Brian Anderson(@BrianAcity):Amazing that she’s never heard of him, though admittedly Henrich emphasizes ideas unwelcome in today’s academy—that the West’s historical advantage (which itself would be disputed by most leftist professors these days) grew out of the medieval Church’s teaching on marriage and family, which shattered clans and banned cousin marriage, and built a social world based on nuclear families and voluntary associations. The psychology that developed, Henrich maintains, was individualistic, stranger-trusting, rule-following, and patient, and made markets work and innovation explode. Rob’s excellent essay on Henrich’s opus WEIRD (a book that won the 2022 Hayek Prize) explores these themes.

2026.07.13 00:41

Amazing that she’s never heard of him, though admittedly Henrich emphasizes ideas unwelcome in today’s academy—that the West’s historical advantage (which itself would be disputed by most leftist professors these days) grew out of the medieval Church’s teaching on marriage and family, which shattered clans and banned cousin marriage, and built a social world based on nuclear families and voluntary associations. The psychology that developed, Henrich maintains, was individualistic, stranger-trusting, rule-following, and patient, and made markets work and innovation explode. Rob’s excellent essay on Henrich’s opus WEIRD (a book that won the 2022 Hayek Prize) explores these themes.