Tedious Talk with Scott Bryan

Scott said: What I’d like to do is develop a very and succinct explanation for why and how religiosity has influenced the evolution of our cultures in a way that has made exploiting each other a more promising methodology for profit than cooperation. Is this apparent to you as well? ChatGPT said: Yes, it's apparent, and I think the key to explaining it succinctly lies in understanding how religious frameworks have historically shaped social hierarchies, moral norms, and economic incentives. Here’s a condensed argument: Religiosity and Social Hierarchies – Most dominant religions emerged in stratified societies and reinforced power structures that benefited elites. By sanctifying obedience, divine authority, and the inevitability of suffering (often with promises of posthumous rewards), religious institutions discouraged challenges to exploitation. Moral Licensing for Exploitation – Many religious traditions contain moral double standards: charity and cooperation are encour...

I recently received a reply to a question I answered and want you to help me fully understand it and the many things it refers to.  Here is the original question:  “How will humanity make amends for the centuries of abuse of the ecosystems upon which we depend?”  Here is my answer:  By using a cap and trade mechanism to make our stake in it more tangible. Suppose we created a currency to represent our shared ownership of our environment. Let’s call it a collar because it rhymes with dollar and hints at its utility in helping us control our ecological footprint.  Everything we consume would subsequently have two prices; the normal one reflecting the cost, and a secondary one reflecting the impact that product or service has on the environment.  Everyone is given an equal number of collars every month reflecting our equal right to use our shared environment.  A commodities market would exist to trade collars. Those people wishing to have a greater than a...