Ideology-Free Politics: A Bottom-Up Approach

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• Dr Martin Sewell (Economics)
• Thursday 21 June 2012, 12:00-14:00
• CRASSH, Alison Richard Building, 7 West Road, Cambridge, CB3 9DT.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Ruth Rushworth.

Top-down politics are based on ideology. An ideology accommodates one aspect of human motivation and behaviour, to the exclusion of all others, and asserts that it is or could become all inclusive. In the same sense that all models are wrong, all ideologies are false, and when implemented always result in a degree of totalitarianism. Ideology ultimately stems from the religious disposition that all humans share. Western culture has been hugely influenced by Abrahamic religions (Christianity, Islam and Judaism) and their beliefs that we are progressing towards Utopia. This is the basis of all left wing philosophies, neoconservatism and extreme neoliberalism. Politics should not be based on utopian-inspired ideology, but on science. The scientific approach to constructing an accurate model of human nature involves using a bottom-up evolutionary approach. In common with all other species, humans have evolved ‘as if’ reproduction was the sole goal for which they were ‘designed’, and everything they do is a means to that end. As we cannot transcend our genes, if we are to avoid totalitarianism, we must align our politics so that they accommodate human nature.

The event is free to attend but registration is required: http://www.crassh.cam.ac.uk/events/2024/

This talk is part of the CRASSH series.

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• CRASSH, Alison Richard Building, 7 West Road, Cambridge, CB3 9DT

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