The Curious Task: Recent Episodes
Institute for Liberal Studies
Host Alex Aragona and a rotating cast of guests explore philosophy, politics, economics, and other ideas from a classical liberal perspective.
In this conversation from 2021, Alex Aragona speaks with Aeon Skoble as he outlines his ideas on what anarchism is, how we should think on it, and how it overlaps with classical liberal ideas.
References from The Curious Task Episode 99 with Aeon Skoble
- Aeon Skoble is author of Deleting the State and editor of a collection of essays called The Simpsons and Philosophy. He has a chapter titled “What Is the Point of Anarchism” in The Routledge Handbook of Anarchy and Anarchist Thought. Read more from Aeon Skoble on the blog Radical Classical Liberal here.
- Aeon Skoble mentions Robert Nozick, who argues for a minimal state in Anarchy, State, and Utopia available for purchase here. Aeon Skoble further discusses Robert Nozick in this video produced by the Fraser Institute here.
- Learn more about the prisoner’s dilemma here.
- The relationship between anarchism and law is explored by Bruce Benson in his book The Enterprise of Law, available for purchase here.
In this episode from 2022, Alex speaks with David Friedman about the history of legal systems around the world from an economic standpoint.
References
- “The Machinery of Freedom: Guide to Radical Capitalism” by David D. Friedman
Link: http://www.daviddfriedman.com/The_Machinery_of_Freedom_.pdf
- “Law’s Order: What Economics Has to Do with Law and Why It Matters” by David D. Friedman
Link: http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Laws_Order_draft/laws_order_ToC.htm
- “Who Is David Ricardo and What Is He Famous For?” by the Investopedia Team
Link: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/david-ricardo.asp#:~:text=Ricardo's%20widely%20acclaimed%20comparative%20advantage,as%20compared%20to%20other%20nations.
- “Ordeals” by Peter T. Leeson
Link: https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/664010
Thanks to Our PatronsThanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald.
To support The Curious Task, visit:
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In this episode from 2025, Matt Bufton speaks with Don Boudreaux about tariffs, free trade, and the economic misunderstandings that drive protectionist policies. Don critiques the balance of trade doctrine, drawing from historical examples and economic theory to explain why tariffs harm both consumers and producers. The discussion covers the impact of tariffs on the U.S. and Canada, how politicians exploit economic misconceptions, and why a policy of unilateral free trade would be the best path forward.
References
-
Globalization by Don Boudreaux
- Paperback: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/globalization-9780313342134/
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The Essential Hayek by Don Boudreaux
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Free PDF: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/sites/default/files/essential-hayek_0.pdf
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"The Case for Free Trade" by Don Boudreaux (Mercatus Center)
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https://www.mercatus.org/system/files/boudreaux-benefits-free-trade-ep-v2.pdf
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"Don't Get Played By Protectionists" (Cafe Hayek)
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https://cafehayek.com/2025/03/dont-get-played-by-protectionists.html
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"On America's Trade Deficit With China" by Don Boudreaux
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https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/on-americas-trade-deficit-with-china/
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"Adam Smith Doesn't Like U.S. Trade Policy" by Stuart Anderson
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https://www.forbes.com/sites/stuartanderson/2018/07/18/adam-smith-doesnt-like-u-s-trade-policy/
Thanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald. To support the podcast, visit https://patreon.com/curioustask.
In this conversation from 2023, Matt speaks with Mark Mercer about academic freedom, the changing mission of universities themselves, and what role faculty, administrators, and students should play in shaping the future of the institution.
References:
- Mark’s Interview in C2C Journal: https://c2cjournal.ca/2023/05/confronting-the-post-academic-university-in-conversation-with-mark-mercer/
- Peter March at St. Mary’s: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/students-protest-prof-who-posted-cartoons-1.623017
- Kathleen Lowrey at University of Alberta: https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/u-of-a-professor-says-she-was-dismissed-over-views-that-biological-sex-trumps-transgender-identity-for-policy-decisions
- Tomáš Hudlický at Brock University: https://niagaraindependent.ca/remembering-professor-tomas-hudlicky-and-how-poorly-brock-university-treated-him/
- The Chicago Principles: https://provost.uchicago.edu/sites/default/files/documents/reports/FOECommitteeReport.pdf
In this episode from 2021, Alex Aragona speaks with Dennis Rasmussen about his findings on how the American Founding Fathers truly felt about the experiment they designed and built as time went on.
References
- Dennis Rasmussen previously joined The Curious Task to speak about his book The Infidel and the Professor, and you can listen to that episode here.
- The book discussed on this episode of The Curious Task is Fears of the Setting Sun by Dennis Rasmussen, which can be purchased from Amazon here.
- The rising sun armchair can be seen digitally here.
- More information on the Federalists can be found here, and the Anti-Federalists here.
