| From owner-cypherpunks@toad.com Mon Aug 14 15:48:43 1995 | Subject: Are we forming the "social sector"? FYIntrospection... | Sender: owner-cypherpunks@toad.com | | [ ... ] | | "the post-capitalist polity needs a 'third sector,' in addition | to the two generally recognized ones, the 'private sector' of | business and the 'public sector' of government. It needs an | autonomous social sector." (Drucker 1993) Not to start a holy war (no pun intended) but isn't this the role that according to Locke, et al., was supposed to be filled by Religion? A moral/social force standing beside government and economics? If Dr. Johnson had been less immersed in the idea of Truth, I believe he would have agreed. He wrote for money, hobnobbed with royalty for status, and was driven by a need to prove himself worthy in the eyes of his Maker. I can't stand the perspectives that come out of this "we're so objective we ignore anything that reeks of irrationality" stance. By restricting themselves to the projection of history that results, they can't see the ways in which the things they deny have been the major players in the situation they claim to understand. "Post-capitalist polity"? What the hell is this guy smoking? I say this not to advance the role of religious fundamentalism, but as a reminder of the past and an earnest attempt to get people to recognize that like it or not, religion (however you may conceive it) is already there. You could argue that people go into government for power and business for money, and whatever is left over constitutes their religious frame. Charles Winquist, a professor of the philosophy of religion at Syracuse, calls religion that which defines what is "real and important" for a person, a culture, or a nation. I would argue that once you abstract out the money and power aspects of this, you are left with exactly what this guy Drucker is trying to say we need. And we already have it. I like to write good code and do intelligent Web site design. And I don't do it for Jesus, or Buddha, or Rev. Moon. I do it because it is what gives my life a sense of reality, and because it is what I have determined to be important right now. I also pay attention to issues such as are discussed here (excepting the conspiracy crap) because I can see that it will be important to me and others. Just my $.02, Steve