George H. Smith Posted September 24, 2013 Author Share Posted September 24, 2013 The Other Adam Smith, Part 1 Smith explains what Adam Smith meant by the “invisible hand” and how he used this explanatory method throughout his writings. My Cato Essay #96 is now up. Ghs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaalChatzaf Posted September 25, 2013 Share Posted September 25, 2013 The Other Adam Smith, Part 1 Smith explains what Adam Smith meant by the “invisible hand” and how he used this explanatory method throughout his writings.My Cato Essay #96 is now up.GhsThere is an amazing conceptual resemblance between Adam Smiths more general idea of the "invisible hand" and the principle of least (extremal) action which is the basis of Langrangian mechanics and Hamilton's principle. Ironically the Langrangian approach to mechanics went past Newton's force based mechanics and is in general use in physics today.See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principle_of_least_action. (caution: the details are math heavy, but you should get the general idea).Ba'al Chatzaf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samson Corwell Posted September 30, 2013 Share Posted September 30, 2013 George, I have a question for you. What would a country like Ancapistan look like with its private defense agencies and private infrastructure and how would it contrast with the, ahem, anarcho-statism of Triple H? The more I think about it the more it begins to resemble a pseudo-state to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George H. Smith Posted October 1, 2013 Author Share Posted October 1, 2013 The Other Adam Smith, Part 2 George Smith discusses some of Adam Smith’s social, political, and moral objections to governmental interference in the economy, as found in the Wealth of Nations. My Cato Essay #97 is now up. Ghs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George H. Smith Posted October 8, 2013 Author Share Posted October 8, 2013 The Other Adam Smith, Part 3 George Smith discusses Adam Smith’s views on sin taxes and slavery. My Cato Essay #98 is now up. Ghs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samson Corwell Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 The Other Adam Smith, Part 3 George Smith discusses Adam Smith’s views on sin taxes and slavery. My Cato Essay #98 is now up. Ghs Spot on here: These discussions cover a good deal of ground, but I shall focus on Smith’s point about the primary motivation of slaveholders—a point that may surprise those libertarians who believe that, according to Smith, economic considerations trump all other values. It's my observation that, on the internet at least, simple libertarians--that is, common people who are politically libertarian because of economics--have a tendency towards economism and talk about libertarianism almost exclusively in economic terms, which is sort of disappointing because the early classical liberals had a diverse array of things to say on politics and government. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George H. Smith Posted October 22, 2013 Author Share Posted October 22, 2013 The Other Adam Smith, Part 5 George Smith discusses Adam Smith’s views on a standing army and his arguments for competition in education. My Cato Essay #100 is now up. The new format for libertarianism.org is terrific. Check it out. Ghs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brant Gaede Posted October 22, 2013 Share Posted October 22, 2013 Break Out the Bubbly!--Brant100, 100, 100! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George H. Smith Posted October 22, 2013 Author Share Posted October 22, 2013 Break Out the Bubbly! --Brant 100, 100, 100! Thanks, Brant. I can scarcely believe that I wrote 100 essays in as many weeks without missing a single deadline. If I'm not careful I might get a reputation for being reliable. The Excursions Essays are now technically concluded, so it's fitting that they ended on a nice round number. My future essays will be posted in the "essays" section; and though most of my future essays will cover the same type of historical topics as before, I am now free to comment on current events and write other types of essays, according to my whims. Ghs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brant Gaede Posted October 22, 2013 Share Posted October 22, 2013 George, I always thought you were a whim-worshipper, now I know it!--Brantthe horrible, dreadfull confirmation; the brutal intrusion of rock-hard immutable reality, but which is good for some things, at least in bed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samson Corwell Posted October 27, 2013 Share Posted October 27, 2013 The Other Adam Smith, Part 5 George Smith discusses Adam Smith’s views on a standing army and his arguments for competition in education. My Cato Essay #100 is now up. The new format for libertarianism.org is terrific. Check it out. Ghs The new format looks like Windows 8. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George H. Smith Posted October 29, 2013 Author Share Posted October 29, 2013 The Culture of Liberty: Wilhelm von Humboldt Smith explores Humboldt’s defense of individuality, written in 1792. My Cato Essay #101 is now up. Ghs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George H. Smith Posted November 5, 2013 Author Share Posted November 5, 2013 What are the Human Sciences? Defending freedom requires an interdisciplinary approach, so in this column George H. Smith turns to the "human sciences"--and also to a definition of science itself. My Cato Essay #102 is now up. Ghs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caroljane Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 Interesting and clear intro to what looks like thought provoking series. Obviously you will address the Dismal science, and will you include history as a human science?Did you notice that David "Jefferson was a closet Evangelical" Barton is testing the waters for a Senate run in Texas.? Just what they need, another ivory tower intellectual lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brant Gaede Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 Interesting and clear intro to what looks like thought provoking series. Obviously you will address the Dismal science, and will you include history as a human science?Did you notice that David "Jefferson was a closet Evangelical" Barton is testing the waters for a Senate run in Texas.? Just what they need, another ivory tower intellectual lol.CATO essays are not legally available to residents of Canada and California.