by Foundation for Economics Education and Sennholz
[Masthead and Table of Contents]: The masthead and table of contents for the January 1985 issue of The Freeman, listing articles on morality in markets, social justice, competition, money, and occupational licensing. [Liberalism Stands for Freedom]: Towner Phelan distinguishes between traditional liberalism, which seeks to limit government power to protect individual liberty, and modern 'neo-liberalism,' which advocates for an authoritarian state to achieve social engineering goals. [Beyond the Market]: John A. Davenport argues that while the market economy is intellectually victorious, it relies on a moral and cultural framework—including honesty, family, and property—that it does not generate itself. He critiques scientific materialism and behaviorism, calling for a new metaphysics to reconcile freedom with ethical norms. [Justice versus "Social Justice"]: John Hospers defines justice as treatment according to individual desert and contrasts it with the collectivist notion of 'social justice.' He argues that market outcomes are the least unjust because they reward productivity, whereas state-mandated redistribution penalizes merit and leads to universal destitution. Includes footnotes referencing Dostoyevsky, Ayn Rand, and Thomas Sowell. [Justice versus "Social Justice" Footnotes]: Reference citations for John Hospers' essay on justice, including works by Mises, Spencer, and Sowell. [Competition and Capital]: Dean Russell utilizes Frederic Bastiat's satires to critique protectionism and the 'cheap foreign labor' argument. He explains that high wages in developed nations are the result of capital investment (machinery) and that trade barriers in developing nations like India prevent the very capital flow needed to alleviate poverty. [Let's Liberate Money]: Ernest G. Ross advocates for the privatization of money, arguing that government monopolies on currency inevitably lead to inflation. He proposes a system where private firms issue gold-backed currency, regulated by market competition and private rating services rather than the Federal Reserve. [The Negro and Free Enterprise: A March Forward Singly]: Judith Anne Still traces the history of African American economic achievement through the lens of individual initiative and free enterprise. She highlights successful entrepreneurs from the 17th century to the 1970s, arguing that economic integration and individual merit are more effective for progress than collective political action. [The Negro and Free Enterprise Footnotes]: Citations for Judith Anne Still's essay on Negro individualism and business history. [Employer of Last Resort]: Hans F. Sennholz critiques the proposal for the federal government to act as an 'employer of last resort.' He argues that unemployment is caused by government interventions like minimum wage laws and union privileges which raise labor costs, and that government job programs actually destroy private sector jobs by consuming capital. [Occupational Licensing]: Dirk Yandell examines the rise of occupational licensing in California, arguing that such laws function as state-sanctioned cartels that limit competition and raise prices under the guise of consumer protection. He advocates for a return to market-based reputation and legal systems to ensure quality. [Book Reviews: The Spirit of Enterprise and Civil Rights]: Reviews of George Gilder's 'The Spirit of Enterprise,' which celebrates the 'X factor' of human ingenuity in the economy, and Thomas Sowell's 'Civil Rights: Rhetoric or Reality?', which critiques the assumptions of the civil rights movement regarding group outcomes and discrimination.
The masthead and table of contents for the January 1985 issue of The Freeman, listing articles on morality in markets, social justice, competition, money, and occupational licensing.
Read full textTowner Phelan distinguishes between traditional liberalism, which seeks to limit government power to protect individual liberty, and modern 'neo-liberalism,' which advocates for an authoritarian state to achieve social engineering goals.
Read full textJohn A. Davenport argues that while the market economy is intellectually victorious, it relies on a moral and cultural framework—including honesty, family, and property—that it does not generate itself. He critiques scientific materialism and behaviorism, calling for a new metaphysics to reconcile freedom with ethical norms.
Read full textJohn Hospers defines justice as treatment according to individual desert and contrasts it with the collectivist notion of 'social justice.' He argues that market outcomes are the least unjust because they reward productivity, whereas state-mandated redistribution penalizes merit and leads to universal destitution. Includes footnotes referencing Dostoyevsky, Ayn Rand, and Thomas Sowell.
Read full textReference citations for John Hospers' essay on justice, including works by Mises, Spencer, and Sowell.
Read full textDean Russell utilizes Frederic Bastiat's satires to critique protectionism and the 'cheap foreign labor' argument. He explains that high wages in developed nations are the result of capital investment (machinery) and that trade barriers in developing nations like India prevent the very capital flow needed to alleviate poverty.
Read full textErnest G. Ross advocates for the privatization of money, arguing that government monopolies on currency inevitably lead to inflation. He proposes a system where private firms issue gold-backed currency, regulated by market competition and private rating services rather than the Federal Reserve.
Read full textJudith Anne Still traces the history of African American economic achievement through the lens of individual initiative and free enterprise. She highlights successful entrepreneurs from the 17th century to the 1970s, arguing that economic integration and individual merit are more effective for progress than collective political action.
Read full textCitations for Judith Anne Still's essay on Negro individualism and business history.
Read full textHans F. Sennholz critiques the proposal for the federal government to act as an 'employer of last resort.' He argues that unemployment is caused by government interventions like minimum wage laws and union privileges which raise labor costs, and that government job programs actually destroy private sector jobs by consuming capital.
Read full textDirk Yandell examines the rise of occupational licensing in California, arguing that such laws function as state-sanctioned cartels that limit competition and raise prices under the guise of consumer protection. He advocates for a return to market-based reputation and legal systems to ensure quality.
Read full textReviews of George Gilder's 'The Spirit of Enterprise,' which celebrates the 'X factor' of human ingenuity in the economy, and Thomas Sowell's 'Civil Rights: Rhetoric or Reality?', which critiques the assumptions of the civil rights movement regarding group outcomes and discrimination.
Read full text