‘Current Inquiry: Origins of Liberal Ideology’ Archives
Liberals are Elitists »
Huffingpost.com featured an article today by Raymond J. Learsy (an oil trader turned 'scholar'). He makes an argument that if we could only be more like France , well, everything would be better. Why? Because France is ruled by elites. And he references another article, this one by the New York Times David Brooks, who, Learsy seems [...]
Equality of Opportunity or Equality of Outcome? »
While still very early in the study of liberal origins, one pivotal question is already clear: Is the role of government to provide equality of opportunity, or equality of outcome? They are mutually exclusive. Equality of opportunity necessarily means inequality of outcome. People are not born with equal ability, equal [...]
Income Tax Unconstitutional »
Originally, anyway. It was made legal with the passage of the 16th Amendment in February of 1913. Upon passage, the new President Wilson immediately called a special session of Congress and the Revenue Act of 1913 passed in May of 1913. The tax rate was 1-7%. By 1918 rates were 12-77%, justified by WW I. A history of income tax in [...]
The Danger of Ambiguous Legislation »
Friedrich August von Hayek CH (8 May 1899 – 23 March 1992), was an Austrian and British economist and philosopher known for his defense of classical liberalism and free-market capitalism against socialist and collectivist thought. He is considered to be one of the most important economists and political philosophers of the twentieth [...]
1942 Prediction: Liberalism to replace Capitalism »
Does this not ring a bell... "Schumpeter's theory is that the success of capitalism will lead to a form of corporatism and a fostering of values hostile to capitalism, especially among intellectuals. The intellectual and social climate needed to allow entrepreneurship to thrive will not exist in advanced capitalism; it will be replaced [...]
Found: Father of Liberalism? »
Robert Owen (14 May 1771–17 November 1858), born in Newtown, Montgomeryshire, Wales was a social reformer and one of the founders of socialism and the cooperative movement. Owen's philosophy was based on three intellectual pillars: First, no one was responsible for his will and his own actions, because his whole character is formed [...]
Recommended Reading on the origins of Liberal thought »
One thing having led to another, we're interested in understanding the foundations of liberal thinking. We're looking for the orignal thinkers, probably late 1700's to early 1800's, who laid the intellectual foundation. Please post your suggestions.
Are we born Liberal? »
“All of us, liberal or conservative, feel as though we've reached our political opinions by carefully weighing the evidence and exercising our best judgment. But it could be that all of that careful reasoning is just after-the-fact self-justification” (Klein, 2006) This from an academic study out of Canada called Why are people liberal? [...]
