Publications of Group Members Relevant to Ethical or Political Philosophy > Likes and Comments

he observations presented resonate with the core ideas explored in my book Global Disorder. The contrasting perspectives of engineers and scientists on the New Deal, as well as Stiglitz's critique of neoclassical economics, both highlight a fundamental challenge in modern governance and economics: the need for frameworks that combine empirical rigor with practical adaptability, free from ideological rigidity.

From a technomeritocratic standpoint, the skepticism of engineers reflects a methodical, problem-solving mindset, while the openness of scientists to experimental approaches underlines the value of evidence-based adaptability. Both perspectives are essential, but the real issue lies in the governance systems overseeing these initiatives. Traditional economic models often fail because they are either rooted in dogmatic theories, as Stiglitz critiques, or are implemented within systems biased by emotional, ideological, or vested interests.

Technomeritocracy proposes a paradigm shift: leveraging artificial intelligence to analyze complex societal needs and implement policies based on measurable outcomes, rather than abstract theories or ideological leanings. Unlike totalitarian systems, which suppress dissent and prioritize the interests of a select few, technomeritocracy is built on transparency, inclusivity, and accountability. It relies on AI not as an authoritarian tool but as an impartial advisor, devoid of human biases and capable of integrating diverse perspectives into actionable strategies.

For instance, while the New Deal was innovative for its time, a technomeritocratic system could enhance such policies by continuously assessing their impact in real time, ensuring equitable distribution of resources, and minimizing unintended consequences. Similarly, in addressing Stiglitz's critique, technomeritocracy could transcend the limitations of neoliberal economics by focusing on sustainable growth that prioritizes societal well-being alongside market efficiency.

In conclusion, while engineers and scientists represent valuable but partial perspectives, a technomeritocratic approach aims to synthesize their strengths—precision, adaptability, and evidence-based decision-making—into a unified model that fosters a just and sustainable society.

Alan wrote: "Ian wrote: "A report I have never managed to verify claimed that a poll in the 1930s showed that engineers tended to be skeptical of or flatly opposed to the New Deal, whereas scientists tended to ..."

The observations presented resonate with the core ideas explored in my book Global Disorder. The contrasting perspectives of engineers and scientists on the New Deal, as well as Stiglitz's critique of neoclassical economics, both highlight a fundamental challenge in modern governance and economics: the need for frameworks that combine empirical rigor with practical adaptability, free from ideological rigidity.

From a technomeritocratic standpoint, the skepticism of engineers reflects a methodical, problem-solving mindset, while the openness of scientists to experimental approaches underlines the value of evidence-based adaptability. Both perspectives are essential, but the real issue lies in the governance systems overseeing these initiatives. Traditional economic models often fail because they are either rooted in dogmatic theories, as Stiglitz critiques, or are implemented within systems biased by emotional, ideological, or vested interests.

Technomeritocracy proposes a paradigm shift: leveraging artificial intelligence to analyze complex societal needs and implement policies based on measurable outcomes, rather than abstract theories or ideological leanings. Unlike totalitarian systems, which suppress dissent and prioritize the interests of a select few, technomeritocracy is built on transparency, inclusivity, and accountability. It relies on AI not as an authoritarian tool but as an impartial advisor, devoid of human biases and capable of integrating diverse perspectives into actionable strategies.

For instance, while the New Deal was innovative for its time, a technomeritocratic system could enhance such policies by continuously assessing their impact in real time, ensuring equitable distribution of resources, and minimizing unintended consequences. Similarly, in addressing Stiglitz's critique, technomeritocracy could transcend the limitations of neoliberal economics by focusing on sustainable growth that prioritizes societal well-being alongside market efficiency.

In conclusion, while engineers and scientists represent valuable but partial perspectives, a technomeritocratic approach aims to synthesize their strengths—precision, adaptability, and evidence-based decision-making—into a unified model that fosters a just and sustainable society.

NOTICE REGARDING REASON AND HUMAN ETHICS by ALAN E. JOHNSON

This book is available in both Kindle and paperback editions at https://www.amazon.com/Reason-Human-E.... An exact PDF replica of the paperback edition is also freely accessible and downloadable at https://www.academia.edu/107899091/Re....

The errata and supplemental comment for this book can be accessed at https://www.academia.edu/88227217/Err.... All of these errata have been corrected in paperbacks printed after December 19, 2024. (I use a print-on-demand service, wherein such corrections can be easily accomplished). However, except as noted, the errata have not been corrected in the Kindle edition, which is more difficult and expensive to update. That said, these errata (typos) are quite minor and probably would not even be noticeable by most readers.

