vision. Thier own stories were in direct conflict with that vision. The Enterprise always had to go to the rescue, or interfere because of human nature.
Thomas Sowell went to Harvard.
Sowell's "Ethnic America" is the best of the very best of his books. He is a very great thinker.
What you are saying is what I have suspected for years – that we are basically hard-wired into our beliefs of man and the way he interacts with society.
If you like Thomas Sowell; then you must be racist…
Thomas Sowell is as prolific as he is understandable. I strongly recommend actually reading this book. The discussion here was very good, but there is no substitute to reading the book itself. While you're at it, read Sowell's articles which are often linked from realclearpolitics. He holds the Milton Friedman Chair at Stanford, so if you liked Friedman, you're likely to enjoy Sowell.
I believe there are no "second rate thinkers" only second rate conclusions.
I read his posts at Newsmax. His analyses are always inciteful. I do a little chair dance when I see that he's got an article in their on-line newsletter.
If any of you have kids nearing college age, be sure to get Sowell's "Choosing a College."
I'm a big fan of Sowell and have several of his books, but I had never even heard of that one. You can imagine how delighted I was to see it come up in my search for books on the topic! Just as we might expect, it's a gem.
CBK,
"Basic Economics" is a great book! I am currently reading "Economics In One Lesson" by Hazelitt, and I also highly recommend it – it's helping me open my eyes to a different perspective on economics
ROFL!
I have been reading Sowell for years now. Not only is he a first class thinker, he writes so well that you don't realize you are being educated. I tend to pass my used Sowell books to my kids so they have some real education and an immunization from what they are exposed to in college.
Everyone is a second-rate thinker compared to Thomas Sowell
You know Sowell is onto something because the most progressive person I know is a black man, and he just says "race traitor" every time I bring up Sowell…I love pi$$ing him off with his columns.
Have you actually met a Northeastern Liberal? I'm sure you have.
Second rate would be a step or two up.
Snarky, yes. Still true.
The Constrained vs. Unconstrained Visions would explain why engineers tend to be conservative and journalists & politicians tend to be liberal. Engineers have no choice but to deal with what really IS- not what they wish it would be, but journalists & pols have no such trivial limits…
[...] by minneapolis mike on Sep.23, 2009, under The Front Page Reading Bighollywood today I ran across this article by Bill Whittle. [...]
I read "The Quest for Cosmic Justice" and something else I can't remember the title of for a college class of mine (I got blessed with a string of conservative profs), and made sure to put them somewhere safe after I read them. Thomas Sowell is a brilliant thinker.
Agreed. Some of his columns are stunning in how much insight he can pack eloquently into a few column inches.
I've come to pretty much the same conclusion, but with different wording and slightly different perspective.
There are two kinds of people in the world, those who look out and see chaos and terror, and think 'oh my God, who will protect me from all of it?'
And then there's the type who look out at all the chaos and terror and think 'better roll up my sleeves and start working on it.'
The first type are statists, the second type, for personal freedom and liberty.
[...] Whittle wrote a short but awesome post for Big Hollywood about Thomas Sowell. Sowell believes that the true, real difference between [...]
I like richb313's reference to Star Trek. I call it the "Roddenberrily Correct" vision of the future – a future in which all humanity's problems have been solved, no one has to actually "work" for a living, everyone's needs are met (somehow), and each individual just lives for personal fulfillment. Unfortunately, they never really explored how the vision came about. There were some vague references to a horrendous past of wars, plagues, and dictatorships, after which humanity supposedly came to its senses, repented its barbaric ways, and built a perfect society. But the actual details of the building process are never mentioned. We don't know whose property got confiscated, who got sent to reeducation camp or exiled, or who got stood up against the wall and shot – as people (real people) inevitably are when Utopia is a-building. In Roddenberry's nicey-nice future, people just came together as one and did it. It's so simple, after all. Why can't we do it today? Must be the Republicans' fault…
Try "Black Rednecks and White Liberals" by Sowell. For those of us so tired of being labeled racist and our black friends who don't think we are.
I've got both "The Quest For Cosmic Justice" and "Black Rednecks and White Liberals." I eagerly read Sowell's columns and think he should be put up to be Sec. of the Treasury, maybe let him work with Romney. Romney has run large financial endevours and Sowell knows economics and can make them accessible. Imagine every lame Timmy G. speech or answer you've ever heard and then imagine Sowell making it instead. I regularly keep Sowell on my Christmas list of books so that I can expand my collection.
Nancy Pearcy wrote a great book on "world views" called "Total Truth". Similar to what Sowell discusses. Does a good job explaining Marxism as a world view.
Bill Whittle and Thomas Sowell are epic. I wish I had something better to say, but it's all I got in my tank.
One great mind honoring another great mind. Either way you can't go wrong.
@Edski – Not sure about that characterization. The people who roll up their sleeves and "work on it" are, I think, the ones who believe in "solutions." If we all just "work on it," they maintain, we can "solve" world hunger, income inequality, war, gender inequality, racial inequality, global warming, male pattern baldness, etc. They believe they are working on behalf of those whom they believe want the government to rescue them from the chaos – but they very seldom ask exactly what the recipients of their concern actually want or need. But they expect someday to be finished – to finally have everything arranged so that A never has more than B and nobody ever suffers needlessly. That's idealism.
I think the other side observes the chaos and thinks, "How can we adapt to this chaos? How can we survive, prosper, raise families, build a civilization, in spite of this chaos?" They don't expect the bad stuff to go away, ever. They don't expect the job to ever be finished. They best they hope for is to minimize the chaos and maximize whatever benefits can be found in the situation. That's realism.
Thomas Sowell is brilliant. Eloquent but not condescending, insightful but not overblown. His Basic Economics is a great read.
I have two children with learning disabilities (I call them learning differences), one of them gifted. I first read Dr. Sowell when he wrote a little book called "Late Talking Children" about his experiences with his own son. The point of the book was that as parents we should be very careful before we let the medical, therapudic and teaching communities label these little poeple and inhibit their futures. Of course this little book lead me to his others. The man is brilliant.
[...] Sowell thinks the difference between conservatives and liberals has to do with their views about the perfectability of man. Sowell argues that when it comes to the [...]
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