Reflection on Righteousness and Opinions on Taxes

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Reflect on the righteousness of your actions and consider the impact on others, whether it's the small creatures like the one ounce mouse or the trees cut down for construction. Take a moment to analyze your urges and postures in life to determine how righteous they truly are. Some topics, like taxes, may not have a clear opinion, as evidenced by the author's contemplation on wealth and poverty. Despite having valuable nuggets, the chapter on wealth and poverty was cut due to insufficient justification. The author also introduces the perspective of an alien observer to provide an unbiased assessment of human conduct.

Shermer and Tyson discuss: why he decided to write about social, cultural, and political issues now • conflict and resolution in science and society • moral progress in society and why it happens • meatarians and vegetarians • race and gender • law and order • the principle of interchangeable perspectives • conflicting rights and how to resolve them • Rationalia (Neil’s hypothetical country whose laws are based on rationality) • life and death • how long Neil would like to live • the meaning in life.

Neil deGrasse Tyson is an astrophysicist and the author of the #1 bestselling Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, among other books. He is the director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History, where he has served since 1996. Dr. Tyson is also the host and cofounder of the Emmy-nominated popular podcast StarTalk and its spinoff StarTalk Sports Edition, which combine science, humor, and pop culture. He is a recipient of 21 honorary doctorates, the Public Welfare Medal from the National Academy of Sciences, and the Distinguished Public Service Medal from NASA. Asteroid 13123 Tyson is named in his honor. He lives in New York City.