On Politics History and Ideology

<p>The four books in my <em>Wanderings </em>series contain many essays on politicized topics. I decided to collect them in one place arranged by related subjects covering most of the big issues of today: racism climate change abortion inequality heredity nationalism patriotism. I call it Politics based on an unusual definition attributed to the late Christopher Boehm formerly the Director of the Jane Goodall Research Center. I would clarify it by adding attainable before directions and rational before arguments making it less Utopian but also more aspirational. It seems silly to do more than dream about societies that can never exist; and we can at least hope for rational argument. I believe that these essays meet both criteria. </p><p class=ql-align-center><br></p><p class=ql-align-center><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>[T]he essence of politics: </span></p><p class=ql-align-center><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>the ability to reflect consciously </span></p><p class=ql-align-center><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>on different directions one's society could take </span></p><p class=ql-align-center><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>and to make explicit arguments why </span></p><p class=ql-align-center><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>it should take one path rather than another.</span></p><p class=ql-align-center><br></p><p class=ql-align-center><br></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>In May 2023 I became concerned again that I would run out of time and frankly was feeling worn out. So I wrapped up my writing projects and published them. Then during that summer I resumed reading then writing. The master of the book </span><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Politics</em><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> became longer as I revised and expanded it. It seems one cannot discuss politics without considering history and ideologgy. And I felt the original title was now too narrow. Thus I added to the title as well.</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>With a subsequent (modest) burst of renewed energy I continued reading then writing producing my fifth set of essays in my </span><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Wanderings</em><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> series which I titled </span><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Disappointments</em><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>. About half of the essays involved scientific issues. So I revised supplemented and repackaged them into a new volume as a second addendum to </span><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Important Things We Don't Know</em><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> entitled </span><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Life etc</em><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>. Much of the remainder seemed to be useful additions to </span><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Politics History and Ideology</em><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>. </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>While adding that material I decided on a substantial restructuring. The essays consisting essentially of book reviews (really critiques) have been moved to the back. I think that this change makes it much easier to follow the themes of the book and for anyone interested to find my comments on particular books. </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Here is the new new expanded edition with a slightly modified title. </span></p><p><br></p>