My Cato Essays

[George H. Smith]

Freedom, Rights, and Political Philosophy, Part 3

"Smith discusses the crucial distinction between political obligation and political allegiance, and how the problem of allegiance was the major concern of John Locke."

My Cato Essay #64 is now up.

Ghs

[william.scherk]

Slow down, George, I cannot keep up with the production. I am still pondering the very challenging Ayn Rand/Comtean Autrisme pieces. You are in a good rut, I would say.

[George H. Smith]

Slow down, George, I cannot keep up with the production. I am still pondering the very challenging Ayn Rand/Comtean Autrisme pieces. You are in a good rut, I would say.

All I needed was sufficient income to live on while writing weekly essays on anything I like, with the assurance that I would not be edited or told what to write or told how write it -- and I was off to the races. I naturally enjoy writing, especially on intellectual history, but I don't enjoy being told, for instance, to dumb things down for the "average" reader. Over the years I've gotten pretty good at writing substantive, tightly written essays that focus on essentials without getting bogged down in incidental stuff; and I have steadfastly refused over the years to dumb down my writing. True, I may lose some readers here and there, but I think many readers welcome the challenge. Libertarianism.org is doing quite well, and I have been told that my essays have contributed substantially to that success.

If nothing else, I have confounded my critics who complain that I cannot meet deadlines. In 66 weeks, I have published 64 substantive essays without being late on a single one. and that was no mean task. (I was given a little time off, which accounts for the 2 week differential.)

Ghs

[william.scherk]

Slow down, George,

All I needed was sufficient income to live on while writing weekly essays on anything I like, with the assurance that I would not be edited or told what to write or told how write it -- and I was off to the races. ... Libertarianism.org is doing quite well, and I have been told that my essays have contributed substantially to that success. ... In 66 weeks, I have published 64 substantive essays without being late on a single one. and that was no mean task.

I can only imagine, being dreadfully lazy and lackadaisical about my writing. Oh well, I am only 55. Maybe I will write one book, on my deathbed.

Now that I have thought about it, don't slow down. It is keeping everything about you fit and useful. Even on Facebook you are more productive and aware of 'task-completion.' With 64 task-completion tests behind you, hmmm, I am thinking the next project set for yourself will be coming quickly along the pike.

Thanks for checking in with us divan-sprawlers and OL socialites.

[George H. Smith]

I can only imagine, being dreadfully lazy and lackadaisical about my writing. Oh well, I am only 55. Maybe I will write one book, on my deathbed.

I regard myself as constitutionally indolent in the sense that it is nearly impossible to motivate myself to write something that I'm not interested in qua subject matter. That's why I've had relatively little success in writing for money alone. When writing essays and books with substantive intellectual content, I feel the need to have something fairly original to say (in some sense). If I feel that I am merely rehashing material that has been covered many times before, it becomes very difficult for me to write anything at all. Of course, I can and have done that kind of writing before, but I have found such experiences to be almost painful. Routine writing projects, though they might seem so simple as to require little time, typically take me a long time, if I am able to complete them at all. But if I embark on a complex writing project that truly interests me, then I will write like a maniac and finish it in a timely manner.

[Brant Gaede]

Let us all note that just because George "writes like a maniac" doesn't mean he is a maniac, but it's a start.

--Brant

as far from Bloomington as it's practical to get

[George H. Smith]

http://www.libertarianism.org/publications/essays/excursions/freedom-rights-political-philosophy-part-4'> Freedom, Rights, and Political Philosophy, Part 4

Smith discusses a metaphor that was widely used by early libertarian writers while defending the natural equality of humankind.

My Cato Essay #65 has been up since last Tuesday, but I was admitted to the hospital on Monday and just got out yesterday, so I was unable to post this notice earlier. For information about the latest setback with my ankle injury, see my FB Wall at:

http://www.facebook.com/george.h.smith.7

Ghs

[George H. Smith]

Lord Acton and the History of Liberty

Smith discusses some of Lord Acton's ideas about freedom and their relevance to the modern libertarian movement.

My Cato Essay #67 is now up.

Ghs

[George H. Smith]

http://tinyurl.com/c9aq2cx'> Lord Acton and the History of Liberty

Part 3

Smith discusses Acton’s thesis that the conflict between church and state in medieval Europe was vital to the progress of freedom.

My Cato Essay #69 is now up.

Last week I neglected to post the link to Part 2 of my series on Lord Acton. That essay can be found http://www.libertarianism.org/publications/essays/lord-acton-history-liberty-part-2'> here.

Ghs

[George H. Smith]

Notes on Persecution and Toleration in the History of Christianity

"Smith explores some of the traditional biblical arguments for and against religious persecution."

My Cato Essay #70 is now up. Medical problems prevented me from meeting my usual Tuesday deadline, but I trust that one delay in 70 weekly essays is not a mortal sin. 8-)

Ghs

[George H. Smith]

Cato just uploaded this talk that I gave at a Libertarian Scholars Conference in 1981. It runs around 40 minutes and covers a lot of material that I did not discuss in my published article on 19th century English Voluntaryism, The revisionist historian Joel Spring was one of the panel members.

