"Nothing is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less."
~Marie Curie
We hope this newsletter finds you safe and well, and able to enjoy some sunny spring skies. We can't think of another year in recent memory where the beauty of spring is so welcome.
We're happy to welcome many new friends this month, and we thank our long-time readers and listeners for their continued support. There is a lot of new content available at Econlib this month- from the new video posts on EconLog, a new Intellectual Portrait at Econlib video, a new Virtual Reading Group beginning next week, and of course terrific new podcasts every week at EconTalk. If there is something you would like to see, or see more of, we hope you'll let us know, and we hope you'll share Econlib with your friends. Feel free to drop us an email at [email protected]anytime. Stay well!
Econlib Feature Articles, May 2020
What is a Just Price?
by Paul Mueller
Few economists today ask whether prices are just. Why is this? And what should we say constitutes "justice" in pricing? Paul Mueller explores the history behind this forgotten concept, starting with Aristotle and visiting Aquinas and the Scholastics along the way. Read More.
Liberty in the Wake of Coronavirus by Aris Trantidis
"Never before has ‘freedom from’ so worryingly related to ‘freedom to.’ Nearly three billion people currently live under lockdowns enacted by governments. In these uncertain times, most of us remain confined to our homes and accept these unprecedented restrictions as a temporary but necessary sacrifice in the fight against a deadly virus." What will be the fate of liberty post-pandemic? Are our constitutional protections enough to safeguard our liberty? Read More.
Order and The Wealth of Nations by Arnold Kling
The history of economic thought has taught us that specialization, division of labor, and comparative advantage are key to our economic well-being. But how much does one nation- the United States- do to safeguard it? In this month's review, Arnold Kling explores "The Order" Peter Zeihan is afraid is falling. Read More.
Liberalism versus the State: A Liberty Classic Review by Alberto Mingardi
In our latest Liberty Classic, Alberto Mingardi explores this once-forgotten slim volume from Ludwig von Mises. "For Mises, liberalism was indeed this: a philosophy for the common man, the only political philosophy that took the common man seriously, regardless of his obvious imperfection and his blatant lack of refinement." Explore Mises's philosophy of liberalism this month; you'll also find a link to a readers' guide for this title. Read More.
"...when authorities proclaim the present state of emergency to be a “new normal,” we have a duty to do more than listen. We need to start a conversation. What do we mean by “normal”? Perhaps more accurately, when we finally get back to “normal,” what should it look like?"
Jenny Schuetz of the Brookings Institution talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about zoning, boarding houses, real estate development, and the housing market.
P.S. Don't miss our EconTalk Extra, Home is Where the Zoning Is,for this episode, designed to facilitate further thought and discussion on this episode.
