I wonder if certain types of sexual behaviors are in fact cultural solutions to environmental issues. I'm thinking of r/k strategies, basically. If you have people in tropical environments with high death rates and little chance of accumulating much wealth to begin with you may as well (as a man) enjoy yourself, spread your seed as far and wide as possible, and see what sticks. A quick google search found that male life expectancy in Trinidad in 1971 was about 63.1. It was likely even less for lower class men.
My first thought when I read Bryan's post was r/K theory and fast/slow reproductive strategies that vary with the stability of the environment impoverished areas seem unstable to me, at least in the sense of unreliability of resources.
Many games have multiple equilibria, some better than others. But just because equilibrium A is dominated by equilibrium B, that doesn’t mean A isn’t still an equilibrium. Couples, families, and whole communities can end up coordinating around a bad equilibrium, which is then stable. Even though a much better equilibrium exists, it’s not so easy to move there.
I’ve become convinced that much of success in life consists in learning how to coordinate with those around you (spouse, children, coworkers, neighbors) on the good equilibrium and not the bad one. Easier said than done, yes. But if it were easy, everyone would be doing it.
I've lived in poverty for much of my life, including living in a car for nearly 2 years. I was recently unemployed, and savored the surreality of listening to NPR podcasts produced by wealthy and educated people about 'systemic inequities', etc. I was pretty sure that few of the people involved actually knew anything about poverty.
I think understanding poverty requires some knowledge of economics, and social science... and also virtue and discipline. Unfortunately for the left, any account of poverty that disregards the behaviors and beliefs of the poor is necessarily inadequate.
Sounds like a powerful argument for a church that can strongly enforce a norm of no pre-marital sex, and preferably only marriage with non-cousins. I don't particularly like religion but has anything else been particularly successful at actually convincing people not to have sex? I guess maybe you could give them all porn and hope they just use that instead but that could have other downsides
No church has ever strongly enforced a norm of no premarital sex. Mediaeval Europe was stuffed with brothels and adultery was common. It wasn’t about not having sex, it was about getting paired up early and staying that way.
Critical Examination of the Statement "Mediaeval Europe was stuffed with brothels and adultery was common.":
Overgeneralization: The statement oversimplifies a complex historical reality. While brothels existed and adultery occurred, their prevalence varied widely. Medieval Europe was not a monolithic entity; it spanned centuries (roughly 500–1500 CE) and included diverse cultures, legal systems, and social structures.
Urban vs. Rural Divide: Prostitution and brothels were more common in cities, while rural areas had different social dynamics. Adultery, while present, was likely less visible in tightly knit rural communities due to social surveillance.
Moral and Legal Frameworks: The Church’s influence meant that both prostitution and adultery were stigmatized, even if they were tolerated in practice. This tension between moral ideals and social realities complicates the picture.
Conclusion
The statement is partially supported by evidence but is overstated and lacks nuance. Brothels existed in medieval Europe, particularly in urban areas, and adultery occurred, but neither was as widespread or socially accepted as the statement implies. The prevalence of both depended on time, place, and social context. A more accurate statement would acknowledge the existence of these phenomena while highlighting their regulation, stigmatization, and regional variation.
Great topic for a book. Please include in your stack of reading the book, Black Rednecks, by Thomas Sowell. He contends that the cult of authentic Blackness is in actuality the mimicry of redneck Scots-Irish culture.
Sowell's theory is utterly foolish. He goes as far as to blame the Scots-Irish for introducing "lively music" to blacks. As if, without that influence, they would be listening to nocturnes or something. His theory fails to explain why blacks exhibit these socially dysfunctional traits to an even greater degree in areas with no "redneck" influence, such as Africa.
Sowell may be the most overrated intellectual alive today, and, it has to be said, it's probably just because he's black. He's held up by conservatives and libertarians as their "not racist" card.
This is a great project and I look forward to reading the final product. I enjoy your other books and think this one is what I've been looking forward to the most.
