I’ve started reading Guillermo M. Yeatts’s 2010 Plunder in Latin America. Yeatts lists thirteen American countries’ per capita GDP in 2008 US dollars, first alphabetically by country: Argentina 8,281 Bolivia 1,948 Brazil 8,379 Canada 46,826 Chile 10,933 Colombia 5,478 Cuba 4,840 Ecuador 3,770 Mexico 10,278 Peru 4,454 Uruguay 8,942 USA 46,647 Venezuela 4,315 I re-arranged […]
The two Americas: 13 countries’ GDP Read More »
Aspiring philosopher-queen Sarah O. Conly is an assistant professor of philosophy at Bowdoin College. A description of her Against Autonomy: Justifying Coercive Paternalism, published by Cambridge University Press in 2012: “Against Autonomy is a defense of paternalistic laws; that is, laws that make you do things, or prevent you from doing things, for your own
You should be forced to buy this book Read More »
I was interviewed by David Hutzelman on a variety of topics: entrepreneurial ethics, why business ethics should focus on the positive more than the negative, our cultural progress in developing institutions of trust and becoming comfortable with non-traditional social relationships. Here’s Part I of the interview: Update: The full interview is now available. In the
Television interview by David Hutzelman in Houston Read More »
My colleagues Matt Flamm and Shawn Klein will lead a discussion of the 1993 film, Groundhog Day. If you had to relive one day of your life repeatedly, what would you do? The discussion will take place on Monday, February 4th, from 4 to 5 p.m. in the CEE office at Rockford College. Light refreshments
Philosophy and Film Series: Groundhog Day Read More »
I was interviewed for Cosmoetica by Dan Schneider, mostly on themes from my Nietzsche and the Nazis documentary and book, but also on the nature of values, art, religion, corporations, and the meaning of life. Other interviews in the series include those with Daniel Dennett, Larry Sanger, and Steven Pinker.
Interviewed by Dan Schneider for Cosmoetica Read More »
On January 17 I’ll be giving a talk to the Bastiat Society in Panama. Thanks to Surse Pierpoint for the invitation (and the chance to be some place warm for a few days!). Title: The Morality of Capitalism Abstract: What makes free-market capitalism good? Advocates give many reasons. Friedman emphasizes its wealth-generating prowess. Rand cites
Upcoming talk in Panama Read More »
I came across this short piece on some connections between Adam Smith, David Hume, and the American founders. Hume writing to Benjamin Franklin in 1762: “I am sure America has sent us many good things; gold, silver, sugar, tobacco, indigo, etc., but you are the first philosopher, and indeed the first great man of letters
Scottish Enlightenment and Franklin and Jefferson Read More »
What makes liberal capitalism good? Here is a flowchart I’ve developed for use in some upcoming talks. The chart diagrams the positive claims about liberal capitalism by its defenders — John Locke, Adam Smith, John Stuart Mill, Ludwig von Mises, Ayn Rand, Friedrich Hayek, Milton Friedman, and others. Click on the image for full size
Justifying liberal capitalism Read More »