The connections between philosophy theory and political practice are often long-term. Here are three juxtapositions of quotations from philosopher Immanuel Kant in the 1780s and philosopher Gentile and politician Mussolini in the 1930s. On what’s good for the species versus what’s good for the individual: Kant,: “For all of that, this path that for the
3 paired Kant and Mussolini quotes on individuals, reason, war Read More »
“Without Freedom of Thought, there can be no such Thing as Wisdom; and no such Thing as publick Liberty, without Freedom of Speech; which is the Right of every Man, as far as by it, he does not hurt or controul the Right of another: And this is the only Check it ought to suffer,
Young B. Franklin on free speech and wisdom Read More »
Historical example to keep in mind: Text version: “Although the new National Socialist government refused to grant its student supporters the power they demanded to hire and fire professors, it did make job tenure a matter of political ideology.” (Source: historian Arthur Herman’s fine 1997 book, The Idea of Decline in Western History, p. 252)
When professors are hired ideologically Read More »
Review of Leonidas Zelmanovitz,The Ontology and Function of Money: The Philosophical Fundamentals of Monetary Institutions Lexington Books, 2015, 447 pp.Reviewed by Stephen HicksFirst published at Law and Liberty, edited by Richard Reinsch and Lauren Weiner. Money is funny, the old saying goes, both in the cognitive puzzles it generates and the motivational extremes of human
Review of Zelmanovitz on the philosophy of money Read More »
It takes strength of mind to say: “I dislike intensely what you’re saying, yet I will tolerate your saying it.” It takes even more strength to respond with arguments rather than fists or censorship. Related:
Joseph Goebbels, Ph.D., was Reich Minister of Propaganda for the National Socialist government from 1933 to 1945 and, after Hitler, the second or third most powerful man in Germany. “According to the idea of the NSDAP [Nazi party], we are the German left. Nothing is more hateful to us than the right-wing national ownership block.”
Was Goebbels a Socialist? Read More »
Two-minute answers to key questions about philosophy, politics, art, and the meaning of life. Art is about the full range of human experience, but Modernist and Postmodernist art emphasize the meaningless and the offensive. Why? Filmed in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The full series is published at the CEE Video Channel. Description: At some point in
Why did art become ugly? | Philosophy for Real Life (19 of 22) | Stephen Hicks Read More »
On February 17, I’ll be speaking in Milwaukee. I’m honored to be part of Wisconsin Forum’s line-up for the 2021-2022 season. My question will be: The economic, political, and historical evidence for the superiority of free societies is substantial — yet so many are suspicious or outright hostile, and often authoritarian policies prevail over genuinely
Wisconsin Forum — public lecture coming up Read More »