Posts dedicated to philosophy of society, civic governance and general ideas.
Abortion is arguably the most controversial and divisive issue today. It involves disagreements on personal topics like bodily rights and the value of human life, which can set the stage for emotionally-charged debates. Libertarians find themselves on both sides of the issue, though nearly six in ten could be best described as pro-choice. The Libertarian…
Atheists are quick to criticize God for His alleged deficiencies, claiming His tyrannical nature prevents people from living without fear. According to atheists, God’s behavior mirrors many of the worst dictators in history, which should preclude anyone from worshiping Him. This criticism is flawed for several reasons; the first of which is the atheist’s presupposition…
Liberty is sometimes a tough thing to watch. Like the teenager in a horror movie getting up and going to the kitchen while the audience braces itself for what they know full well is going to happen, it’s hard to stand by and watch our friends and strangers alike exercise their right to make choices…
At first glance, the new nationalism of conservatives will seem benign and even uncontroversial. In his book “The Case for Nationalism,” Rich Lowry defines nationalism as flowing from a people’s “natural devotion to their home and to their country.” Yoram Hazony, in his book “The Virtue of Nationalism,” also has a rather anodyne definition of…
It was night just outside of Washington DC. The crowd of 20-somethings packed the hotel’s ballroom and the energy was high. College kids had come from across the country to learn more about and celebrate what set their soul on fire – liberty. It was the 2018 national conference of Young Americans for Liberty. Matt…
Question: If you could go back in time and spend one hour in conversation with 10 people—each one separately and privately—whom would you choose? My list isn’t exactly the same from one day to the next, but at least a couple of the same names are always on it, without fail. One of them is…
The series Downton Abbey, it’s just too long and too slow. I never wanted to commit. A 2-hour movie? That I can do. And so I did. I’m super happy about it too. Fancy house. Stuffy people. Complicated human drama. Accents that if you listen carefully reveal a class structure. It’s often hilarious too. It’s…
By Peter Boettke Hayek famously penned the essay “Why I Am Not a Conservative.” I have often argued that folks need to read that essay in conjunction with his “Errors of Constructivism” to get a good sense of his position on why as true radical liberals we must be willing to question all existing political and social values,…
Every human decision brings with it unintended consequences. Often, they are inconsequential, even funny. When Airbus, for example, wanted to make its planes quieter to improve the flying experience for travelers, it made its A380 so quiet that passengers could hear, with far too much clarity, what was happening in the plane’s bathrooms. Other times…
At any moment in time, the world seems to be going to hell in a handbasket. Manners are missing; ethics are being eliminated; culture is corrupted; social attitudes are supercilious; virtues are vanishing; literature is mostly licentious; industry and commerce are materialistically crude and callous; and humaneness is hamstrung by greed and selfishness. It’s the…