The Lessons of History

High-Level Overview

Freedom and equality are opposites, you cannot have perfect freedom without extreme inequality, and you cannot have perfect equality with any freedom. In the end superior ability has its way. Life is plain brutal competition.

Summary Notes

Life is competition and selection.

Inequality is natural and inborn,it grows with the complexity of civilization. In the end superior ability has its way.

Freedom and equality are opposites, you cannot have perfect freedom without extreme inequality, and you cannot have perfect equality with any freedom.

The south creates civilizations and the north destroys them.

History shows little alteration in the conduct of humankind. Means change, motives don’t.

War is the natural state of the world, so it’s unlikely we’ll ever see world peace. Less than 10% peace.

Unquestionably the economic interpretation illuminates much history. The men who can manage money manage all.

Conclusions from the past to the future are made more hazardous by acceleration of change.

History repeats itself, but only in outline & in the large. Developed civilizations create novel circumstances. Less predicatable.