- The soundtrack to Hamilton can be listened to here.
Thanks to Our PatronsThanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald.
To support The Curious Task, visit:
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Alex Eames speaks with Moshe Lander about whether Canada’s billion-dollar FIFA bill is a smart investment, or if politicans and taxpayers are being sold a bill of goods. Moshe argues that while the World Cup will absolutely be fun and meaningful for fans, the public was sold a dollars-and-cents case that does not really hold up once you factor in temporary jobs, displaced spending, security costs, and FIFA’s ability to push expenses onto host cities.
References
- Parliamentary Budget Officer, Federal financial support for the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup
https://www.pbo-dpb.ca/en/publications/NT-2627-007-S--federal-financial-support-2026-fifa-men-world-cup--aide-financiere-federale-coupe-monde-masculine-fifa-2026 - Moshe Lander, The World Cup Is an Economic Sinkhole, Maclean’s
https://macleans.ca/economy/the-world-cup-is-an-economic-sinkhole/ - Government of Canada, Canada welcomes the FIFA World Cup 2026
https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/soccer-2026.html - Toronto FIFA World Cup 26 Match Schedule
https://torontofwc26.ca/game
Thanks to Our PatronsThanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald.
To support The Curious Task, visit:
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Alex speaks with Darrell Bricker about whether Canada is at a breaking point, drawing from Bricker and John Ibbitson’s book Breaking Point to explore Canada’s economic stagnation, regional alienation, generational anxiety, and fragile national identity. Bricker argues that Canada’s challenges are serious but not fatal if Canadians are willing to stop kicking hard problems down the road and start building a country that younger generations can actually believe in.
References:
- Darrell Bricker and John Ibbitson, Breaking Point: The New Big Shifts Putting Canada at Risk
- Darrell Bricker and John Ibbitson, The Big Shift
- George Grant, Lament for a Nation
- Statistics Canada — Canadian international merchandise trade data, including energy exports
- Canada Energy Regulator — Canada-U.S. energy trade overview
Thanks to Our PatronsThanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald.
To support The Curious Task, visit:
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In this episode from 2022, Alex speaks with James Harrigan about popular culture as a source of social change and the many ways in which the export of American pop culture has shaped the world.
References
- “Brown v. Board of Education” by the National Archives
Link: https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/brown-v-board-of-education
- “Roe v. Wade” by Britannica
Link: https://www.britannica.com/event/Roe-v-Wade
In this episode, Alex speaks with Matt Zwolinski about whether markets are coercive, and why the answer is more complicated than either “markets are voluntary” or “capitalism is coercion.” They discuss Robert Hale’s classic argument, the limits of standard libertarian responses, and why a better liberal defence of markets has to take real-world coercion seriously without treating all coercion as morally equal.
References:
- Matt Zwolinski, “Are markets coercive?”
- Robert L. Hale, “Coercion and Distribution in a Supposedly Non-Coercive State”
- Thomas Nixon Carver, Principles of National Economy
- Sohrab Ahmari, Tyranny, Inc.: How Private Power Crushed American Liberty—and What to Do About It
- F. A. Hayek, The Constitution of Liberty
Thanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald. To support The Curious Task, visit: https://patreon.com/curioustask
Matt speaks with Matt Dinan about why AI is not so much ruining liberal education as exposing it's main shortcoming: treating education as a system of credentials rather than a challenging process of reading, writing, discussing, and learning how to learn. Dinan argues that the best response is not to become an "AI cop", but to design courses that incentivize students to learn skills they will need in any scenario where AI has an impact on our society - for better or for worse.
References
- “Permission Structures” — Matt Dinan
https://mattdinan.substack.com/p/the-ai-skeptical-professors-guide - Matt Dinan’s viral “honest B or C student” post on X
https://x.com/second_sailing/status/1912857896599105564 - “Tyler Cowen’s AI Campus” — Marginal Revolution
https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2026/01/tyler-cowens-ai-campus.htm
Thanks to Our PatronsThanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald.
To support The Curious Task, visit:
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In this episode from 2022, Alex speaks with Moin Yahya about debates both new and old surrounding the causes and history of inflation.
References:
Inflation and Paper Money: An Historical Perspective: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4076420
In Defense of the Free-Banking Stablecoins: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4056359
George Selgin's page at the Cato Institute:
https://www.cato.org/people/george-selgin
Thanks to Our Patrons
Thanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald.
To support The Curious Task, visit:
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Matt speaks with Nadine Strossen about why free speech is under pressure across the political spectrum, from left-wing campus cancel culture to right-wing government coercion and censorship pressures. Strossen argues that the answer to hateful or harmful ideas is not censorship, but a stronger culture of free expression, viewpoint neutrality, and fighting bad speech with better speech.
