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WEEK OF JULY 21, 2025


** This Week on Reading
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** Why Read the Ancients Today?
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The ancients understood that freedom and wisdom require more than material progress—they rest on enduring ideas about virtue, justice, and human nature. In this Liberty Matters forum, scholars revisit classical texts to show why reading the ancients still matters, offering insights that shape character, civic life, and the moral foundations of liberty.
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** How does reading deepen our understanding of freedom—and what steps can individuals take to read well?
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** “Reading is for the improvement of the understanding. The improvement of the understanding is for two ends; first, for our own increase of knowledge; secondly, to enable us to deliver and make out that knowledge to others.” —John Locke
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Reading helps us learn from the past and safeguard liberty. Through history, philosophy, and literature, we discover the principles that shaped free societies—and the consequences of forgetting them. In a world of rapid change, reading anchors us in enduring truths and sharpens critical thinking. This week’s featured resources explore how reading history deepens our understanding of freedom and offers practical steps for approaching great books with purpose and care.


** Articles
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** The Virtues of On Reading Well ([link removed])
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Jessica Hooten Wilson, Law & Liberty ([link removed])

As our careless use of language shows, we barely grasp what “virtuous” means—much less how to live it—but thoughtful reading of great works can illuminate the path.

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** How to Read a Book Inspectionally ([link removed])
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Art Carden, Adam Smith Works ([link removed])

This essay shows how inspectional reading—purposeful skimming—turns passive reading into active engagement, preparing readers for deeper learning and lasting understanding.


** In Defense of Voracious Reading ([link removed])
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Philip Bunn, Law & Liberty ([link removed])

Treating reading as mere information-gathering misses its deeper purpose: to shape character, spark imagination, and cultivate a lifelong love of learning.


** On productive and counterproductive ways to read ([link removed])
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Nathan Goodman, Econlib ([link removed])

This piece explains how purposeful reading transforms learning, contrasting effective techniques with practices that limit understanding and intellectual growth.



** Textualism and the Virtues of Honest Reading ([link removed]'t,man%20arguments%20against%20the%20view.)
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James R. Rogers, Law & Liberty ([link removed])

Those who benefit from eroding legal boundaries have the most to lose when the rule of law reasserts itself through a renewed commitment to formalism.


** Why Shakespeare Should Be Watched ([link removed])
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Anna Leman, Online Library of Liberty ([link removed])

Rooted in human nature and timeless themes, Shakespeare’s works remain essential for understanding virtue, power, and the complexities of a free society.


** Podcasts
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** James Marriott on Reading ([link removed])
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EconTalk ([link removed])
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** Why We Need to Read ([link removed])
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The Law & Liberty Podcast ([link removed])


** Videos
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** Niall Ferguson and the Lessons of History ([link removed])
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The Future of Liberty ([link removed])

In this episode, Niall Ferguson shares lessons of history and explains how reading the past helps preserve freedom’s future.
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