Environmental Ethics
and Public Policy
Ernest Partridge, Ph.D
www.igc.org/gadfly

 

NOTES FROM THE BRINK

Contents

"Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it."

George Santayanna

Much that passes as idealism is disguised hatred or disguised love of power. When you see large masses of men swayed by what appear to be noble motives, it is well to look below the surface and ask yourself what it is that makes these motives effective. . .

The main thing needed to make the world happy is intelligence. And this, after all is an optimistic conclusion, because intelligence is a thing that can be fostered by known methods of education.

Bertrand Russell

Two of these pieces, and portions of the others, were written before the Berlin Wall came down.  And then, with the Cold War presumably "over," we put these aside.  We devoutly hoped that they would be forever outdated, as humanity marched confidently toward its "New World Order."

To our great regret, we find that these are still timely.  Albert Einstein's observation, alas, is vindicated:  "The unleashed power of the atom has changed everything save our modes of thinking and we thus drift toward unparalleled catastrophe."

Plus ça change, plus la même chose.

The overthrow of Soviet Communism gave the world powers a brief season in which to reflect and devise an intelligent means of establishing peace among themselves and with their sustaining natural environment.  That season is drawing to a close as the old "modes of thinking" percolate up into the thought and policies of world leaders.  Now, as then, we are most astonished at the plain foolishness of it all.

There seems to be nothing to do about it except complain.  As we used to say some twenty years ago, and hoped we never would say again, "if someone has booked passage for me on the Titanic, at least I can choose to go down with a bailing can in my hand." (2001)

Introduction:  A Bailing Can on the Titanic (2001)

Toward a Truce with the Earth. (1989)

SDI: The National Sanity Test  (1988)

If Peace Were at Hand, How Would We Know It? (1989)

Strategic Defense -- It's BAAACK! (2000)

Nuclear Doctrine, Rationality  and the Moral Point of View (1986)

I.      Rationality

II.    The Moral Point of View

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Armageddon.  (1996)

Andrei Sakharov and Edward Teller: Two Ethical Profiles. (1996)

Remembering Who We Are.  (1995)

 

 

 

Dr. Ernest Partridge is a consultant, writer and lecturer in the field of Environmental Ethics and Public Policy. He has taught Philosophy at the University of California, and in Utah, Colorado and Wisconsin. He publishes the website, "The Online Gadfly" (www.igc.org/gadfly) and co-edits the progressive website, "The Crisis Papers" (www.crisispapers.org).
Ernest Partridge's Scholarly Publications.
Ernest Partridge's Internet Publications.
Conscience of a Progressive:  A book in progress. 
 
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