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September 16, 2019|David Hume, Julian Simon, Karl Popper, Ming Dynasty, Song Dynasty, Stephen Davies, The Wealth Explosion, Thomas Malthus

Advent of the Modern Economy: A Panoramic View

by Alberto Mingardi|

Stephen Davies on the institutions and power relations that were key to the formation of Western civilization.

January 4, 2019|Agatha Christie, Alexis de Tocqueville, David Hume, detective fiction, Edmund Wilson, G.K. Chesterton, Jane Austen, Psychoanalysis, Sherlock Holmes, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

The Murderer Comes Home

by Graham McAleer|

Edith de Haviland (Glenn Close) descends the stairs in "Crooked House," made from a 1949 Agatha Christie novel. (alamy.com)
Our novelists, from Austen to Christie, spy hints of trouble lurking beneath the placid surface of civilized life.

December 19, 2018|Conservatism, David Hume, Edmund Burke, Natural Law, Peter Stanlis, skepticism

Edmund Burke: Natural Lawyer

by Samuel Gregg|

Statue of Edmund Burke, Trinity College, Dublin (deadlyphoto.com / Alamy Stock Photo).
A conservative politics faithful to its Burkean heritage must be rooted in more than an emphasis on prudence or skepticism: it needs natural law.

November 20, 2018|David Hume, despotism, James Wilson, John Locke, Natural Law, Republicanism, Thomas Hobbes

Natural Law and Democracy: The Philosophy of James Wilson

by Roberta Bayer|

Engraving by J.B. Longacre after "miniature in possession of Mrs. Hollingsworth." Published in John Sanderson, Biog. of the Signers to the Declaration of Independence, Philadelphia, 1823. (Everett Historical/Shutterstock.com)
Thoroughgoing philosophical skepticism undermines liberty by denying that law can be reasonable, and that justice can be known.

November 15, 2018|Adam Smith, David Hume, European Union, Francis Hutcheson, free trade, Nation-State, Nationalism, Scottish Enlightenment

Trade, Nations, and War in an Enlightened Age

by Samuel Gregg|

Image: Sharlotta/Shutterstock.com
Between 1776 and 1815, Britain was at peace for just 10 years, and reading the Scottish defense of free trade without this in mind is a mistake.

October 31, 2018|Alexander Hamilton, David Hume, Donald Trump, Faction, James Madison, tariffs, The Federalist

Why We Need Hume’s Wisdom on Factions

by Greg Weiner|

President Donald Trump at a press conference, April 27, 2018 (Nicole S. Glass/Shutterstock.com).
As long as presidential power grows, so will our obsession with it, and the people who occupy the Oval Office.

April 12, 2018|Adam Ferguson, Adam Smith, Bernard Mandeville, David Hume, deodand, Francis Hutcheson, Lord Kames, Scottish Enlightenment, the Black Watch, Thomas Reid

What Was the Scottish Enlightenment?

by Graham McAleer|

Statue of David Hume on the Royal Mile, Edinburgh
Without abolishing the individual, the Scottish Enlightenment nonetheless made solidarity basic to human existence.

March 19, 2018|

The Problem with the “Simple Principle” of Liberty

by Scott Yenor|

In response to: Can Libertarianism Be a Governing Philosophy?

Mock-up of a new, libertarian frontier: "sea-steading"
Communities may restrain liberty. These social features of human nature are as much a part of our mental furniture as the love of liberty—perhaps more so.

More Responses

No, But Classical Liberalism Can

by Nathan W. Schlueter

If libertarians are not prepared to accept the consequences of absolute non-aggression, they should seek a more plausible public philosophy.

Libertarianism: Just As Feasible As the Rest (and Just As Fragile)

by Nikolai G. Wenzel

Munger’s framework leaves us with hope grounded in realism.

Libertarianism: Michael Munger Responds to His Critics

by Michael C. Munger

My suggestion was that “directional” libertarians and classical liberals ally rather than question one another’s authenticity.

November 14, 2017|accident and force, Alexander Hamilton, David Hume, Federalist 6, Philadelphia Convention, reflection and choice, The Federalist

Publius’ Conservative Values

by Greg Weiner|

Late last month, constitutionalists marked the publication 230 years ago of Federalist 1 with reveries about Publius’ call for Americans to rise to the occasion and show the world that governments could be founded on “reflection and choice” rather than “accident and force.”

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June 26, 2017|Adam Smith, David Hume, doux commerce, Montesquieu, Nathan B. Oman, The Dignity of Commerce

Is It Really Commercial Activity that Civilizes?

by Mark L. Movsesian|

Don’t let references to “the dismal science” fool you. Classical liberal economics is actually a pretty optimistic way to look at life. Liberals maintain that markets create wealth, promote mutual gain, and unlock talents and resources in individuals and nations. And, they say, markets have political benefits. Since the Enlightenment, liberals have argued that markets promote civic pluralism by making people more reasonable and prudent; less given to political and, especially, religious enthusiasm; and eager to avoid divisive debates about deep commitments. That markets have these advantages is known as the doux commerce thesis. (That’s doux as in soft, or having a…

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Book Reviews

A Mirror of the 20th-Century Congress

by Joseph Postell

Wright undermined the very basis of his local popularity—the decentralized nature of the House—by supporting reforms that gave power to the party leaders.

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The Graces of Flannery O'Connor

by Henry T. Edmondson III

O'Connor's correspondence is a goldmine of piercing insight and startling reflections on everything from literature to philosophy to raising peacocks.

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Liberty Classics

Rereading Politica in the Post-Liberal Moment

by Glenn A. Moots

Althusius offers a rich constitutionalism that empowers persons to thrive alongside one another in deliberate communities.

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James Fenimore Cooper and the American Experiment

by Melissa Matthes

In The American Democrat, James Fenimore Cooper defended democracy against both mob rule and majority tyranny.

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Podcasts

Stuck With Decadence

A discussion with Ross Douthat

Ross Douthat discusses with Richard Reinsch his new book The Decadent Society.

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Can the Postmodern Natural Law Remedy Our Failing Humanism?

A discussion with Graham McAleer

Graham McAleer discusses how postmodern natural law can help us think more coherently about human beings and our actions.

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Did the Civil Rights Constitution Distort American Politics?

A discussion with Christopher Caldwell

Christopher Caldwell discusses his new book, The Age of Entitlement.

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America, Land of Deformed Institutions

A discussion with Yuval Levin

Yuval Levin pinpoints that American alienation and anger emerges from our weak political, social, and religious institutions.

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About

Law & Liberty’s focus is on the classical liberal tradition of law and political thought and how it shapes a society of free and responsible persons. This site brings together serious debate, commentary, essays, book reviews, interviews, and educational material in a commitment to the first principles of law in a free society. Law & Liberty considers a range of foundational and contemporary legal issues, legal philosophy, and pedagogy.

The opinions expressed on Law & Liberty are solely those of the contributors to the site and do not reflect the opinions of Liberty Fund.
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