Rewards and Punishments
Our society provides excessive rewards to some and burdens others with hardship or punishment based on misconceptions about human nature, and the erroneous belief that everyone has the ability to act contrary to causation, if they so choose. In reality, whether or not we receive the determinants that maximize our human potential is all a matter of luck — we don’t choose our genes, or our environment.
People whose determinants result in them having qualities that society rewards are just more fortunate than people whose determinants bring them into conflict with society. Rather than there being good people and bad people, there are simply people with different circumstances. Appreciating the pivotal role of fortune in our lives, leads to the inescapable conclusion that our system of extreme rewards and punishments cannot be justified.
In the area of criminal justice our practice of long prison terms with harsh and frequently violent conditions is not only morally indefensible, it also fails to keep us safe. In the United States the recidivism rate within 5 years of release is estimated to be as high as 65 to 70%. And despite its poor results, the cost of our prison system is massive. There are more effective, more humane alternatives including programs providing mental health care, addiction treatment, career training, education, and restorative justice. When a noncustodial option is not considered safe the conditions of incarceration do not have to be dehumanizing, violent, and damaging.
Believing that people who commit crimes could have acted otherwise, but instead, choose to give into their antisocial nature causes our society to resist taking a more effective, and humane approach to dealing with crime.
Acknowledging the decisive role of luck also impels us to change the way we allow wealth and power to concentrate in the hands of a lucky few. Because human nature is substantially different from what is commonly assumed, our socio-economic system and our human nature are critically misaligned. Failing to provide universal access to the resources necessary for a healthy and stable developmental environment, our current system disenfranchises masses of people, causing an immense amount of unrealized human potential.
Domination systems providing elites with preferential access to resources, power, and influence have been part of the human experience since the advent of surplus, today, however, challenged with accelerating technological change, society can no longer withstand the destabilizing effects of being a system of winners and losers.
From a Naturalistic Humanist perspective, a more just system will have far less disparate outcomes, regarding everyone as deserving protection from the violence and suffering that comes from being deprived of the resources needed for a decent life. Becoming a more equal and just society will require an effective government with sufficient strength and resources necessary to realize progressive goals. Progressing towards such a change will require widespread support and cannot be the result of one half of our country forcing something upon the other half. A path filled with anger and violence can never produce a more equitable, just, kinder, and loving society. For beneficial changes to occur we will need to change our underlying beliefs. For this, a naturalistic view of the human experience based on evidence and reason is ideally suited.
Tribes
Tribalism and identity politics can be obstacles to gaining the unity and cooperation needed to successfully deal with our existential crises. In the years ahead, rather than identifying ourselves in broad divisive categories tied to race, religion, or national origin, we will become increasingly likely to identify with persons we choose, like those who share our tastes or interests in areas such as sexual orientation, artistic expression, intellectual pursuits, activism, fandom, games, and use of recreational substances. Unlike groupings based on nationalistic pride, ethnicity, race, or religion, groups based on preference make no claims about possessing some ultimate truth or inherent superiority, and are unlikely to expend energy conflicting with others. Future advances in technology and changes in popular culture enabling new and innovative ways to present ourselves, to share our inner experiences, and to think about our identity will be a crucial turning point in the social maturation of our species.
Foreign Policy
A Naturalistic Humanist approach to foreign policy supports pragmatic pacifism — the understanding that while it is always preferable to avoid violence, sometimes violence cannot be avoided. In such circumstances the greater the degree of violence used to solve a problem, the more likely that the solution will fail, or at best, be temporary.
In recent decades the US has spent trillions of dollars on two wars. Could that same money have been spent on peaceful solutions instead? Without committing the same enthusiasm and resources we currently direct toward military solutions toward peaceful approaches we have no way of knowing. Until we do, it is unlikely that we can achieve the peaceful, stable, and prosperous world essential for our survival.
Next Generation
From a Naturalistic Humanist perspective children are naturally curious, creative and inclined to share, presently however, the way our children are parented and taught is influenced by a misanthropic view and the dominator model. We assume that children are naturally uncooperative and in need of continuous extrinsic motivation. We fear that if given massive amounts of free time children would be idyll or involved in an activity that could be harmful to themselves or others, but this is a highly cynical view
Today, more than ever before, children have a world of knowledge at their fingertips. The time has come that we re-envision schools entirely. We should let children decide what they want to learn and when. Parents, teachers and AI can act as tour guides to help support each student on their educational journey. School facilities can be utilized to promote much needed socialization and fun.
As humankind faces the perils of accelerating technological change with lagging social progress the world that our children will have to contend with requires that they be as fully self-actualized as possible. Parents and educators will best support our children’s fullest development by letting go of misanthropic presumptions and manipulative tactics, and instead treating them with the love and respect they deserve.