In Wilhelm von Humboldt’s book The Limits of State Action (1792), one of the most thoughtful expressions of classical liberalism, these passages appear: The true end of Man… is the highest and most harmonious development of his powers to a complete and consistent whole. Freedom is the first and indispensable condition which the possibility of […]
iain Davis In Part 1 we explored the reasons why the basis for the BBC’s “Marianna in Conspiracyland” podcast series is fundamentally flawed. Spring claims that her intention is to investigate “the people at the core of the conspiracy theory movement.” Not only is there no such thing a “conspiracy theory movement” nor is their any plausible …
New York Post, November 19, 2022 Brace for more Biden vote-buying to save Dems’ Georgia Senate seat By James Bovard President Joe Biden is tottering on the edge of his most inefficient vote-buying binge yet. As the runoff race for Georgia’s Senate seat enters its final weeks, the Biden administration may rubberstamp a nationwide handout […]
Is College Worthwhile? A Two-Time Dropout’s Take by James Bovard President Biden is tub-thumping for Congress to create new federal handouts to make college free for the vast majority of students. But as Ryan McMaken and other commentators on mises.org have pointed out, college is vastly overpriced and overrated nowadays. My view on college stems […]
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Iain Davis Inalienable rights, founded upon the principles of Natural Law and natural justice, offer us a potential solution to the COVID coup d’état, or pseudopandemic as I call it. Exercising our inalienable rights, in observance of Natural Law, and collectively acting in peace to undermine the objectives of the conspirators, is the best way to resist it. The objective of the …
American Institute for Economic Research, July 7, 2021 Can Mass Subjugation Save American Democracy? James Bovard Beatings will continue until morale improves” has morphed from an old joke to the latest prescription for national salvation. “Compulsory National Service Could Unite America,” whooped a New York Times Op-ed headline last week. Prominent media outlets, think tanks, […]
American Institute for Economic Research, October 1, 2020 Will the Pandemic Panic Card Win in 2020? James Bovard “People want to be safe,” Joe Biden repeatedly declared in Tuesday night’s debate. The 2020 presidential race could turn into a referendum on whether vastly increasing government power can provide “freedom from fear.” This has been a […]
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Have you ever thought that who you are as a person is determined in part by the government you live under? Political philosophers have been considering such a possibility going all the way back to the early Greeks. Government shapes us either by engaging and empowering us through participation or by assuming all power unto itself and leaving us to go our separate ways alone and isolated.
Though historically important in the evolution of justice theory, liberalism has evidenced limitations in providing a clear foundation for a just and equitable society. Rights set forth in liberal theory are related to each other by their common foundation in the freedom of the individual person to choose desired ends within the confines of designated policies and laws. However, to restrict these fundamental rights, that is, the right of the person not to be impeded in the pursuit of his or her happiness, is to attack individual liberty—the foundation of liberalism.
John Stuart Mill’s essay On Liberty (1859) is the most famous work about toleration in the English language. It is clear, concise, logical, and passionate. It defends toleration—of thought, speech, and individuality—as a practical means to promote happiness for the greatest number of people. The book inspired generations of classical liberal thinkers, and today it is probably the only historic work about toleration that most people ever read.
