History

Systematic thinking about unintended consequences, the third thing, commenced in the 1700s with the Scottish Enlightenment.

The other Enlightenment, the French, kept the old, personal blame and the top down.

The French Enlightenment loved reason, planning, design, the state.… pic.twitter.com/5eznYj7N2W

— Deirdre Nansen McCloskey (@DeirdreMcClosk) March 16, 2026