March 23, 2011
Against Idealism
Most people assume that political idealism is a virtue. We encourage the young to be idealistic, to believe in the essential goodness of human nature. Above all, we admire those…
Month: March 2011
March 23, 2011
Mass Incarceration and the “Myth” of Free Markets?
I’d be curious to hear what readers of this blog think about this talk by Bernard Harcourt on "The Illusion of Free Markets: Laissez faire and Mass Incarceration.” The talk…
March 23, 2011
The “Americans Would Fail the Citizenship Exam” Parlor Trick
Almost weekly, someone does the following trick: Find a bunch of natural-born American citizens. Get them to take the US Citizenship Exam. Snicker while they fail. Write an article about…
March 23, 2011
Critical Reasoning & Eudaimonia (Responses to my 3/15 post, Part I)
My post of 3/15 (Some Values Matter More Than Others And Are Ignored Anyway) elicited quite a few comments. I’ve been slow about it, but my response will take the…
March 22, 2011
Embracing Markets, Opposing “Capitalism”
Being a libertarian means opposing the use of force to restrain peaceful, voluntary exchange. That doesn’t mean it should be understood as involving support for capitalism. Whether this claim makes…
March 21, 2011
How Could There Even Be an Ethics of Voting?
(Following up on my previous post.) Thanks to everyone who pre-ordered the book! I'm looking forward to having some vigorous conversations and hearty debates with you. In this post, I just want to…