Alan E. Johnson
Independent Philosopher, Historian, Political Scientist, and Legal Scholar

However, it remains a historical and widespread mistake to allow issues tied to emotions, feelings, and personal perceptions to serve as guiding principles for governing nations, transforming them into fundamental pillars of existence and survival. This confusion often leads people to abandon reasoning based on logic, common sense, and critical thinking. Over time, such an approach fosters social divisions and conflicts, as emotional frameworks vary greatly among individuals, frequently spawning competing ideologies rooted in subjective experiences.

I have deleted all but one of the posts filed in this topic on January 15, 2025, US Eastern Standard Time, for noncompliance with the cross-reference rules in posts 45–46 (July 23, 2022) (https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...) of the Rules and Housekeeping topic of this Goodreads group.

These posts also have extremely tenuous relevance to the subject matter of this Goodreads group: see the relevancy rules in posts 1, 3–4, 6, 8, 14–16, and 23–26 (various dates) in the Rules and Housekeeping topic regarding relevancy to the subject matter of the “Political Philosophy and Ethics" group.

As I have repeatedly stated, each poster is expected to read and comply with the rules set forth in the Rules and Housekeeping topic before posting any comment.

Alan E. Johnson
Founding Moderator of “Political Philosophy and Ethics” Goodreads group

PRICE REDUCTION OF KINDLE EDITION OF THE FIRST AMERICAN FOUNDER: ROGER WILLIAMS AND FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE BY ALAN E. JOHNSON

I have reduced the price of the Kindle edition of my book The First American Founder: Roger Williams and Freedom of Conscience from $9.99 USD to $2.99 USD. Because the print length is 643 pages, I cannot reduce the paperback price below its present value on Amazon.com of $22.95 USD. I have reduced the Kindle price in order to make it more affordable to those interested in its contents. A detailed description of the book is on the Amazon.com site (https://www.amazon.com/First-American...). See also my online essay “Roger Williams: A Rhode Island and American Founder” at https://www.academia.edu/22490129/Rog.... Both the table of contents and the endnotes are hyperlinked in this Kindle edition.

Alan E. Johnson
Independent Philosopher, Historian, Political Scientist, and Legal Scholar

(edited March 12, 2025)

Thank you very much. I have been squeezing pennies and this helps. (The more so as I have just had to replace my aging phone.)

Hence spending hours looking for free or sharply reduced Kindle books of interest. Information on which I have passed on when and where appropriate on Goodreads — for example, I don’t know of a thread for books on the history of Chinese medicine, a couple of which I have picked up along the way.

PRICE REDUCTION OF KINDLE EDITION OF REASON AND HUMAN ETHICS BY ALAN E. JOHNSON

I have reduced the price of the Kindle edition of my book Reason and Human Ethics from $9.95 USD to $2.99 USD (the lowest price that Amazon will permit me to charge for the Kindle edition). The Amazon.com paperback price is $12.95 USD (261 pages). I have reduced the Kindle price in order to make it more affordable to those interested in its contents. A detailed description of the book is on the Amazon.com site (https://www.amazon.com/Reason-Human-E...). This book is also freely accessible and downloadable in PDF at https://www.academia.edu/107899091/Re...). However, the PDF does not hyperlink the table of contents and the endnotes, whereas the Kindle edition does contain such hyperlinks.

Alan E. Johnson
Independent Philosopher, Historian, Political Scientist, and Legal Scholar

PRICE REDUCTION OF KINDLE EDITION OF FREE WILL AND HUMAN LIFE BY ALAN E. JOHNSON

I have reduced the price of the Kindle edition of my book Free Will and Human Life from $9.95 USD to $2.99 USD (the lowest price that Amazon will permit me to charge for the Kindle edition). The Amazon.com paperback price is $12.95 USD (160 pages). I have reduced the Kindle price in order to make it more affordable to those interested in its contents. A detailed description of the book is on the Amazon.com site (https://www.amazon.com/Free-Will-Huma...). This book is also freely accessible and downloadable in PDF at https://www.academia.edu/108171849/Al.... However, the PDF does not hyperlink the table of contents and the endnotes, whereas the Kindle edition does contain such hyperlinks.

