I was looking yesterday at two
articles which came out earlier this month, both holding a bold promise. One
(“Simple Mathematical Formula Describes Human Struggles”) presents research
done by an “interdisciplinary group” studying “complexity” (headed by a physicist)
at the University of Miami. They believe they have found a formula which does
just that – captures the whole dynamics of “a broad range of human struggles” – “from child-parent struggles to
cyber-attacks and civil unrest.” The other article (from the NYT) describes
research which has led to a similar success – the discovery of a “formula for
happiness.” The author, Arthur C. Brooks, says happiness “has traditionally been considered an elusive and evanescent
thing,” akin to a capricious
butterfly. But Brooks claims social scientists now know better: they “have caught the butterfly. After 40 years of research, they
attribute happiness to three major sources: genes, events and values. Armed
with this knowledge and a few simple rules, we can improve our lives and the lives of those around
us. We can even construct a system that fulfills our founders’ promises and
empowers all Americans to pursue happiness.”
Initially, I though these were hoaxes,
perhaps thought up by post-modernists as a revenge for Alan Sokal’s famous
prank from 1996 – designed to prove that real scientists can be equally
clueless. The truth, I am afraid, is sadder. The author of the NYT piece, by
the way, heads a major “conservative” “think tank” in DC. So it might be the
end of ideology, after all – and perhaps of politics, as I noted earlier.
