Libertarianism.org

“Libertarian” Paternalism?

Free Thoughts Podcast – 48 min 14 sec – Oct 20, 2014 – Episode 52 of 313

Bill Glod joins us on this week’s episode of Free Thoughts for a discussion on so-called libertarian paternalism.

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What is libertarian paternalism? Is paternalism without coercion even possible? Does it work? Can we trust those who are in charge of creating good “choice architecture” to be better at their jobs than any typical bureaucrat? How do we know what someone’s “true preferences” are? And don’t these sort of “nudges” strip people of their agency?

Show Notes and Further Reading

Cass Sunstein and Richard Thaler, Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness (book)

Bill Glod, The Limits of Libertarian Paternalism (interview with Glen Whitman)

Slippery Slopes and the New Paternalism (Cato Unbound Series)

Bill Glod

Bill Glod is the philosophy progams officer at the Institute for Humane Studies. He received his PhD in Philosophy from Tulane University in 2008.  His main research interests are Political Philosophy and Ethics, particularly public reason liberalism and legal paternalism.

Aaron Ross Powell

Aaron Ross Powell is Director and Editor of Libertarianism.org, a project of the Cato Institute. Libertarianism.org presents introductory material as well as new scholarship related to libertarian philosophy, theory, and history. He is also co-host of Libertarianism.org’s popular podcast, Free Thoughts. His writing has appeared in Liberty and The Cato Journal. He earned a JD from the University of Denver.

Trevor Burrus

Trevor Burrus is a research fellow at the Cato Institute’s Center for Constitutional Studies. His research interests include constitutional law, civil and criminal law, legal and political philosophy, and legal history. His work has appeared in the Vermont Law Review, the Syracuse Law Review, and the Jurist, as well as the Washington Times, Huffington Post, and the Daily Caller. He holds a BA in Philosophy from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a JD from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.