

Is a well-lived life worth anything? - cnorgate
http://blogs.hbr.org/haque/2011/05/is_a_well_lived_live_worth_anything.html

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ryetoasthumor
I don't disagree with this gentleman's sentiments about the chasm between "our
economy produces and what you might call a meaningfully well-lived life."

But I do not buy into his appeal to ancient Greek intellectual culture nor to
his take-away that members of society today are..."the inheritors of a
tradition not just older — but more humanistic, constructive, nuanced,
dynamic, and perhaps just a little bit wiser — than we know."

Looking back on Greek history, we are subject to survivor bias that amplifies
the culture's intellectual contributions. It is always difficult to ascertain
the nuances of everyday life, consumption habits, etc. The types of people who
would have written down this information were neither literate nor able to
write, and those with the requisite resources were largely concerned with more
interesting and valuable uses of their time. We have come a long way as a
society with literacy rates etc. which democratize both access to knowledge
and freedom of expression. Each generation has iteratively improved on these
cultural building blocks. So, to say that we inherit traditions from a more
nuanced, dynamic, humanistic time is provably wrong.

Democratizing knowledge leads to the formation of nuanced, dynamic, humanistic
traditions. Just because the many outlets of human expression and creativity
seem banal to us currently, doesn't make make them any less dynamic or
humanistic than past traditions. We live in a time of unprecedented cultural
growth.

Is this growth for the benefit of humanity?

No one has any idea, but with all things our cultural values and traditions
will evolve in response to changing technology. We have a responsibility to
future generations to constantly evaluate the tools we have and constantly
revise them and envision new ones.

P.S. If this is unclear or someone has suggestions where I can refine a point,
I would appreciate the input.

~~~
cnorgate
Yea, I don't think he's hit everything spot on, but the sentiment is
definitely on point.

I hope he's correct in terms of the evolving consciousness, because what the
world needs is less glorification of conspicuous consumption and a greater
appreciation for things of true worth. Less flash, more substance.

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cafard
"The pursuit of eudaimonia most definitely can't amount to much in economies
where those who trade accomplishment and raid societies earn thousands,
millions, or billions of times as much as the creators and the builders of
those societies..."

IIRC, Socrates was an artisan, not a wealthy man at all, though the rich youth
such as Alcibiades did greatly admire him. Aristotle is said to have tutored
Alexander the Great--anybody care to estimate relative wealth? And when
Alcibiades and Alexander went raiding, it did not involve stocks and leveraged
buyouts.

For that matter, what was Adam Smith's net worth next to that of Clive or
Hastings or Pitt?

