Admittedly, entitling this as a "Books" page is a bit presumptuous because Ethical Empowerment: Virtue Beyond the Paradigms is my first published book! But only a bit, I say, because there will be new listings upcoming. The reason for this page, in addition to some additional commentary on Ethical Empowerment, is to share with the reader some of my ideas and plans for future books. And also to bring into the discussion my blog, Philosophic Perspecetives which is a continuing discussion not only of particular topics addressed in the book but also contemporary issues viewed from the perspective of a love-based ethics that seeks to escape the all too common hypnotic, knee-jerk responses of which we are all too prone. 

My future books will develop further ideas expressed in Ethical Empowerment both in terms of the substance of the ideas it contains as well as their form of expression. While Ethical Empowerment was 13 years in the making, my next series will be shorter, indirect spin-offs. Longer works? We shall see! I may write on entirely new topics as well, but what follows here is a quick journey through the course of my recently completed book and what I currently see as offshoots worth pursuing.

I love the term 'empowerment' because its connotation blends the energy of 'power' with the holism and the beauty of self-developing and evolving individuals, our society and the greater human collectivity. Nietzsche, Spencer, even Ayn Rand—all discussed in Ethical Empowerment, regardless of your opinion of each philosopher, respectively, wrote about human greatness and the relationship between the individual and society. I would like to further envisage individuals who embody the power of love that is expressed energetically for the harmonic good of both individuals and their societies. And by celebrating great achievers who, in all walks of life, have positively impacted the world they will continue to teach us the ways of greatness.

I will develop my theory of the three "basic ethical dualisms" further, as well as the relationship between a) deterministic factors, b) the dialectical influence that is endemic to rational thinking in its collectivity, c) and free will. Yes, I believe in the existence of free will that, while limited, is critical to the course of history. And, yes, I would like to consider the course of history and engage in a reverie of reasonable speculation.

The claims of suppressed, hidden or forgotten technologies mesmerize my imagination. My attitude is born of a philosophic respect and ethical need to see that truth claims are fairly and objectively weighed and considered. I want to investigate this area in novel ways that, perhaps, might weigh on the mind of scientists who have good conscience—and courage enough to openly evaluate the claims made with respect to the credibility of inventors and others and, even, to make a genuine effort to test and confirm them, if possible.

Ethical Empowerment contains a radical proposal to bring back the gold standard in a form that is a fusion between conservativism and progressivism, in a system designed to stimulated economic growth as much as to create and maintain stability in the currency markets. The book also looks at the real estate system and revisits an old proposal of the nineteenth century (but even more radically), and that would work symmetrically with the monetary proposal. Both of these economic proposals are a sort of fusion between progressivism and libertarianism. And the entire book is an ode to the balancing between self-regarding and other-regarding interests, self-love and love for others, and the flourishing of the individual and of society.

I'm not shy in confessing that I am a sucker for conspiracy theories. But unless you are prepared to say that all conspiracy theories are wrong, then you will need to acknowledge that conspiracy theories play an important role in keeping society on its toes. With the current NSA scandal growing by the day, the public seems to be warming up to conspiracy theories (even if they were already mostly warmed). The reality is, that if any of the major conspiracy theories have significant elements of truth the failure to conscientiously pursue them would be very foolish and we could all—potentially, suffer the dire consequences had by fools. I am not a historian and I don't think I will write a book about a conspiracy theory (but I could be wrong), however, conspiracies are inextricably linked to the conception of human destiny and the forces that shape our collective future. And so, this merges with what I have said above about the course of human history and of my interest in speculating about it.

I have interwoven these topics and many others in Ethical Empowerment: Virtue Beyond the Paradigms. It is the soil that I have laid  from which I intend to harvest the sprouts of future books and writings beginning from this moment forward. I see this as my own personal destiny, which can only be found in thinking and doing, come what may.