What are your thoughts on Agnosticism and Deism?

Agnosticism is a position on knowledge. It is not a statement of belief. It reflects a degree of uncertainty about a belief position. One can be an Agnostic Theist, Deist or Atheist.

A Deist is an individual who believes in God based on Reason not revelation. It is a statement of belief.

I am personally an Agnostic Jewish Deist. How has it worked for me? So far so good. No complaints.

Was the French Revolution a good thing?

Answered on Quora.

It was not so much a good thing but an inevitability. The lopsided and corrupt Ancien Regime could only continue to exist for so long. However in weighing the Positives and Negatives over the Long run I would argue that it was largely a positive development.

Here in my opinion are its positives

1. It brought to an end a corrupt monarchy and the equally complicit First and Second Estates;
2. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789) which introduced natural rights (that are universal) into the continental framework - this would help in the development of both freedom and democracy;
3. It strengthened the French National character (gave the Third Estate more power);
4. Meritocracy was given breathing room to evolve at the expense of elitist privilege;
5. Women’s voices were actively heard through such action as the March of the Women on Versailles;
6. It limited the power of the clergy in France;
7. It provided a framework for the reorganization of France politically (into more structured departments);
8. It would provide a catalyst to challenge monarchical autocracy throughout the continent;
9. French law would be reformed on a more equitable basis.
10. Necessary modifications took place to the taxation system in France.
11. From a learning perspective - It allowed us to see the ramifications of a positive movement being engulfed by a radical intolerant ideology.

The negatives are

1. It was incredibly bloody - The Reign of Terror was an extremely bleak period;
2. It ultimately lead to the Rise of Napoleon and the Coalition Wars that would engulf Europe (and elsewhere) until 1815;
3. The Revolution was hijacked by a destructive ideology (Jacobinism) that would eventually culminate in the establishment of a police state;
4. Group Identity politics dominated much of its proceedings - although it appeared to champion individualism the Revolution in practice centered on group politics;
5. It was the mother of Far Leftism - Marxist-Leninism owes a great deal of gratitude to the Revolution's earlier fellow travelers.

Do different regions of the world teach historical wars and events differently from one another?

My answer on Quora

In some cases (especially in countries where open discussion is not encouraged) both the facts and the narrative emphasis are often distorted. However even in areas where free inquiry is championed interpretation may vary. Here are some examples

• The War of 1812 is largely seen in the US as an American victory over the British. In Canada the interpretation is to see the war as a win or at the very least a draw (US invasion of Canada was stopped and the British burnt the White House);
• The 1948 Arab-Israeli War is seen by Israel as a war of survival where the country beat back a multitude of Arab Armies, Palestinians see it as the Nakba (source of a Palestinian exodus) and the origin of the modern strife in the region today;
• The British saw the Second Anglo-Boer (1899–1902) as a necessary victory for the Empire, Afrikaners see it as negatively impacting their self determination and the context for a great deal of human rights abuse (Afrikaner Women and Children were herded into concentration camps by the Brits);
• Manifest Destiny was viewed traditionally as a positive expansion of the American ideal, Indigenous Americans often see it as a genocide.
• Turkish apologists often justified the actions of their regime towards the Armenians as necessary recourse in a time of war, Armenians and almost all others see it as a genocide.
• Japanese textbooks rarely deal with the issue of the Rape of Nanking (1937) this is not the case with Chinese texts;
• The Horrors of the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution have traditionally been downplayed in China, this is not necessarily the case elsewhere
• The Bolsheviks saw the Red-White war as a necessary fight to save Russia from the old order and Western Imperialism, Western countries viewed it as a valiant attempt to defeat a loathsome ideology.

How do we discover true economic theories?

My answer on Quora.

The tricky word here is true. One needs to decide what is meant by this word. I prefer the word reality.Economics is a social science so it roughly follows a version of the scientific method. One can theorize as much as one wants but if the Empirical evidence does not support the theory then it should be rejected. The problem with economics is that there is great deal of grey and safeguarding assumptions that are put in place by the respective theoretical proponents that are designed to explain away (almost ad hoc) the failure of the theory to correlate with reality.

To some extent this is part of the political nature of the discipline and the polarizing camps that have formed around each school (Keynesian, Neo-Keynesian, Austrian, Chicago etc),

Once economists move past the loyalty toward their school and look more objectively at the field evidence then I suspect that it may have more success. Right now it has more of a tendency to place the cart (theory) in front of the horse (evidence). This is not true of all economists but it certainly a phenomenon that I have observed as a casual follower.

What are the uses of Science and technology to politicians?

My answer on Quora.

There are two ways to answer this question. I will offer both. The first is what they should be used for (Positive) , the second is the arena that politicians driven by less than honorable have unfortunately taken science into (the Negative).

Positive Uses

• Informing decision on complex issues where many stakeholders are involved;
• Using it to drive policy that will likely improve the living conditions for many;
• debunking irrational thought;
• safeguarding the population against legitimate threats both external and internal.

Negative uses

• generating fear to promote a specific political agenda;
• misinterpreting it to shut down dissenting voices;
• overextending scientific conclusions into regions beyond its scope of interpretation;
• disregarding empirical evidence that contradicts the science;
• using it to snoop on people’s privacy for no immediate concern;
• minimizing the environmental impact of technology to oversell its economic utility;
• Using it as a weapon against certain segments of the population.

Was the apartheid government in SA the most stable government of the 20th century in Africa?

My answer on  Quora

It all depends on how one defines stability. The National Party was in power in South Africa between 1948 to 1994 (which I believe is an African 20th century record). In terms of single party control this indeed was rather extensive. However apartheid was inherently an unstable system as seen by the Sharpeville massacre, the Rivonia trial, the Biko affair, the Soweto riots and the mass protests in the 1980s. The system was sustained by a strong police and military presence that created an illusion of stability. At the core it was rotting away.

Once the political structure was undercut by economic sanctions, political isolation and a further demographic power imbalance it was only a matter of time before it would collapse.

On an ideological level (and I say this as a South African) the Apartheid government made group identity the mantra of its policy. When this comes at the expense of the rights of the individual then one has the trappings for the genesis of a volatile outcome.

Why can't we replace teachers with robots?

My Answer on Quora

Teaching incorporates many aspects that are difficult to replicate mechanically. Can a robot.....

• manage a classroom with students having varying behavioral challenges?
• differentiate the curriculum to facilitate specific learning styles?
• motivate students to think beyond the curriculum?
• assist the student in overcoming test anxiety?
• provide the social interaction that is necessary for effective learning?
• report back to parents and guardians on personal observations of the learning process?
• work with guidance to assist the student in managing personal issues that may impact classroom performance?
• gauge mood of the class and adjust the temp of instruction accordingly?
• change lesson plans on a whim based on unexpected contingencies?
• interact with colleagues to improve program based on shared experience?
• provide real life anecdotes to enhance the learning based on actual experience?
• act as a mentor?

This is what defines Teaching.