I wonder if certain types of sexual behaviors are in fact cultural solutions to environmental issues. I'm thinking of r/k strategies, basically. If you have people in tropical environments with high death rates and little chance of accumulating much wealth to begin with you may as well (as a man) enjoy yourself, spread your seed as far and wide as possible, and see what sticks. A quick google search found that male life expectancy in Trinidad in 1971 was about 63.1. It was likely even less for lower class men.
My first thought when I read Bryan's post was r/K theory and fast/slow reproductive strategies that vary with the stability of the environment impoverished areas seem unstable to me, at least in the sense of unreliability of resources.
You'd think women would still be better off sticking to K selection
Many games have multiple equilibria, some better than others. But just because equilibrium A is dominated by equilibrium B, that doesn’t mean A isn’t still an equilibrium. Couples, families, and whole communities can end up coordinating around a bad equilibrium, which is then stable. Even though a much better equilibrium exists, it’s not so easy to move there.
I’ve become convinced that much of success in life consists in learning how to coordinate with those around you (spouse, children, coworkers, neighbors) on the good equilibrium and not the bad one. Easier said than done, yes. But if it were easy, everyone would be doing it.
I've lived in poverty for much of my life, including living in a car for nearly 2 years. I was recently unemployed, and savored the surreality of listening to NPR podcasts produced by wealthy and educated people about 'systemic inequities', etc. I was pretty sure that few of the people involved actually knew anything about poverty.
I think understanding poverty requires some knowledge of economics, and social science... and also virtue and discipline. Unfortunately for the left, any account of poverty that disregards the behaviors and beliefs of the poor is necessarily inadequate.
https://jmpolemic.substack.com/p/job-search-3
Sounds like a powerful argument for a church that can strongly enforce a norm of no pre-marital sex, and preferably only marriage with non-cousins. I don't particularly like religion but has anything else been particularly successful at actually convincing people not to have sex? I guess maybe you could give them all porn and hope they just use that instead but that could have other downsides
No church has ever strongly enforced a norm of no premarital sex. Mediaeval Europe was stuffed with brothels and adultery was common. It wasn’t about not having sex, it was about getting paired up early and staying that way.
Critical Examination of the Statement "Mediaeval Europe was stuffed with brothels and adultery was common.":
Overgeneralization: The statement oversimplifies a complex historical reality. While brothels existed and adultery occurred, their prevalence varied widely. Medieval Europe was not a monolithic entity; it spanned centuries (roughly 500–1500 CE) and included diverse cultures, legal systems, and social structures.
Urban vs. Rural Divide: Prostitution and brothels were more common in cities, while rural areas had different social dynamics. Adultery, while present, was likely less visible in tightly knit rural communities due to social surveillance.
Moral and Legal Frameworks: The Church’s influence meant that both prostitution and adultery were stigmatized, even if they were tolerated in practice. This tension between moral ideals and social realities complicates the picture.
Conclusion
The statement is partially supported by evidence but is overstated and lacks nuance. Brothels existed in medieval Europe, particularly in urban areas, and adultery occurred, but neither was as widespread or socially accepted as the statement implies. The prevalence of both depended on time, place, and social context. A more accurate statement would acknowledge the existence of these phenomena while highlighting their regulation, stigmatization, and regional variation.
Great topic for a book. Please include in your stack of reading the book, Black Rednecks, by Thomas Sowell. He contends that the cult of authentic Blackness is in actuality the mimicry of redneck Scots-Irish culture.
Sowell's theory is utterly foolish. He goes as far as to blame the Scots-Irish for introducing "lively music" to blacks. As if, without that influence, they would be listening to nocturnes or something. His theory fails to explain why blacks exhibit these socially dysfunctional traits to an even greater degree in areas with no "redneck" influence, such as Africa.
Sowell may be the most overrated intellectual alive today, and, it has to be said, it's probably just because he's black. He's held up by conservatives and libertarians as their "not racist" card.
Might I respectfully recommend Ibram X. Kendi or Robin DiAngelo as stronger contenders for the most overrated intellectual alive today?
This is a great project and I look forward to reading the final product. I enjoy your other books and think this one is what I've been looking forward to the most.
Strongly agree. Good luck with yr new project.