The Things that I hold to be True (Revised).

I have been attempting to clarify my thoughts on a range of issues and to pin down what it is that I truly believe and would be prepared to stand up for. At my age it may well seem a little late I suppose, but I have tended to flop around a bit and I think I am at a point where I need to do this. Or, at least, try to do this.

I am an older, heterosexual, white, male – that makes me public enemy number one in these enlightened times, I know. I am English by birth and British by politics and law. Of both of these, I am very proud.

My ontological and epistemological positions can be summed up as follows:

I believe that there is a real reality out there that we can know the truth about. That reality may often not fit our wishes and ideological predilections, but it is there and we have to learn to live with it.

What I am about to list are things that I think are definitely true or more than likely to be true, or are, at least, reasonable. The positions that I take are based on sound science, sound empirical data, sound logic and sound reasoning. I am prepared to stand up and to argue for all of the claims I am about to make.

1. There are two sexes. Male and female.
2. There are cognitive and emotional differences between the two sexes.
3. There are cognitive and emotional differences between different genetic populations. In the old days, we would say races. But the modern concept of genetic populations doesn’t quite fit the old divisions.
4. Within a given population there is variation, usually a normal distribution, of cognitive and emotional development, skills, abilities and so on.
5. The individual is the only unit of analysis and legal status that matters. To reduce individuals to the average qualities of some fictitious social grouping of which they are by chance a member – nationality, race, gender, social class and so on is to commit a basic logical blunder.
6. Human beings are biological machines, a product of evolution, and carry within them a range of cognitive and emotional mechanisms shaped by that evolution
7. As much as we try to, we cannot escape our biological nature, that we will live, age and die and that we have certain behavioural predispositions because of our chthonic (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chthonic) nature.
8. Free will, as traditionally understood, is a myth. Maybe a necessary one, but a myth.
9. There are no ontological entities beyond the material. In other words, all religions and spiritual notions are just fairy stories. I am aware that some people, with whom I otherwise am very much in agreement, won’t like this. But, there it is. The only religious framework that has ever attracted me is Buddhism, particularly Zen Buddhism. Zen has no gods and no transcendental entities and is more of a philosophy of life than a religion. However, there is a European philosophy that is very similar to Zen, and recently I have become very interested in it, again. That philosophy is Stoicism. I think that Stoicism lost out to the myth and fascination of the ‘Mystical east’.
10. Capitalism, while far from perfect, is the best system yet devised for the production and distribution of economic goods. Due to capitalism humanity has been lifted as far above its dependence on brute nature, far above the default existence level of humanity, as is possible to go.
    Capitalism is what people do if they are left alone.
11. Democracy … Mmmmm, democracy is extremely problematic. Riddled with difficulties. However, I somewhat reluctantly accept it is better than most alternatives. I confess that I have a soft spot for a monarchy, but that is maybe a little old fashioned.
12. While climate change is happening I am not convinced that it is more than part of the normal fluctuations of climate on this planet. There have been some huge variations in the past.
13. Ecological, or organic, foodstuffs and products are, to be crude, BS*. BS in great big steaming heaps.
14. Alternative energy sources are also, largely, BS. I am a committed believer in and supporter of nuclear power. Nuclear power would solve all our energy problems.
15. Alternative anything is usually BS too. For example, if ‘alternative medicines’ work, then they are medicine are they not?
16. I am not a pacifist. There are some things that I would definitely fight for. At my age and in my physical condition, I would last about 30 seconds, if I was lucky,  in a war zone. But, for the right cause, I would be there.
17. Socialism and all its variants are the evilest political ideology ever to arise in the history of humanity. They have killed millions and ruined the lives of millions more.
18. I support a sort of minarchist libertarianism. That is to say, ideally, there should be no State, but recognising certain realities the State is necessary to provide a certain minimum framework of law, order and defence for individuals to pursue their lives. A night watchman State.
    And, once upon a time, I was a Revolutionary Marxist can you believe!
19. Apart from the minimum structure supplied by the State, all other services would be supplied by the market or voluntary associations, based on demand.

Well, that turned into a bit of a rag-tag semi-rant didn’t it? And there are some contradictions in there, and I am aware of them, I think. However, that is ‘The Things I hold to be True.’ And I am painfully aware that I am not always absolutely consistent in this, especially when my emotional reactions take over. But, nevertheless, these are the things I try to hold to.

If you read this, then thank you.

*(In case you don't know BS = Bullshit)