re: #171 FemNaziBitch

My current read, The Origins of Political Order by Francis Fukuyama, is quite interesting. I’m nearing the last part. He talks about the political power of the Catholic Church and how women’s property rights were secured by the church mostly because they wanted the donations rich widows would inevitably give.

He says it was an important step because it worked to break the power of the tribe and get people who were not related by blood to submit to a central authority, which in turn helped to establish the “rule of law”.

Same thing with the change to only celibate priests —helped to end corruption and power of the ruling elites. Well, we all know how well that worked … .

I’m mixed about Fukuyama.

I read The End of History and the Last Man and my reaction to it was either rolling my eyes or laughing.

On the other hand he wrote an essay in Foreign Policy a few years ago. The central discussion of that issue was The World’s most dangerous Ideas. He wrote on Transhumanism. It was interesting and rather frightening.

I might borrow the book you’re reading from the library. It sounds interesting and hopefully Fukuyama isn’t indulging in the triumphalism that infested The End of History.

If you can find them, all the essays in that issue of Foreign Policy are very interesting. Best ones are The War on Evil and Undermining Free Will.