Journal of Liberty and Society_Volume 1
PROMETHEUS INSTITUTE AWARDS
- Top Papers -
Those Capitalist Demons! Anti-Market Bias in Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Heidi C. Lange, Hillsdale College
Unlikely Parallels: Libertarianism and Identity Politics
Francis Boyle, Temple University
- Honorable Mention -
Mill and Hayek: Liberty, Morality, and Socialism
Andrew Knauer, University of California, Santa Barbara
Content of Journal
Letter from the Editor-in-Chief, Alexander McCobin
Letter from the Faculty Advisor, Professor Bradley K. Hobbs
Prometheus Institute Prize Winners
Those Capitalist Demons! Anti-Market Bias in Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Heidi C. Lange, Hillsdale College
Abstract: Popular American culture displays an overwhelming anti-market bias. This bias represents a lack of historical knowledge of the marked improvements in living conditions which have occurred under capitalism. I maintain that this widely-held attitude is false and damaging; the tragedy lies in the fact that the anti-market bias in popular culture is seldom noticed or critically examined. The popular television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BtVS) provides a basis for an examination of culturally embedded anti-market bias. This paper examines scripts from all seven seasons of BtVS and identifies a pattern of anti-market biases through the dialogue and actions of the main characters.
Unlikely Parallels: Libertarianism and Identity Politics
Francis Boyle, Temple University
Abstract: In modern politics, liberalism has become the dominant political ideology throughout the world. Both libertarianism and identity politics represent radical breaks from the tradition of liberalism, yet both theories have not been brought together into a larger discussion. By looking at how libertarianism differentiates itself from liberalism, many conceptual similarities between the two ideologies are brought to light. Libertarian positions on equality, pluralism and toleration, redistribution, and class theory each present a stance that theorists of identity politics should find amenable. On further analysis, the parallels between libertarianism and identity politics are unusually striking, suggesting that proponents of both philosophies could look towards each other for cooperation and inspiration.
Mill and Hayek: Liberty, Morality, and Socialism
Andrew Knauer, University of California, Santa Barbara
Abstract: This paper seeks to reconcile the fact that John Stuart Mill and Friedrich Hayek were able to have opposing views on socialism while adhering to classical liberal beliefs. It is my conclusion that Darwinian evolutionary theory played a large part in Hayek’s divergence from Mill’s views on socialism, and that Mill could have benefited from such theories. Darwinian evolutionary theory allowed Hayek to examine social institutions and the creation of morality as an evolutionary process, whereas Mill thought morality and social institutions were rationally constructed. Mill’s utopianism, expressed through utilitarianism, may have been a hindrance in his conception of socialism and its effect on liberty.
The Rule of Law and the American Gothic
Kevin Waterman, Seton Hall University
Abstract: A society’s literature has always been one of the most effective ways of gauging its values. The stories a society chooses to tell will enshrine the values it treasures while emphasizing those it finds problematic. Gothic literature is particularly valuable in this regard; it is almost always intended to be a form of social critique, and as such highlights where a society has deviated from those values it treasures in order to generate a horrifying effect. Gothic literature can be divided into many strains, the most notable division being between the Europen Gothic and the American Gothic. This study will examine the American Gothic and endeavor to prove 1) it is rooted in the idea of the Rule of Law and 2) American Gothic stories serve to critique society for abandoning or perverting the Rule of Law while making clear the dangers in doing so. This will be done by examining three novels: The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Sanctuary by William Faulkner, and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. These novels were written over a wide stretch of American history, from the nation’s early years to the near-present day, and as such offer clear evidence of long-running appreciation for the Rule of Law and equally long-running awareness of the danger of its abuse.
The Venezuelan Student Movement: El movimiento estudiantil venezolano
Yana Chernyak, Franklin and Marshall College
Abstract: The recent student movement in Venezuela was successful in bringing about the rejection of Hugo Chavez’s proposed constitutional reform of December 2007. I discuss how the social movement evolved and what makes it unique. There have been many student movements throughout Latin America in the last half-century but they have not always been successful. It is surprising that a peaceful movement like this could bring about such radical change under a regime like that of Hugo Chavez, which allows very little freedom. The movement was able to succeed because of its swift reaction to a violation of freedom of expression, allowing the movement to organize itself around a message with broad appeal using simple and engaging forms of protest. Especially important was the political opportunity structure. With a social and political climate lacking coherent opposition to Chavez’s regime, the movement was what many Venezuelans had been looking for and was essentially seen as a welcome and necessary addition to the national discourse.
In Defense of Capitalism: The Great Abolitionist
Jessica Johnson, Florida Gulf Coast University
Abstract: This paper provides a defense of a free market capitalist economy as the only system under which slavery can truly be abolished. The defense includes a brief history of slavery, as well as its position as a black market. Further, the origins of the moral foundations of capitalism are reviewed showing the importance of human rights in capitalist thinking. Under capitalist theory, slavery is both immoral and inefficient. The work of Levy and Peart identifying the dismal science title of economics as a result of slavery is also presented. Opposing viewpoints, such as that of communist philosophy, are offered and rebutted. Finally, the modern impact of slavery is discussed.
Liberty Defined
Red Davies, George Washington University
Abstract: This paper makes an attempt to define freedom and liberty. Freedom is defined initially as our individual ability to pursue our wants and desires, while liberty is defined as the social application of freedom. In the process of analyzing this definition, the ideas of thinkers such as Rousseau, Mill, Hegel, and Berlin are discussed, but none of them are fully endorsed. Counter ideas about freedom from these thinkers and more generally helpful opinions are discussed and, while found to be well-intentioned, they are shown to be distortions of freedom and liberty for other concepts. Among these are the ideas of collective liberties, positive liberty, and the freedom espoused by ascetics. Ultimately, a plea is made that to protect our freedom and liberty we need to fully understand them.
