The Labors of Hercules: Modern Solutions to 12 Herculean Problems

The myth of the Labors of Hercules tells of a Greco-Roman demigod tasked with completing twelve impossible labors before joining the gods. In modern terms, Hercules was a superhero, using unconventional methods to solve stubborn social problems. The Greeks and Romans faced many of the same challenges we do: politics, war, crime, drugs, pollution, health, religion, urban ills, and planning for the future. They even built an analog computer and imagined artificial beings like the automatons of Hephaestus.The Labors offered a cathartic vision of resolving intractable problems through cunning, reason, determination, and strength. Today’s superhero films remain popular for the same reason—people enjoy seeing justice prevail and problems solved before the popcorn is gone.Over two millennia, humanity has repeated mistakes and clung to harmful rules and authoritarian traditions. Yet humans can learn to think rationally and, at our empathetic best, follow the laws of reciprocity—treating others as we wish to be treated. For the first time, we possess tools to combine reason with compassion and address our differences.The digital revolution grants access to global knowledge and enables instant communication across boundaries. What remains is an effective way to unite our better instincts for the common good. With the tools outlined in this book, organized under the public policy wiki at LOGOSwiki.org, and combined with informed determination, our many Herculean tasks could be efficiently accomplished. Read more