The final group of the philosophical ladder is “The Explanation Group.” This group consists of a single rung, the esthetics rung. The esthetical rung of philosophy is that science concerned with explaining the nature of human happiness and that upon which its continued existence, right here on earth, depends. To explain human happiness requires there are living humans to explain it to.

To explain anything is to reveal that it is what it is—that it actually does exist in a verifiable way. To tell the truth about the nature of human happiness and that upon which its existence depends requires one to be standing firmly on the esthetical rung of the philosophical ladder. To firmly stand on the esthetical rung of philosophical ladder requires one to have previously stood firmly on the moral rung of the philosophical ladder. To have firmly stood on the moral rung requires one to have previously stood firmly on the ethical rung. To have firmly stood on the ethical rung requires one to have previously stood firmly on the epistemological rung. To have firmly stood on the epistemological rung requires one to have previously stood firmly on the metaphysical rung.

It’s impossible to explain the nature of human happiness until one has satisfied each rung of the philosophical ladder. It’s impossible to explain the nature of human happiness until one has advanced up the philosophical ladder from the bottom to the top. It is impossible to explain the nature of human happiness until one is able to explain the laws of nature as these apply to and derive the laws of society.

The moral laws of society are derived from those naturally occurring laws of nature governing what a proper human existence consists of and requires. This is saying that the moral laws of society can only evolve from observing the actions of ethically functioning individuals when those individuals are socially engaged. The laws of ethical behavior translated into the laws of moral behavior become the “proper” laws of society.

The laws of ethical survival—the laws governing proper human existence—are determined by human nature; the laws of moral happiness—the laws governing a rational human society—are determined by human intelligence. One cannot be separated from the other.

The laws of social happiness are evolutionarily different from the laws of personal survival. They are an intellectual expansion of what one’s personal survival requires of one when one is socially engaged.

Ethical behavior is a necessity of personal survival; ethical behavior in a social setting is a necessity of social happiness. The laws describing the laws of social happiness are captured under the concept of capitalism. Capitalism, then, is the fundamental concept of morality.

Capitalism is a necessity of social happiness, which is a derivation of personal selfishness, which is a derivation of human intelligence, which is a derivation of human nature, which is a derivation of the laws of nature.

It’s impossible to have a reason-based philosophy constructed in any other manner.