Alan E. Johnson
Independent Philosopher, Historian, Political Scientist, and Legal Scholar

FURTHER PRICE REDUCTION OF KINDLE EDITION OF THE FIRST AMERICAN FOUNDER: ROGER WILLIAMS AND FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE BY ALAN E. JOHNSON

Today, I have further reduced the price of the Kindle edition of my book The First American Founder: Roger Williams and Freedom of Conscience to $2.99 USD (the lowest price that Amazon.com will allow me to charge). I have reduced the Kindle price in order to make it more affordable to those interested in its contents. A detailed description of the book is on the Amazon.com site (https://www.amazon.com/First-American...). See also my online essay “Roger Williams: A Rhode Island and American Founder” at https://www.academia.edu/22490129/Rog.... Both the table of contents and the endnotes are hyperlinked in this Kindle edition.

The following is an excerpt from the Amazon.com description of this book:

This is the story of the dramatic life, thought, and work of a man [Roger Williams (ca. 1603–83) ] who refused to accept the conventional wisdom of his time and who forged a new way of thinking that came to characterize the best in the American tradition. Born and raised in England, Williams knew or otherwise personally encountered—during his youth or in later return visits—some of the greatest figures of English history: Sir Edward Coke, Sir Francis Bacon, King James I, the young man who became King Charles I, John Milton, Oliver Cromwell. In contrast to such famous contemporaries, Williams persistently argued, publicly and unambiguously, for complete liberty of conscience and a wall of separation between church and state—both for America and for Europe. At a time when most of the governments in Europe and America promulgated some form of established religion that persecuted religious dissenters, Williams founded a polity that was explicitly based on the principles and values of what became, more than 150 years later, the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

This book also discusses the history of church-state separation and freedom of conscience up to the present time, including the various challenges to these principles throughout European and American history.

Roger Williams was a Protestant minister, but (contrary to conventional wisdom) he argued for church-state separation and freedom of conscience on secular, as well as religious, grounds.

Alan E. Johnson
Independent Philosopher, Historian, Political Scientist, and Legal Scholar

PDF OF “THE FIRST AMERICAN FOUNDER: ROGER WILLIAMS AND FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE” BY ALAN E. JOHNSON

I have posted a PDF replica of the paperback edition of “The First American Founder: Roger Williams and Freedom of Conscience” by Alan E. Johnson at https://www.academia.edu/13797615/Ala.... This book is also available on Amazon.com in Kindle ebook ($2.99) and paperback ($22.95) editions. The PDF does not support toggling between the endnote references in the text and the endnotes themselves, as does the Kindle edition.

This book is about Roger Williams (ca. 1603-83), who was banished from the colony of Massachusetts Bay for advocating freedom of conscience, separation of church and state, Native American rights, and related matters. He founded the town of Providence in what became Rhode Island on the basis of full liberty of conscience and complete separation of religion and government.

For Errata and Supplemental Comments, see the separate document uploaded at https://www.academia.edu/34149040/Err....

REASON AND HUMAN GOVERNMENT

My latest book, Reason and Human Government, is now available in PDF at https://www.academia.edu/145862733/Re.... It will also soon be available in paperback and Kindle editions on Amazon.

This is a work of political philosophy. Political philosophy is, in my view, the search for knowledge, as distinguished from opinion, regarding the nature of human government. Chapter 1 addresses the fundamental questions of what government is, its consistency with human ethics, and its necessity and desirability for human life as we know it. Chapter 2 proceeds with a discussion of governmental recognition and protection of individual rights. Chapter 3 considers the legitimate affirmative powers of government. Chapter 4 delineates and evaluates different forms of government, both philosophical and historical. Chapter 5 is a case study of political leadership in the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. An epilogue states overall conclusions of this work. The appendix provides an account of the historical background of the Cuban Missile Crisis, including the Marxist roots of international Communism, the 1917 Bolshevik revolution in Russia, the historical development of the Marxist-Leninist regime in the Soviet Union, Fidel Castro’s successful 1959 revolution in Cuba, and the US-instigated 1961 invasion at the Bay of Pigs in Cuba.

AMAZON AVAILABILITY OF REASON AND HUMAN GOVERNMENT

Following up on my preceding post, my book Reason and Human Government is now available in Kindle ($2.99 USD) and paperback ($12.95 USD) editions at Amazon.com (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GHF2TLVJ/...) and other Amazon sites throughout the world. It is also freely viewable and downloadable in PDF at https://www.academia.edu/145862733/Al...,

ERRATA TO REASON AND HUMAN GOVERNMENT

I have posted errata to Reason and Human Government at https://www.academia.edu/161258359/ER....

AI DID NOT GENERATE REASON AND HUMAN GOVERNMENT

On February 8, 2026, someone posted this question to me about my book Reason and Human Government on Academia.edu (https://www.academia.edu/community/VX... “Is this written by a human or generated by AI?”

