Arthur, The basic fallacy of Heilbroner (or at least of his quote below) is that he entirely ignores one of the most basic characteristics of the human race that is woven deeply into our genes and brains.
This is that we have such enormous curiosity which then translates into innovation. We simply can't gainsay this or ignore it. Like it or not, as long as we are homo sapiens, we will remain curious and inventive. Our present society may well be corrosive in many respects because we have been led up the industrial path in the last 200 years so easily by access to such enormous quantities of relatively cheap fossil fuels. These will have to tail off in the foreseeable future. We already see signs that man's curiosity is turning in a more sensible direction -- towards a better understanding of what our basic nature is and a more sustainable planet. Keith At 15:41 05/09/02 -0400, you wrote: <<<< Tom's writing and quote of Marcuse caused me to rummage through some old notes and papers to find a quote of Robert Heilbroner dating to 1975. (Challenge Magazine, May-June, 1975) Rings ever more true today. "The malaise, I have come more and more to believe, lies in the industrial foundation on which our civilization is based. Economic growth and technical achievement, the greatest triumphs of our epoch of history, have shown themselves to be inadequate sources for collective contentment and hope. Material advance, the most profoundly distinguishing attribute of industrial capitalism and socialism alike, has proved unable to satisfy the human spirit. Not only the quest for profit but the cult of efficiency have shown themselves ultimately corrosive for human well-being. A society dominated by the machine process, dependent on factory and office routine, celebrating itself in the act of individual consumption, is finally insufficient to retain our loyalty." >>>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------- Keith Hudson,6 Upper Camden Place, Bath BA1 5HX, England Tel:01225 312622/444881; Fax:01225 447727; E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ________________________________________________________________________
