Stephen Hicks

Contradictions in thinking — Patterson interviews me on the psychology of pomo

1 Comment / Philosophy /

What happens when one meets a tension or outright contradiction in one’s thinking? How do we evaluate those who believe or at least express positions like “There is no truth” or “All beliefs are subjectively relative”? In our first conversation, Steve Patterson and I discussed the nature and origins of postmodernism, including thinkers such as

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Ethics for a Democratic Republic — white paper

Leave a Comment / Political Ethics series /

My primer on Political Ethics was published as a white paper at the Berens Foundation site. Each of the 22 sections of about 500 words discusses the essential rights and responsibilities of a major participant in the political process or explicates a key ethics concept in politics. Ethics for a Democratic Republic Table of Contents:

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The further divorce of conservatism and free markets

Leave a Comment / Philosophy /

The Financial Times has good coverage of the increasing rift between American conservatism and free-market capitalism. President Donald Trump is both a result of that rift and a furtherance of it. Many of the deep thinkers behind conservative politicians have long favored the rift. Russell Kirk, Irving Kristol, Robert Bork — who represent differing versions

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Lucro: bueno, malo y obsceno [Spanish translation]

Leave a Comment / Business Ethics, Español /

[This is a Spanish translation of “Profits: Good, Bad, and Obscene,” originally published in English at EveryJoe.] A nadie le gusta perder dinero, pero el lucro genera actitudes polarizadas. Como ocurre con la mayoría de los fenómenos con carga moral—la competencia, la riqueza, la pobreza, la propiedad—lograr superar las discusiones confusas, requiere algunas distinciones sutiles. Acerquémonos

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The Pope’s softness on Cuba, Bolivia, and Venezuela

2 Comments / Philosophy /

The Pope continues to be rather silent about the disaster in Venezuela. Why? Here a supporter of Pope offers his best gloss of the Pope’s underwhelming response to socialist-dictatorship Venezuela. Earlier the Pope had a nice visit to socialist Bolivia. And before that a gentle visit to communist-dictatorship Cuba. But Pope Francis does goes out

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