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Human Species, Intractably Divided on Questions of Value and Definitions of the Best Regime“

What is interesting in engaging with ChatGPT is not the answers themselves as the way it does generate them. My questions and comments are in red. _______________ “Human species, intractably divided on questions of value and definitions of the best regime.” How accurate is this? The quote —  “human species, intractably divided on questions of value and definitions of the best regime”  — is broadly accurate and reflects a deep tension in political philosophy, anthropology, and international relations. Here’s a breakdown of how and why this is accurate: Why it's accurate Historical Evidence Across history and cultures, humans have been deeply divided over: What constitutes justice (e.g., divine law vs. secular law). What makes a good society (e.g., hierarchy vs. equality, liberty vs. order). Who should rule (e.g., monarchy, aristocracy, democracy, technocracy). Competing Philosophical Traditions From  Plato and Aristotle  to  Rawls, Foucault, and Fanon , political...

Engaging John Gray With AI

Interaction with ChaGPT. My questions and comments are in red Is Conflict a Human Condition? Rethinking John Gray, Nassim Taleb, and Structural Causes of War — With Commentary User Question: What is the basic condition of the human species according to John Gray? John Gray: Conflict as a Human Condition John Gray, the British philosopher, argues that the basic condition of the human species is one of conflict and perpetual struggle . He suggests that violence, domination, and power-seeking are not deviations from human nature but deeply embedded in it . According to Gray: History is cyclical , not progressive. Human atrocities such as genocide, war, and oppression are recurring features. Civilization doesn't eradicate violence; it often amplifies it—by organizing it through nationalism, ideology, and bureaucracy. Enlightenment humanism (the idea that reason and progress can overcome human flaws) is a secular myth . Human psychology, tribalism, and evolutionary instincts make c...

Modern Slavery

“The UN's labour organisation is keen to stress that slavery is not confined to poor countries far away from the Western world - more than half of all forced labour happens in wealthier countries in the upper-middle or high-income bracket.“ 10 million increase in numbers in five years

Ethiopia

Our media are dominated by ethnic strife while largely ignoring class struggles “Ethnic differences entwine with other social differences –especially of class, region, and gender. Ethnonationalism is strongest where it can capture other senses of exploitation. The most serious defect of recent writing on ethnonationalism has been its almost complete neglect of class relations (as in Brubaker, 1996; Hutchinson, 1994; Smith, 2001). Others wrongly see class as materialistic, ethnicity as emotional (Connor, 1994: 144–64; Horowitz, 1985: 105–35). This simply inverts the defect of previous generations of writers who believed that class conflict dominated while ignoring ethnicity. Now the reverse is true, and not only among scholars. Our media are dominated by ethnic strife while largely ignoring class struggles. Yet in actuality these two types of conflict infuse each other. Palestinians, Dayaks, Hutus, and so on believe they are being materially exploited. Bolsheviks and Maoists believed t...
For 'Palestinian peace process' read 'Iran war process' My comment: I would add one important element to enlarge the "international relations" picture: control of the region by the US, a hegemon, and Israel, an ally, has to be viewed vis-a-vis a rival or rivals. Iran is one, but China and Russia are two others and it is very crucial that their powers is undermined. The US has lost is loosing its primacy is south east Asia. The Middle East has to remain a levrage for its geo-political and economic primacy, not for oil (America doesn't need Middle Eastern oil), and not only for the arms industry (the arms sales is still a fraction of the American GDP), but of capital outflows (as the author mentioned. It assist the more or less stagnating Western, especially European economies and maintaining domestic consent/stability/wealth) and hegemony and/or over others. Related (from the archive):  My interview with the author about his book Hamas: A Beginner...