--BrantChina's okay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George H. Smith Posted November 8, 2013 Author Share Posted November 8, 2013 Interesting and clear intro to what looks like thought provoking series. Obviously you will address the Dismal science, and will you include history as a human science? Did you notice that David "Jefferson was a closet Evangelical" Barton is testing the waters for a Senate run in Texas.? Just what they need, another ivory tower intellectual lol. Yes, I will eventually discuss the nature and methodology of economics. As for whether history is a "science" -- well, that can go either way. I'm not sure how I will approach this yet. Ghs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George H. Smith Posted November 12, 2013 Author Share Posted November 12, 2013 Methodology of the Human Sciences Smith presents an overview of the philosophy of the human sciences. My Cato Essay #103 is now up. Ghs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaalChatzaf Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 Methodology of the Human Sciences Smith presents an overview of the philosophy of the human sciences.My Cato Essay #103 is now up.GhsHenri Poincare' got it dead on right. -Real- science (which is primarily physics) delivers. It delivers the explanations, it delivers the applications and eventually delivers the gadgets that we all love and use. Including computer supported forums and you-tube type videos. So called social science is basically bullshit. By the fruit, judge the tree. Ba'al Chatzaf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brant Gaede Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 Methodology of the Human Sciences Smith presents an overview of the philosophy of the human sciences.My Cato Essay #103 is now up.GhsHenri Poincare' got it dead on right. -Real- science (which is primarily physics) delivers. It delivers the explanations, it delivers the applications and eventually delivers the gadgets that we all love and use. Including computer supported forums and you-tube type videos. So called social science is basically bullshit. By the fruit, judge the tree. What is your idea of "social science"? Tell us so we'll know if your own comment is "bullshit" or not, IOHOs! Did you read and evaluate what George wrote after he introduced Poincare or is this just to be taken as your standard ejaculation on this subject?--Brantuntil you do and share the idea has to be so broad as to include 103 George H. Smith CATO essays (with more to come)--for philosophy is analogous to physics in your example respecting the Liberal Artsyou once called George "one smart man," now WTF? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brant Gaede Posted November 14, 2013 Share Posted November 14, 2013 "Truth is ever to be found in the simplicity, and not in the multiplicity and confusion of things."A philosophical "social science" statement by Isaac Newton, the greatest scientist of all time.--Brant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikee Posted November 14, 2013 Share Posted November 14, 2013 "Plato is my friend — Aristotle is my friend — but my greatest friend is truth."-Isaac Newton“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler.”-Albert Einstein Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George H. Smith Posted November 19, 2013 Author Share Posted November 19, 2013 Tracking Freedom with the Human Sciences, Part 1 Smith discusses the distinction between freedom and coercion, and explains some of its implications for the human sciences. My Cato Essay #104 is now up. Ghs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George H. Smith Posted December 3, 2013 Author Share Posted December 3, 2013 State and Society, Part 1 Smith discusses some preliminary issues involved in the classic libertarian distinction between the spheres of “state” and “society.” My Cato Essay #106 is now up. Ghs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samson Corwell Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 State and Society, Part 1 Smith discusses some preliminary issues involved in the classic libertarian distinction between the spheres of “state” and “society.” My Cato Essay #106 is now up. Ghs George, one thing that has always bothered me is the libertarian use of the phrase "the state". It's never been clear to me exactly what it means. Is it referring to government or it used in the sense of being the composite of sovereignty, territory, population, and government? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brant Gaede Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 (Jump in): The "state" is governance using initiation of physical force to the point of statism as opposed to government mostly being a good boy. The anarcho-libertarian wants the purity of pure liberty or it's all statism. This will never happen so I'm inclined to the wishy-washy view of preponderance and freedom striving. Freedom striving means we don't forget what statism is and keep our muscles toned fighting for freedom less we lose it which we will if life gets too easy and we turn into the Eloy only to find out we're food for cellar dwellers. Government will always be with us as the bad boy we keep on a leash which is a perverse but manifest virtue of necessary evil in governance.So, "the state" is for you to figure out. What's above is what works for me. Obviously, I'm not a Utopian.--BrantGeorge? George? Sorry for the mess Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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