I am sporting a beard here. Even more unusual, I am wearing a suit and tie.8-)

Ghs

[George H. Smith]

Ludwig von Mises and Economic Calculation Under Socialism, Part 1

Smith discusses the theory of value that provided the foundation for the Misesian argument that rational economic calculation is impossible in a socialistic economy.

My Cato Essay #71 is now up.

Ghs

[BaalChatzaf]

Ludwig von Mises and Economic Calculation Under Socialism, Part 1

Smith discusses the theory of value that provided the foundation for the Misesian argument that rational economic calculation is impossible in a socialistic economy.

My Cato Essay #71 is now up.

Ghs

Nifty essay. I wish I had the patience to be a scholar, as you are a scholar.

Ba'al Chatzaf

[PDS]

Ludwig von Mises and Economic Calculation Under Socialism, Part 1

Smith discusses the theory of value that provided the foundation for the Misesian argument that rational economic calculation is impossible in a socialistic economy.

My Cato Essay #71 is now up.

Ghs

George: is your book still in line for publication in April?

[George H. Smith]

Ludwig von Mises and Economic Calculation Under Socialism, Part 1

Smith discusses the theory of value that provided the foundation for the Misesian argument that rational economic calculation is impossible in a socialistic economy.

My Cato Essay #71 is now up.

Ghs

George: is your book still in line for publication in April?

Yes, my Cambridge book should be out within a few weeks. It can be pre-ordered here.

Ghs

[George H. Smith]

Ludwig von Mises and Economic Calculation Under Socialism, Part 1

Smith discusses the theory of value that provided the foundation for the Misesian argument that rational economic calculation is impossible in a socialistic economy.

My Cato Essay #71 is now up.

Ghs

Nifty essay. I wish I had the patience to be a scholar, as you are a scholar.

Ba'al Chatzaf

Thanks. I should note, however, that I am not a patient person; if anything, I am very impatient -- and, I might add, undisciplined by conventional standards. I cannot do serious research unless I can first get myself excited about a given topic, and that may involve days of skimming various books in search of a "hook" that will sustain my interest over a period sufficiently long to produce something worthwhile. Moreover, I find it nearly impossible to write about something until and unless I feel that I have something original to say, even if such originality consists of nothing more than a minor point or two. My basic assumption is that if I find an essay boring to write then most readers will also find it boring. Of course much of what I write about has been covered many times by others, but I still need to find that hook, even if I am the only one who will ever be aware of it.

Ghs

[George H. Smith]

Defending the Non-Aggression Principle: A Reply to Matt Zwolinski, Part 1

Smith examines the claim that the non-aggression principle should be viewed as a defeasible presumption.

My Cato Essay #73 is now up.

Ghs

[George H. Smith]

Defending the Non-Aggression Principle: A Reply to Matt Zwolinski, Part 2

Smith examines the argument that minor acts of aggression are morally permissible if they result in good consequences that offset an unjust act.

My Cato Essay #74 is now up.

Ghs

[George H. Smith]

Defending the Non-Aggression Principle: A Reply to Matt Zwolinski Part 3

Smith criticizes Zwolinski’s discussions of risk, fraud, and the relationship between aggression and property rights.

My Cato Essay #75 was posted last Tuesday.

Ghs

[George H. Smith]

Defending the Non-Aggression Principle: A Reply to Matt Zwolinski, Part 4

Smith presents the rudiments of a theory of children’s rights.

My Cato Essay #76 is now up. This essay on children's rights has already generated quite a bit of spirited discussion, including some polemical exchanges with leading "Bleeding Heart Libertarians" (as they call themselves). See the comments section at the bottom of the page.

Ghs

[George H. Smith]

Among My Favorites: History of Civilization in England, by H. T. Buckle, Part 1

Smith begins his discussion of one of the most libertarian works on history ever written.

My Cato Essay #78 is now up.

Ghs

NOTE: I neglected to post the link to Essay #77, from last week.

Defending the Non-Aggression Principle: A Reply to Matt Zwolinski, Part 5

[George H. Smith]

Natural Rights and the Moral Foundations of Libertarianism, Part 1

Smith discusses the meaning of natural rights and some historical aspects of this theory.

My Cato Essay #79 is now up. I mention Rand a couple times.

Ghs

[George H. Smith]

Natural Rights and the Moral Foundations of Libertarianism, Part 2

After discussing some implications of early works on international law for libertarian theory, Smith concludes with a defense of Ayn Rand’s theory of rights.

My Cato Essay #80 is now up.

Ghs

[George H. Smith]

Among My Favorites: History of Civilization in England, by H. T. Buckle, Part 2

Smith discusses Buckle's stress on the importance of ideas in the progress of civilization.

My Cato Essay #81 is now up.

Ghs

[George H. Smith]

Among My Favorites: History of Civilization in England, by H. T. Buckle, Part 3

Smith explores Buckle’s claim that the “protective spirit” of governments has hindered the progress of civilization.

My Cato Essay #82 is now up. Attentive readers will note the similarities between Buckle and Rand in the stress that both placed on the primacy of ideas in history.

Ghs