Habits of the Heart?

Tocqueville meant that "habits of the heart" prevented "soft despotism" from appearing in the US.

It is in my opinion a force acting on society right now that has potentiated the development of soft despotism. A very important factor might be which societies are most resistant. Unfortunately I don't believe that the Palmeian social democracy was particularly resistant with its notorious wardship mentality from my own experience. Mona Sahlin said herself that she is the sole heiress of the Swedish model yesterday.

Could "habits of the heart" be the key to what has been called American exceptionalism? It is my sincere hope that the Americans have organized themself differently than the Swedes and thus are more in control of their future. Therefore I want to believe in American exceptionalism.

Tocqueville thought people have to be religious in order for society to function well. Heart rather than mind. In America the contemporary Ralph Waldo Emerson gave up his career as priest. It is interesting to note that the country that is most successful in science is to 50% composed of believers in creation according to the Bible and relatively few scientists where most do not believe in a personal God. Tolerance might be the explanation since creationists allow science to take place and only require that information of the creation should be taught along the evolution theory. As long a science is also useful there should be no problems.

Just finished watching a program devoted to the effects on society after the Reformation in Europe. Francis Collins, the leader of the Human Genome Project and perhaps the future leader of the NIH, was interviewed in the program and said that we didn't do much progress because the 50% creationists mentioned do not seem to be wanting to change their mind. My feeling is that we are talking of two populations of people that have to learn to coexist. We cannot make all religious or all secular.

The distant future might tell if it is good with a mix of people that are religious and secular. It seems that we have reached a maximum of secularism on Earth because the fraction of religious people will increase in the near future, mainly due to the conversion of the Chinese population. I have not seen any predictions, however, on how the secularism will develop in the Western civilization.

Some people argue that it is necessary to remove religion to get rid of wars. As I argued this might be changing too much in the human brain function for it to be possible within a foreseeable future, should it be correct.

I would like to make one clarification on a benefit of my image of God as Nature. It solves the problem of lack of information on how life, i.e., the first cell, evolved on Earth. Yes, it is not known, and a major problem for the evolution theory. However, if God is Nature there is no problem.