Category Archives: Philosophy

The ethics of debt default

by Aschwin de Wolf Posted on April 12, 2011

One of James Buchanan’s most interesting papers is The Ethics of Debt Default (1987), first published in the book Deficits (a collection of public choice articles about public debt and debt financing), edited by James M. Buchanan, Charles Kershaw Rowley, … Continue reading →

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Review of Political Philosophy, Clearly in The Independent Review

by Aschwin de Wolf Posted on March 17, 2011

The spring 2011 issue of The Independent Review features an excellent and informative review of Anthony de Jasay’s latest essay collection Political Philosophy, Clearly: Essays on Freedom And Fairness, Property And Equalities: Denying that the emergence of order requires either … Continue reading →

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David Stove and the Plato cult

by Aschwin de Wolf Posted on December 19, 2010

David Stove’s book The Plato Cult and Other Philosophical Follies is a remarkable collection of essays. As a staunch positivist ,the author is not impressed with most of what constitutes “philosophy” (or the quality of our thinking in general). As … Continue reading →

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Pattern junkies and the financial meltdown

by Aschwin de Wolf Posted on December 19, 2010

In an opinion piece for Forbes, legal scholar Richard A. Epstein draws attention to the political philosophical aspects of the financial meltdown: Fannie and Freddie didn’t design their horrific lending policies by chance. No, behind this lending fiasco lay the … Continue reading →

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Common political fallacies

by Aschwin de Wolf Posted on December 18, 2010

In Cato Journal, Volume 28, No. 1 (Winter 2008), the independent scholar Anthony de Jasay reviews four common fallacies (as presented in the works of John Stuart Mill, Ronald Dworkin, John Rawls, and Armen Alchian) that many social scientists and … Continue reading →

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