I responded as follows:

Thank you for reading this PDF of Reason and Human Government (Academia.edu says you read 279 pages of it). As a preface to my answer to your question, I call your attention to my following statement on page vii of the book: “The present third book of this philosophical trilogy addresses difficult questions of political philosophy. I have been studying and thinking about political philosophy since the 1960s. Some of my tentative views on aspects of this subject have changed a number of times over the decades. This book represents my final conclusions. With regard to questions about which I still entertain doubts, I adumbrate the major alternatives and cite references on all sides of the issues for the reader’s further study and reflection. There are, however, important matters about which my views are sufficiently formed and ready for presentation to the public. This is why I have written this book and why it has taken me so long to complete it.” See also the detailed endnotes from pages 218 to 251 as well as the selected bibliography on pages 252 to 263. AI, for all its advances, could not possibly have written this book. I have literally spent almost all of my life researching, thinking about, and writing about the issues of which this book is the final reflection. (See the long history of my writings, going back to 1967, on subjects relevant to Reason and Human Government as reproduced on Academia.edu and linked on my Academia.edu profile page.) I commenced the actual writing of Reason and Human Government in 2022, after the completion of my book Reason and Human Ethics. For how the three books of my philosophical trilogy are interrelated, see pages vi-ix of Reason and Human Government. I published the first book—Free Will and Human Life—of this trilogy in 2021. Thus, the first two books of the trilogy were published before generative AI was widely available.

Accordingly, I did NOT use GENERATIVE AI to create any portion of Reason and Human Government. Microsoft Copilot AI first became publicly available on February 7, 2023. Draftsmith first became publicly available on December 6, 2023. PerfectIt, an editing tool, became available earlier, but PerfectIt explicitly states that it does not have a generative AI capability. Draftsmith is also an editing tool. After Copilot became publicly available, I sometimes used it as a search engine (comparable to Google Search and Bing) to locate primary and secondary sources that would otherwise have taken me much longer to find. This is analogous to traditional research. In fact, during my years as a practicing attorney (1979-2012), I used LEXIS and Westlaw in a similar manner, and it would have been professional malpractice not to have done so.

I independently published Reason and Human Government and my earlier books under my own publishing imprint, Philosophia Publications. As such, I did not have access to an editor in a traditional publishing company. I have developed my writing style over many decades (again, see my many publications on Academia.edu). Occasionally, however, I find I have written an infelicitously worded sentence, and, of course, typographical errors also occur. In order to see alternative ways of expressing some thoughts and to correct typographical errors, I sometimes consulted PerfectIt, Wordsmith, and Copilot in the later stages of writing Reason and Human Government. I rejected, however, about 99 percent of their suggestions, preferring my own original formulations. Indeed, Wordsmith is based on British grammar, spelling, and punctuation, whereas I follow the Chicago Manual of Style , the standard in US scholarship. The revisions in Reason and Human Government attributable to editing suggestions from these sources constitute much less than 1 percent of the book. If I had used an editor in a traditional publishing house, I’m sure I would have spent untold hours arguing with them over stylistic issues. Having developed my writing style over more than six decades, I am too independent and stubborn to let a publishing company dictate how my book could be written.

The foregoing should answer your question. Again, thank you for reading my book.

UPDATED EDITIONS OF MY PHILOSOPHICAL TRILOGY

The paperback editions of my books are produced on a print-on-demand basis by Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) division. Accordingly, it is possible for me to correct errata and make minor edits on a continuing basis without constituting a revised or new edition.

During the last few days, I have posted updated paperback editions of my philosophical trilogy ( Free Will and Human Life, Reason and Human Ethics, and Reason and Human Government) on the KDP platform. The updated paperbacks are now available on Amazon.com (and will be available, sooner or later, on other Amazon sites throughout the world). I have also updated the PDFs of these books, which are freely viewable and downloadable on my Academia.edu profile page (https://chicago.academia.edu/AlanJohnson).

As I lack the technical proficiency and equipment to produce Kindle editions of my books, I have to farm out preparation of them to outside contractors. As of today, my outside contractors for the Kindle editions of my books are working on the updated Kindle versions of my philosophical trilogy. The updated Kindle ebooks should be available on Amazon within the next week or two. I will supplement the present notice when that event occurs.

Members of this group may be interested in reviewing the subject of my book, recently published on Amazon. The book is titled: “THE UNIFINSHED HUMAN EVOLUTION; From Struggle for Survival to Struggle for Coexistence”. Its central theme emanates from a biological perspective to promote universal human rights, genuine basic human equality and shared responsibility towards long-term species preservation via struggle for peaceful coexistence.

