Three Skills of Virtue
Only two outcomes await the future. The first outcome is a world of abundance. The second is a world of catastrophe.
Considering that I’ll be dead in the second outcome, let’s talk about the first.
In a world of resource abundance, material ownership becomes indistinguishable amongst people. And so, the only thing that will differentiate us will be our virtues.
Arguably, we are close to reaching that point in developed economies. Compared to a century ago, the cultural premium of being rich has reduced. Everyone is fair game. We are no longer peasants and kings. Over the span of centuries, since the inconceivable wealth of Mali kings, the playing field has gotten more level, albeit slowly. Maybe too slowly, but it is happening.
And so, as for virtues, I think there are two types.
The first type are moral virtues like kindness and humility. These virtues are obvious, and so I won’t write about them here.
The second type are the virtues of the brain. In a world of resource abundance, we are likely to be very healthy. Which then means, that all that differentiates us would be our minds.
If our minds then our the only degree of freedom, then surely virtue must come from its use.
To me, virtuous use of the brain comes from classical Greece. Which are broadly three things. First, accumulating knowledge. Second, the creation of ideas. And third, understanding nature.
And to be virtuous in this way, there are three skills that one must master.
These are writing, mathematics, and decision making.
These skills matters to me, and they will matter even more in the future.
The longer I don’t do these things, the worse I become at them.
And so, I must refrain from using tools.
When it is possible to practice these three things manually, I must.