Human Nature

Moral Sentiments

“Defenders of the free market insist that virtue is essential to a just and thriving economy. If morality is relevant to economics, it is equally so to allied fields of social science, all of which have as their object of investigation the human person. Indifference to the moral dimension distorts the study of human action…

The Dangers of the Herd

Alternative title: Majorities Really Are Tyrannical. When people get together in groups, unusual things can happen — both good and bad. Groups create important social institutions that an individual could not achieve alone, but there can be a darker side to such alliances: Belonging to a group makes people more likely to harm others outside the…

Blaming the Younger Generation

One reads now and again of unruly, uncontrolled – dare one say raucous? – young people. Consider this heartfelt lament: Furthermore, during the last thirty years customs have changed; now when young…get together, if there is not just talk about money matters, loss and gain, secrets, clothing styles, or matters of sex, there is no…