allensmitheeuk (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

HmH..I agree w/ your sentiment. R Heinlein in his "Notebk of Lazarus Long" put it most aptly: "Never appeal to a mans better nature. He may not have one. Invoking his 'self—interest' gives you more leverage." and "If tempted by something that feels 'altruistic' examine your motives and root out that self-deception. Then, if you still want to do it, wallow in it!" Brono was a very realistic humanist. I wish his bks and TAoM had a wider audience than our better schools. Wish had>500:)

HmHBrennen (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

You are right. My apologies, I was projecting there.I'll correct myself. I wish a majority of people were dominated by empathy. I wish people were guided with a little more fore site and humanity, pulling away from fundamentalism.And your points are apt. Thank you for setting me straight. But I like to think that basic humanity is being weighed along side the economic. But there I go again. I can always hope & dream. : )And yes, Bronowski was a very wise man.Peace

allensmitheeuk (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

HmH..I think you are wrong about the "majority of people guided by empathy." Peer Pressure and Self-Interest are the stronger force over Empathy.We don't nuke because of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) game theory postulate. This is why WMD in hands of a wealth materalist are less dangerous than in the hands of a poor theocrat. This is why an Iranian nuke is such a threat. Their hate for the Jew/West + mythical virgin reward,ect. = destruction beyond (my) imagination. Brono was wise man.

HmHBrennen (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

This was pointed at obiwanceleri.The second point he made about morality being dictated by how people perceive us is a huge understatement. Some might be guided that way, but a majority of people are guided by empathy. We don't 'nuke irak' because that would be inhumane.If the only reason you don't do bad things because you are worried about how your neighbors might think about you, then 'I beseech you in the bowels of Christ' rethink your system of belief.

HmHBrennen (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

You are right. It is dangerous to take a bias perspective on any historical event. But the Nazis took very detailed records. For heavens sake they built one of the first punch card databases to keep track of everything. That is un-bias, simple, plain evidence that the holocaust happened. Period.

Efrasnel (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Strange th

obiwanceleri (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

I will not be popular for this but it is naive (and dangerous) to read wars using only the victor's interpretation (read propaganda). The truth of the matter is that we, as a species, have barely evolved - many still have the finger on the red button and would gladly nuke Iran, Irak or whatever. And what's stopping "us" is not any sort of moral fiber - it's the fear of being judged negatively by our peers... hopefully I'm wrong ...

Dragonrdh (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Bronowski was a brilliant lecturer. I first viewed this super series when I was 14, and I always wished I could attend his lectures. Thanks for sharing this with us.

RonCDeWeijze (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Thank you for posting this. He is one of the finest teachers I ever had. Even only on tv.Ron C. de WeijzeAmsterdam, Netherlands

juzzers312 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

my nan was in the war and so was my grandad n they sed it happened, ewvery 1 knows it happened