Let us assume that Smith and Hume basically got the path for social progress right in the late 18th century: The way forward is to blend practicality and aspiration in a way that is conducive to the expansion of opportunities and accomplishments for and by a widening circle of people.
What follows for us? Three major things, it seems to me. First, in the area of economic productivity, we need to figure out ways for many more people to enjoy the ongoing sense and reality of creativity and innovation that a relatively small proportion of people now do. We don't want as large a majority of our population a hundred years from now to be, say, highly paid but perhaps disillusioned cogs in big corporations, government offices, or professional firms who do not themselves engage in entrepreneurial economic activity. Not everyone could or should be an economic entrepreneur, and we should be deeply grateful for the rise of organizations that have freed people in wealthy nations from grinding micro-entrepreneurship--and yet, a better future will be one in which a much larger proportion of people than now are economic entrepreneurs in at least a part of their lives.
Second, in the area of cultural productivity defined by often hard to monetize accomplishments in the arts and sciences, we similarly want to have a substantially larger proportion of people who are cultural entrepreneurs. Not everyone could or should be a cultural entrepreneur painting pictures, writing songs, conducting scientific experiments, and so on--and yet, a better future will have such activities being a part of the lives of a much larger proportion of adults than is now the case.
Third, in the area of social productivity defined by morally infused activity with other people and individually, we could similarly use a broadening of entrepreneurial spirit and a resultant expansion of social accomplishments. Again, we will not all be social entrepreneurs--but it would be very nice indeed if a significantly higher proportion of us took on the role for part of our lives.
Let's assume (a big assumption, to be sure) that that 21st century reformulation of Smith and Hume in terms of expanded economic, cultural, and social entrepreneurship is a good form of practical utopianism. That leads to two matched question: What are the obstacles to getting there? And how can we overcome those obstacles?
It seems to me there are two (no doubt more) plausible responses...I'll try to lay them out in the next two posts...
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