Rawhi wrote: "Members of this group may be interested in reviewing the subject of my book, recently published on Amazon. The book is titled: “THE UNIFINSHED HUMAN EVOLUTION; From Struggle for Survival to Struggl..."

Your book looks interesting, and I have downloaded it on Kindle. I will read it when I can (I have many books already lined up in my reading queue).

THE RATIONAL BASIS OF HUMAN ETHICS

I have posted my July 7, 2026 essay “The Rational Basis of Human Ethics” at https://www.academia.edu/169822658/Th.... Although it is only fifteen pages (plus one paragraph) in length, it took me sixty-five years of study, experience, and reflection to write. The essay is a distillation of the most important points in my books and includes, among other things, extracts from my last two books, Reason and Human Ethics (2022) and Reason and Human Government (2026).

The opening paragraph of the essay articulates the questions it considers:

This essay addresses important questions regarding human ethics. Do we possess free will to develop and implement our ethical perspectives, or are all our thoughts and actions predetermined? Are human ethical judgments merely relative to particular cultures or historical epochs, or are there universal ethical truths? What is the basis of human ethics: religion, tradition, emotion, a categorical imperative, utilitarianism, reason? What do we mean by reason? Is human reason only instrumental, or can it also be employed to identify ethical and political objectives? What ethical considerations pertain to us as individuals? What ethical principles underlie social ethics, citizen ethics, and political ethics?

GUIDE TO BOOKS AUTHORED BY ALAN E. JOHNSON

Since my retirement from law practice in 2012, I have written and independently published five books relating to ethical and political philosophy. At my advanced age, I do not intend to write any more books, though I will continue to write essays and book reviews.

The following, in chronological order, is a list of these books with links to their internet locations (the hyperlinks are to their Goodreads pages). Each of these books is available in paperback and Kindle ebook editions on Amazon.com and other Amazon sites throughout the world. The Amazon pages contain descriptions and reviews of each book. Paperbacks (but not ebook editions) are also available at some other online bookstores. Each book can also be viewed and downloaded in PDF at no cost on my Academia.edu profile page (https://chicago.academia.edu/AlanJohnson) and on Internet Archive.

1. Alan E. Johnson, The First American Founder: Roger Williams and Freedom of Conscience. Philosophia Publications, 2015. 662 pages.
Amazon.com (Kindle: $2.99; paperback: $22.95): https://www.amazon.com/First-American....
PDFs (no charge): Academia.edu: https://www.academia.edu/13797615/Ala... Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/faf-poste....
Errata and Supplemental Comments: https://www.academia.edu/34149040/Err....

2. Alan E. Johnson, The Electoral College: Failures of Original Intent and Proposed Constitutional and Statutory Changes For Direct Popular Vote, 2nd ed. Philosophia Publications, 2021. 347 pages.
Amazon.com (Kindle: $2.99; paperback: $14.95): https://www.amazon.com/Electoral-Coll....
PDFs (no charge): Academia.edu: https://www.academia.edu/164700672/Al... Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/ec-2-ia-u....
Errata and Supplemental Comments: https://www.academia.edu/46094865/Sup....

The following are the three books of my philosophical trilogy, Philosophy and Human Life:

3. Alan E. Johnson, Free Will and Human Life. Philosophia Publications, 2021. 160 pages.
Amazon.com (Kindle: $2.99; paperback: $12.95): https://www.amazon.com/Free-Will-Huma....
PDFs (no charge): Academia.edu: https://www.academia.edu/108171849/Al... Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/2026.06.1....
Errata and Supplemental Comments: https://www.academia.edu/169181116/Er....

4. Alan E. Johnson, Reason and Human Ethics. Philosophia Publications, 2022. 261 pages.
Amazon.com (Kindle: $2.99; paperback: $12.95; audiobook: $3.99): https://www.amazon.com/Reason-Human-E....
PDFs (no charge): Academia.edu: https://www.academia.edu/107899091/Al... Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/rhe-w-cov....
Errata and Supplemental Comments: https://www.academia.edu/88227217/Err....

5. Alan E. Johnson, Reason and Human Government. Philosophia Publications, 2026. 278 pages.
Amazon.com (Kindle: $2.99; paperback: $12.95): https://www.amazon.com/Reason-Human-G....
PDFs (no charge): Academia.edu: https://www.academia.edu/145862733/Al... Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/2026.06.1....
Errata: https://www.academia.edu/161258359/Er....

Alan E. Johnson
Independent Philosopher, Historian, Political Scientist, and Legal Scholar

(revised July 13, 2026)