Posted by Jan den Breejen on November 28, 1998 at 03:53:49:
Let's get a little philosophical (I mean Intuitive/Thinking in the words of the late Jung). Harvard professor David S. Landes has just published a revolutionary insightfull book on the marxist question of western guilt for third world poverty. In short: our ancestors were not very friendly to the non-western people (near extinction of the North American indians; British and Dutch slavery systems in the Indies, 19th century massacres in Belgian Congo etc.); but:
a. relatively speaking we were not 'mean'; the african tribal heads reared slaves in their OWN people and sold them to arab traders for centuries before the 'capitalists' came; the Inca's were probably the cruelest religious people; the Indians slaughtered millions of buffalo's without using them etc.
b. No need for this feeling of guilt. The economic-cultural systems the western conquerors subjugated were static; their was no growth potential; only a zero sum game; one tribe conquered and the other lost wealth. The reason for this economic lethargy was that the non western cultures were colored by E9 (population) - E8 (despotic rulers) enneagram colors. The advanced technology of the arabs and chinese never became the motor for economic growth because these mighty rulers feared the 'intellectuals' would be dangerous to their power positions. So: the insights were not dispersed by a learning system widely into the population. The end result is that this E5 knowledge cells couldn't multiply, and the despots needed periodically to import (Peter the Great's visits to Amsterdam 18th century) - or spy (Sovjet Union) on - the speedily advancing knowledge in the western world.
Landes suggests that the European E1 movement becoming the dominant force in the European culture was the real cause of progress, reform and wealth; stating that INDEPENDENT CREATIVE THINKING (the 16th centure religious Reformation movement) & CULTURE/CIVILIZED MANNERS (E1!) with PUBLIC TEACHING SYSTEMS (the teach and preach E1 culture starting in the Victorian 19th century) are the long term source of wealth.
I find his book convincing but as an INTJ/E1 I am rather biased on this subject of course. But: let's project his analysis into the future of our western culture:
I. our education systems get worse by the day; standards are lower today on elementary skills like reading, calculation and culture. In our country the new school teachers even don't have these elementary skills and are underpaid and have a low status (in the pre war period being a teacher was one of the most respected jobs!)
II. our E3 business culture seems to exploit our E1 heritage in a way that diminishes it in the long term; E3 need of 'efficiency' leads to lower the value attached to reflection and theory; everything must be fun and immediately applicable: SUPERFICIALIY abounds and dominates our daily interactions more and more...
So: the Landes source of western wealth gets depleted in the long run; unless we see this macro trend and act now!
Wat do you think of my controversial hypothesis and Landes' analysis? It would be helpful for the Forum learning process to mention your enneatype.