Frederick Douglass’s connection to the British Enlightenment. Via David Henderson and David Beito, here is an excerpt from a letter Douglass wrote on November 17, 1864: “The old doctrine that the slavery of the black, is essential to the freedom of the white race, can maintain itself only in the presence of slavery, where interest […]
Frederick Douglass and Adam Smith Read More »
In an earlier post on the Nazis’ efforts to collectivize sex and family life, I quoted from Dr. Franz Hamburger’s address to the German Medical Profession. As further evidence that National Socialists and Communist socialists are two variations on a common theme, here are some excerpts from Alexandra Kollontai’s Theses on Communist Morality in the
Collectivizing sex — Alexandra Kollontai’s communist version Read More »
An amusing quotation from William J. Bernstein’s Masters of the Word: How Media Shaped History. Gutenberg (1395–1468) had invented an efficient way to mass produce moveable type, leading to larger quantities and lower costs for printed materials. Before Gutenberg, the Benedictines made good money from hand-copying materials and were able to exert some control over
Benedictine monks versus Gutenberg’s printing press Read More »
My review essay on Donald Frey’s America’s Economic Moralists: A History of Rival Ethics and Economics (SUNY Press, 2009). My conclusion: “America’s Economic Moralists is a good historical survey of mostly religious commentaries on economics. Frey’s work is in part a historical survey and in part a polemic against the autonomy individualists. In my judgment,
Frey’s *America’s Economic Moralists* — review Read More »
A zinger from Zingales: “Keynesianism has conquered the hearts and minds of politicians and ordinary people alike because it provides a theoretical justification for irresponsible behavior. Medical science has established that one or two glasses of wine per day are good for your long-term health, but no doctor would recommend a recovering alcoholic to follow
Luigi Zingales on Keynesians Read More »
Bulletin: Sex and Economics — A Modest Proposal [pdf] Text by Stephen R.C. Hicks Graphics by Christopher Vaughan Permanent URL Fellow citizens: Our nation’s sex life is in peril. Surveys show widespread sexual discontent. Market failure is everywhere. Many males complain of not getting enough sex and many females object to constant male looks and
From the Office of the Reproducer-General [press release] Read More »
The history of those who debase money in an effort to get something for nothing — i.e., coin clippers, counterfeiters, and central bankers — is long and sordid. Here’s an eye-opener about how one medieval king dealt with officers found guilty of devaluing the currency: “Henry I castrated currency officials whose output was found wanting.
On currency debasement and castration Read More »
Below is the transcript. Or here in PDF. The lecture is part of the Business Ethics Cases series. The Tragedy of the Commons (transcript) Video lecture by Stephen Hicks, Ph.D. Transcription by Matheus Pacini. Part 1: What the Tragedy Is [Video clip 1] The Tragedy of the Commons is a foundational case study in business