Money and Bullsh*t

In America – and especially in Texas – there is a widespread saying, “Money talks, bullsh*t walks.” It occurs to me that this saying is not nearly as wise as it considers itself to be.

Most of the money that is made comes from technology, which is based on science, which is itself based on philosophy. Since most of these people see philosophy as bullsh*t – and some even see science as such – according to their own logic money is based on bullsh*t.

The aggressive disrespect that many afford to intellectual and artistic pursuits does more than harm the people who are involved in these pursuits, or the people who have value for them. It also hurts the rest of the civilization by denying them the benefits of many significant contributions.

I am not against money, and I am not against business. I am however against ignorance and ingratitude; and this is what we see here. If there had been no science, or philosophy, or the arts, the “money talks bullsh*t walks” people would have nothing to sell except basic commodities. It is science – itself an outgrowth of philosophy – that makes possible technologically driven prosperity; and without it capitalism would be nothing more than exchange of basic goods as it was in the Medieval Persia.

Without science there would be no technology; and without philosophy there would be no science. Which means that philosophy is the true root of everything that people have. There needs to be respect for philosophy, science and arts for that reason. For most of human history, people did not have much in the way of money; and had it not been for the enlightenment philosophy and science that was its outgrowth, people would still be living to age 30 and having none of the conveniences and the liberties that they have.