Tag Archives: Anthony de Jasay

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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Rights: nonsensical, empirical and hypothetical

by Aschwin de Wolf Posted on December 18, 2010

If there is one thing that characterizes contemporary political discourse, and contemporary political liberalism in particular, it is the obsession with “rights.” Individual rights are absolute, or “trumps,” that do not permit to be overridden by collective goals, and can … Continue reading →

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Analytical anarchism

by Aschwin de Wolf Posted on November 27, 2010

The phrase ‘analytical anarchism’ is so attractive that a number of different definitions are in circulation. The most logical seems to be the one that “uses the methods of analytic philosophy to clarify or defend anarchist theory” (Wikipedia). Such a … Continue reading →

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Anthony de Jasay on liberalism, democracy and conventions

by Aschwin de Wolf Posted on October 1, 2010

Despite losing his eyesight, Anthony de Jasay still publishes some of the most thought-provoking papers in social philosophy. In a recent article for the Institute of Economic  Affairs, de Jasay inspects the foundations of liberalism and observes that: In contrast … Continue reading →

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Anything that’s peaceful

by Aschwin de Wolf Posted on May 28, 2010

Libertarians spend a non-trivial amount of time arguing for the obvious. At best, such arguments are redundant because there is no widespread believe that violence or threats of violence are a good thing. At worst, these debates hurt the prospects … Continue reading →

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