Month: October 2012

October 29, 2012

A State That Co-opts and Crushes Civil Society?

John Zmirak, author and Editor-in-Chief of The Intercollegiate Review, wants voters to know exactly what is at stake in the looming Presidential election. In a guest blogger piece at the National Catholic Register, Zmirak pointedly states that the choice between the two candidates isn’t just about whose economic agenda seems more reasonable or who won which debate: …it’s about what America means: At heart of our Constitutional democracy is the freedom of individuals, even those with unpopular opinions, to pursue the good as they choose—and their right to form groups outside the government and push back against its policies. Continue Reading...
October 29, 2012

Tracing the Logic of Liberalism

In the Western world there are conservative liberals, liberal liberals, and radical liberals, says David T. Koyzis, but all adhere to the basic principles of liberalism: The liberalism of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. Continue Reading...
October 26, 2012

The Moral Paper Route

AEI recently held a contest challenging people to make a video that could articulate a moral case for free markets in two minutes or less. The $40,000 top prize was won by Jared Fuller with this entry, “The Moral Paper Route.” Continue Reading...
October 26, 2012

Samuel Gregg: Paul Ryan’s Way

Acton’s Director of Research, Samuel Gregg, notes in a recent NRO article that vice-presidential candidate Paul Ryan has avoided “emotivist nonsense” and presented a clear moral vision for our country. Among other things, Ryan, ever so politely but unambiguously, underlined the immense damage inflicted by sometimes well-intentioned government welfare programs upon those in need. Continue Reading...
October 26, 2012

ResearchLinks – 10.26.12

Call for Papers: “Intellectual Property and Religious Thought” University of St. Thomas School of Law, April 5, 2013. The University of St. Thomas will hold a conference titled “Intellectual Property and Religious Thought,” on April 5, 2013, co-sponsored by the Terrence J. Continue Reading...
October 25, 2012

Is Religious Freedom a “Natural Right”?

Over at The Claremont Institute, Hadley Arkes considers whether religious freedom is a “natural right.” His exploration of the question is lengthy and complex and, as with everything Prof. Arkes writes, worthy of serious consideration. Continue Reading...
October 25, 2012

Monks, Beer, and the Labor of their Hands

Fr. Z’s Blog has a great post highlighting the Benedictine Monks at Norcia and their new brew. Here is the motto from the Birra Nursia site. Wonderful stuff, really: In complete harmony with the centuries old tradition, the monks of Norcia have sought to share with the world a product which came about in the very heart of the monastic life, one which reminds us of the goodness of creation and the potential that it contains. Continue Reading...
October 25, 2012

Bono, Babel, and the Myth of Economist as Savior

Bono, lead singer of U2 and co-founder of charity-group ONE, recently offered some positive words about the role of markets in reducing global poverty and spurring economic development (HT): The Irish singer and co-founder of ONE, a campaigning group that fights poverty and disease in Africa, said it had been “a humbling thing for me” to realize the importance of capitalism and entrepreneurialism in philanthropy, particularly as someone who “got into this as a righteous anger activist with all the cliches.” Continue Reading...
October 24, 2012

Acton Commentary: Desiccated Christianity

“When Christian institutions attempt to mitigate or compromise this understanding of their mission–often as the result of the political pressure–they morph into shadowy versions of their former selves,” writes Rev. Robert A. Continue Reading...
October 24, 2012

Equality of Opportunity vs. Sameness of Opportunity

Conservatives should embrace the cause of equality of opportunity, says David Azerrad, not sameness of opportunity. [W]e must not confuse equality of opportunity with sameness of opportunity. Equality of opportunity is a moral imperative and a requirement of just government. Continue Reading...