“What dominates society?”
Vanna,
its own stupidity.

I don't think that any one thing 'dominates' society. I think the idea of domination is a 'western white male' way of thinking - and I don't mean to be insulting here. White males have done some great stuff but it is only one way of seeing the world.

I think the western worldview - like we need to dominate the earth and materially progress, that we are evolving toward something perfect etc - has been the foundation for western societies.

But to put it very simplistically, my view is that we are born with a certain type of brain chemistry that then interacts with the environment - and environment is both the home and the wider culural expectations, and creates each individual. And luck and/or chance occurences interact with both of these factors to further diversify the results further.

It's this very complex interaction that determines whether the individual functions well in the dominant culture or is dysfunctional and regarded as bad lazy stupid etc.

I think the dynamics of global population is just too complex an issue for anyone to understand - particulary me with my focus on the underlying explanations for human behaviour.

The thing that strikes me is how quickly we western people have stopped breeding now we are wealthy and comfortable and how much more we value human life when we have the wealth to look after damaged people.

Some women are 'copying' men because some women do think like men - and some men think like women. The figures that show that women aren't demanding to be on corporate boards suggests to me that most of us know that it is a stupid lifestyle - some men know this also.

Women invent stuff all the time. Maybe you blokes just don't notice it because we don't invent useless stuff.

Re the idea of men only being resonsible for lowering the mortality rate. The nurses and midwives and female biologists I know would not agree with this.

The "triumphant spirit" is some thing Western historians need to reintroduce. The current malaise that permeates Western societies can, to an extent, be put down to the pessemstic view of our history we are now taught. In extreme circle, particularly amongst certain Humanities academics, Western history is nothing but imperialism, sexism, classism, and a plethora of other supposed nasties. It's little wonder that people have a self-loathing view of themselves if they are taught thier their own history is nothing but oppression. To rectify this, the positives of Western history need to be taught; from its great thinkers through to its great inventors. Not only should they just be taught, but they should be glorified; hoisted up into a position that believes it carries the beacon of light for civilization forward. Currently, the West is its own worst enemy, because it allows white-ants to undermine everything it has done, even all the positives. One must remember, all history is a concoction of myth and truth. Therefore, why create the myth that we Westerners are evil incarnate when we can create one that glorifies our achievements?

I hardly know where to start to respond to your comment Aristocrat. I think the triumphalism comes from inferiority.

From the time of the Greeks copying the Egyptians and Romans copying the Greeks there is a long history of the West feeling inferior to the East. This story hasn't been written so far as I know.

Before the gold extracted by Spain from South America much of European manufactures were hopeless compared with what was produced by the East. Though the philosophy at some stages was fantastic. And the Western Enlightenment's discovery of the ethically responsible individual (despite all the problems it has bequeathed us) is a remarkable achievement I think.

Molydukes
Women have rarely invented anything, and that is historic fact. Some have gone into politics, and found that there isn’t much they can do.

To do something, they have to raise taxes. If they increase taxes, people complain. If they spend too much taxpayer funding, inflation increases etc.

So describing such women as having a male brain is just feminist bigotry.

Aristocrat
“particularly amongst certain Humanities academics, Western history is nothing but imperialism, sexism, classism, and a plethora of other supposed nasties.”

I would agree, but you missed out racism, where evil white Australian male stole the land from the Aboriginies, and now won’t allow refugees into the country, and so on.

Who would want to listen to how bad they are, and how awful they are, and how evil they are.

No wonder the young have minimal interest in being taught history in this way.

Sucks to be you Vanna. It must be just awful knowing that you are right and others refuse to see it. Somebody will pray for you I am sure.