Topic: Classical Liberalism

Classical Liberalism, Government, History, Philosophy

Hijacking Liberalism: Spencer’s The Man Versus the State

– January 12, 2022

“At best, Scholars often view Spencer as a magnificent dinosaur, at worst a grumpy phantom of Christmas past—this is a mistake. The hijacking of ‘liberalism’ was a triumph. Perhaps this makes it all the more important to understand how it happened.” ~ Alberto Mingardi

Classical Liberalism, Crisis, Government, History

The Global Recession of Classical Liberalism

– January 8, 2022

“There may be diminishing returns on the economic growth that classical liberalism has promoted. It is this relative comfort that allows citizens to focus on prioritizing collective projects or wallowing in their identity.” ~ John O. McGinnis

Classical Liberalism

In Memoriam: Henry J. Miller III

– December 26, 2021

“We celebrate the man, Doc Miller, whose spirit in no small part animated the American Institute for Economic Research for the last two decades.” ~ AIER

Classical Liberalism, Economic Education, Free Markets, Philosophy

Adam Smith and Problems with the New Paternalism

– October 30, 2021

“Dynamic perspectives on welfare exacerbate the error-identification problem. If we ourselves are in the process of discovering our values, how can an external party possibly arrange our choices such that they make us better off as judged by ourselves?” ~ Erik Matson

Classical Liberalism, Government, History

The Semantic Revolution

– October 25, 2021

“Our decisions on semantics express broader moral and political sensibilities. On my semantics, the revolutions of 1848 were not liberal. Nor, overall, was the revolution of 1789. As Edmund Burke put it in 1790: ‘Their liberty is not liberal.'” ~ Daniel B. Klein

Classical Liberalism, Economic History, Economic Theory, Free Markets

An Open Letter to Phil Magness, by Don Boudreaux

– October 24, 2021

“The future of economic analysis would be brighter if economists today were more knowledgeable about its past – and thought as deeply as did earlier scholars such as Buchanan, Stigler, and Dewey about the nature of competition and the complexities of real-world markets.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux

Books, Classical Liberalism, Government

Liberty in Peril

– October 16, 2021

“Liberty is certainly in peril — what’s left of it. Can anything rekindle the love that Americans once had for liberty and reverse the upward ratchet of government control?” ~ George Leef

Authoritarianism, Classical Liberalism, Economic Education, Government

Beware of the Progressive Redefinition of Moderates

– October 9, 2021

“Frederic Bastiat wrote his electoral manifesto at a time when politically popular ‘moderates’ enabled expanding government coercion, while ‘extremists’ defended liberty. Unfortunately, little seems different today.” ~ Gary M. Galles

Classical Liberalism, Economic Theory, History, Philosophy

Liberalism Then and Now

– October 3, 2021

“A puzzle remains, namely, what has transformed liberalism from the staunch preserver of liberty, with John Stuart Mill being its most celebrated spokesman, to ‘St. George,’ the righteous zealot, who vows to slay all human sufferings?” ~ Habi Zhang

Classical Liberalism, Economic Education, History

Remember the Greatest Social Thinker of the Twentieth Century

– September 29, 2021

“There is good reason to pursue Ludwig von Mises’ wisdom further, because for those who seek a society that offers the greatest potential for individual flourishing and social cooperation—i.e., true civilization–he is a sound guide.” ~ Gary M. Galles

Art and Culture, Classical Liberalism, History

The Best Defense Against Violence

– September 13, 2021

“The more people who are engaged in morality, meaning, and mind control, the fewer people will be looking to politics for their place in the world. And in so doing, they provides just a little more of the best defense against the world’s violence.” ~ Max Borders

Classical Liberalism, Economic Education, Government

Searching for Good Governance

– September 8, 2021

“Applications of constitutional political economy include constitutional design and assessment. Finding the right mixture of voice and exit is one of the most important parts. Let’s get started.” ~ Alexander William Salter