columns
Some Thoughts about Writing Essays
With his 250th essay, Smith interrupts his series on abolitionism to offer some reflections on writing essays.
Explore
George H. Smith
George H. Smith was formerly Senior Research Fellow for the Institute for Humane Studies, a lecturer on American History for Cato Summer Seminars, and Executive Editor of Knowledge Products. Smith's fourth and most recent book, The System of Liberty, was published by Cambridge University Press in 2013.
columns
Are Judges Bound to Enforce Unjust Laws?
Smith details the scholarly debate between Lysander Spooner and Wendell Phillips over the constitutionality of slavery.
Excursions
Freethought and Freedom: Introduction
George H. Smith begins his series on the historical relationship between religious skepticism and libertarianism.
Excursions
Self-Interest and Social Order in Classical Liberalism: Bernard Mandeville v. Francis Hutcheson
George H. Smith discusses what Bernard Mandeville meant in saying that private vices produce public benefits, and how Francis Hutcheson criticized that theory.
Excursions
Self-Interest and Social Order in Classical Liberalism: Mandeville on the Benefits of Vice
George H. Smith discusses Bernard Mandeville’s defense of legal prostitution and other vices.
Excursions
Self-Interest and Social Order in Classical Liberalism: Bernard Mandeville
George H. Smith explains why Mandeville’s ideas about vice made him one of the most notorious writers of his time.
columns
Lysander Spooner on the Unconstitutionality of Slavery
Smith provides some background on Spooner’s influential book The Unconstitutionality of Slavery.
Excursions
Self-Interest and Social Order in Classical Liberalism: Joseph Butler, Continued
George H. Smith continues his discussion of Joseph Butler’s theory of moral psychology, and summarizes his ideas about conscience and rational self-interest.
columns
The Constitution and Slavery
Smith discusses the schism in the abolitionist movement over the constitutionality of slavery, and he begins his analysis of Lysander Spooner’s arguments in The Unconstitutionality of Slavery.
Excursions
Self-Interest and Social Order in Classical Liberalism: Joseph Butler
George H. Smith discusses Joseph Butler’s influential theory of psychology and his ideas about self-interest and benevolence.
columns
Concluding Remarks on Vices are not Crimes
Smith summarizes Lysander Spooner’s objections to the most popular arguments in favor of the prohibition of alcohol.
Excursions
Self-Interest and Social Order in Classical Liberalism: The Selfish System
George H. Smith discusses various objections to the claim that all actions are necessarily self-interested.
Excursions
Self-Interest and Social Order in Classical Liberalism: Thomas Hobbes
George H. Smith discusses the Hobbesian theory of self-interest and why classical liberals were so intent on refuting it.
columns
Lysander Spooner’s Moral Theory
Smith discusses the influence of puritanism, the religious revival in the early 19th century, and Spooner’s disagreements with Christian ethics.
Excursions
Self-Interest and Social Order in Classical Liberalism: David Hume on Justice
George H. Smith explains David Hume’s theory of the social evolution of our ideas about justice.
columns
Some Background on the Prohibition Movement
Smith explains some reasons why the temperance movement switched from advocating voluntary methods to calling for coercive prohibitory laws during the 1830s.
Excursions
Self-Interest and Social Order in Classical Liberalism: David Hume
George H. Smith begins his discussion of David Hume’s moral and social philosophy.
Liberty Chronicles
Ep. 04: Methodological Individualism and the Study of History
The larger society does not think, it does not reason, it does not decide anything.