Like Roderick, I also am back from the APA. In addition to the Molinari Society session, I also enjoyed the ARS session, and the AAPSS session (in which I was a participant) was by all reports a good one. Lots of good meals, and lots of good discussions with many people, including a long conversation with Jacob Levy on different ways of interpreting the ethical issues in Watchmen. I'll write something about that conversation, but not now; terrible sinus cold makes thinking difficult. Meanwhile, happy new year to all L&P readers and co-bloggers.

Papers are all graded; waiting for final exams to roll in, so, surfing around. What do I find? Great News: Peter Jackson and New Line have resolved their differences, and have agreed to make a film of The Hobbit. Also -- Not Necessarily Great News: The 2-movie deal includes The Hobbit and something descibed ominously as"a sequel." Meaning what, something Tolkien didn't write concerning the years between The Hobbit and LOTR? Do not want. UPDATE: According to AICN,"The second project is believed to be a bridge between THE HOBBIT and THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy - culled from the titanic amount of periphery/ancillary/notated material found in Tolkien's works." So, maybe it'll be ok. I'll keep an open mind; PJ's credibility with me is good.

Hat tip: Fark, via Volokh

(Can't believe I scooped Roderick on this.)

Brad DeLong on Schumpeter in the Chronicle.
Good piece.

Good column by Don and Karol Boudreaux on the connection between civilization and commerce.

Just received this CFP. I am not involved with this in any way, but it seemed interesting, and it's something L&P readers (and co-bloggers) might have an interest in. So here it is. If you're interested, reply to the contact info given below.


First Conference on Liberty Studies
What is Liberty Studies?
5 - 6 April 2008
The College of New Jersey
Ewing, New Jersey

Call for Papers

The first annual Liberty Studies Conference, sponsored by The Center for Liberty Studies, will be held this April 5 - 6 at The College of New Jersey in Ewing New Jersey. The theme of our conference is "What is Liberty Studies?" This conference will put forth various ideas of what would constitute Liberty Studies by starting a debate and discussion concerning what undergraduate students ought to be learning about liberty. We are looking to disseminate substantive ideas that professors can consider for their own classes and home institutions.

Papers are welcome on any topic in liberty and from any discipline. We are looking for submissions that are accessible to a wide audience. Bibliographies and works cited should be limited to those works that either will be directly used in the classroom or are deemed important for instructor reference. Reading time of papers should be approximately 20 minutes. Accepted papers will be published in the new online Journal of Liberty Studies.

Abstracts of no less than 250 words are due by January 15th. Email submissions to conference@libertystudies.org Early submission is encouraged.

For more information about Liberty Studies and The Center for Liberty Studies, please visit our website at www.libertystudies.org


This year we are holding our conference in conjunction with the 35th Conference on Value Inquiry "Values and Medicine". For information on the Conference on Value Inquiry got to www.valueinquiry.net

I have no idea what the algortihm is, but:

Get a Cash Advance

Good to know we're maintaining high standards.

Happy Guy Fawkes Day! If you still haven’t read Alan Moore and David Lloyd’s V for Vendetta, now would be a good time. (The freedom fighter/protagonist wears a Guy Fawkes mask, in case you were wondering about the seeming non-sequitur.) It’s a terrific story. If all you know is the recent film version, let me tell you that the book is much better. I enjoyed the film on a certain level, but there’s no comparison. It's not just about why fascism or totalitarianism is bad, it's about why freedom is good. And it makes some good distinctions about liberty and licentiousness, and what anarchy might really mean.

Via Roderick's other blog, I've just learned that Laissez-Faire Books is closing their business. As Roderick notes, the rationale is understandable, but I can't help note the event with sadness. I remember when they were a physical store in Manhattan, and many times when I was in Grad school I would go up there, often with my friend Dan Schmutter. I picked up many books there which contributed to my education in classical liberalism, things which for the most part wouldn't have occurred to most of my professors. The store, and later the catalogue, was an open door for me into a world which otherwise might have remained obscure. Not just philosophy and economics, either: I discovered Steve Ditko's brilliant Static via LFB also. The more I think about this, the sadder I'm getting, but I have a 9:30 class to teach, so this will have to do for now. :-(