Abstract
Leonard Peikoff’s “DIM Hypothesis” demonstrates that man’s cognitive need for
integration is important historically. It reflects the motive power of philosophy, of man’s need to
understand the world. But Peikoff’s theory lacks predictive power for America’s future.
Today’s knowledge-based economy enables the average person to enjoy enhanced cognitive
control over his life. Technology has transformed the American work experience in ways that
teach one crucial connection: between the productive use of the mind (i.e., thinking, judgment)
and human survival. This emerging cognitive self-confidence mitigates the philosophical void
left by cultural nihilism and creates an intellectual barrier to authoritarianism.