

153. Rational Optimism | Matt Ridley
Pessimism and Information Source
- People are less pessimistic about their own lives than about larger entities.
- Information about personal life comes from experience, while information about the world comes from media.
Biological Basis of Morality
- Morality has biological origins, grounded in evolutionary history.
- The capacity to envision the future and the necessity of reciprocity drove the evolution of moral thinking.
Ancient Trade
- Trade predates agriculture; pre-agricultural people traded 100,000 years ago.
- Evidence: seashells moving inland in North Africa and stingray barbs traded for stone axes in Australia.








This episode was recorded on January 11, 2021.
Matt Ridley and I discuss, among other topics, economic optimism, trade through the reciprocity of nations, enlightened self-interest, virtues relation to trade, feeding nine billion people, the triumphs of cities, escape of Malthusian population trap, and more.
Matt Ridley is a British best-selling author (The Origins of Virtue, The Rational Optimist, How Innovation Works, and many more) who is best known for his writings on science, the environment, and economics. He is also a well-respected journalist, businessman, and member of The House of Lords in the United Kingdom.
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