It happened suddenly and without warning, at the New Hampshire vacation home of Antonin Roberts, a wealthy venture capitalist from suburban Boston who is considering running for public office. Yet, like Paul on the road to Damascus, I was recently confronted with a life-changing truth that has shattered my previous views of the world. True epiphanies are extremely rare, especially for secular humanists. The fictional piece below, while not advocating cannibalism, nevertheless applies Swift’s brand of disciplined rationalism to the economic challenges of modern society, showing that solutions are attainable if we are only willing to follow a path of logic. If the poor would sell their children to the rich as food, Swift argued, various economic problems would be solved. ” In the satirical piece, Swift made the modest proposal that the problem of poverty could be alleviated through a simple solution: cannibalism. Learn MoreĪuthor’s note: In 1729, Jonathan Swift published “ A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People From Being a Burden on Their Parents or Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to the Publick. Through winning lawsuits, active lobbying, and effective media campaigns, your contribution can go a long way. Get the resources and tools you need to make a real difference. Ready for change? Join our network and be the first to take action. We work tirelessly in courts, legislatures, and communities to defend civil liberties, secular governance, and scientific integrity. Defending Nontheists and Promoting Humanism.

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Jonathan swift a modest proposal 1729