References
- Free Speech: What Everyone Needs to Know - Nadine Strossen: https://a.co/d/0ialIpUc
- Hate: Why We Should Resist It with Free Speech, Not Censorship - Nadine Strossen: https://a.co/d/0isrx1H3
- The War on Words: 10 Arguments Against Free Speech and Why They Fail - Nadine Strossen and Greg Lukianoff: https://a.co/d/00P1zxhP
- FIRE: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression https://www.fire.org/
- The Future of Free Speech: Jhttps://futurefreespeech.org/
- The Communications Decency Act https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communications_Decency_Act
Thanks to Our Patrons
Thanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald.
To support The Curious Task, visit:
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Matt speaks with Casey Kennedy, co-founder of Acton Academy Calgary Central, about what makes the Acton model different from traditional schooling: guides instead of teachers, Socratic discussions instead of lectures, mastery instead of grades, and an emphasis on letting kids struggle, fail, and become passionate about the process of learning itself. Casey also explains why she and her husband started the school for their daughter, how her earlier work in Dallas and Sierra Leone shaped her view of education, and why she believes every child has a “genius” that education should help uncover.
References
- Acton Academy Calgary Central https://www.actoncentral.org/
- Acton Academy https://actonacademy.org/
- The One World Schoolhouse - Salman Khan https://a.co/d/0dI4FOkK
- Khan Academy https://www.khanacademy.org/
- Montessori education and mixed-age classrooms https://montessori-ami.org/trainingvoices/mixed-ages-montessori-environment
Thanks to Our Patrons
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To support The Curious Task, visit:
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Matt speaks with James Czerniawski about proposed bans on children using social media and AI, exploring concerns around mental health, digital literacy, free speech, privacy, and the consequences of regulation. James argues that while online harms are real, outright bans are ineffective and often counterproductive, advocating instead for parental awareness, digital literacy, and a more optimistic approach to AI.
References
James’ website: https://jamesczerniawski.com/
James’ author page at the Consumer Choice Center: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/author/james/
The UK Online Safety Act: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-safety-act-explainer/online-safety-act-explainer
Institute for Family Studies: Digital Parent Toolkit: https://ifstudies.org/blog/new-tools-to-help-parents-navigate-teens-social-media-use
The Twitter Files: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter_Files
COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act): https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/rules/childrens-online-privacy-protection-rule-coppa
Thanks to Our Patrons
Thanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald.
To support The Curious Task, visit:
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Alex sits down with Holly Doan to discuss Accountability Journalism and the role that non-mainstream journalistic media has in the current Canadian political landscape. They discuss the decline of traditional newsrooms, subsidies for Canadian media companies and the lack of transparency that has led us to a climate where the press is struggling to keep up with the times.
References
Blacklock’s website:
https://www.blacklocks.ca/
The Hub article on government subsidies for traditional Canadian media outlets:
https://thehub.ca/2025/05/05/the-names-of-media-outlets-receiving-government-mandated-funding-released-only-days-after-election/
Carney’s CBC funding announcement:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/mark-carney-cbc-funding-1.7501902
Holly on X:
https://x.com/hollyanndoan
Thanks to Our Patrons
Thanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald.
To support The Curious Task, visit:
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In this episode, Alex speaks with Aris Trantidis about his book Clientelism and why it matters for anyone concerned with democracy, public choice, and the modern state. Trantidis explains clientelism as a system of political exchange in which politicians trade targeted favours, contracts, regulation, and other private benefits for support, campaign resources, and loyalty - arguing that this dynamic is not a "bug" but a structural feature of politics that can distort markets and democracy.
References
- Clientelism — Aris Trantidis
https://www.cambridge.org/ca/universitypress/subjects/economics/economics-general-interest/clientelism?format=PB - The Calculus of Consent - James M. Buchanan and Gordon Tullock
https://a.co/d/0fslxBBZ - The Logic of Collective Action - Mancur Olson
https://a.co/d/06w0x507 - The Selectorate Theory and International Politics - Bruce Bueno de Mesquita & Randolph M Siverson
https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/62239/chapter-abstract/550747911?redirectedFrom=fulltext - The Myth of the Rational Voter - Bryan Caplan
https://a.co/d/0cufjmjt
Thanks to Our Patrons
Thanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald.
To support The Curious Task, visit:
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In this episode from 2020, Alex Aragona speaks with Dan Griswold as he explores the benefits of open markets and free trade, and whether you can "win" a trade war.
References
- “Mad About Trade: Why Main Street America Should Embrace Globalization” by Daniel Griswold
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Mad-About-Trade-America-Globalization/dp/193530819X
- “Section 232 Investigation on the Effect of Imports of Steel on U.S. National Security” by U.S Department of Commerce
Link: https://www.commerce.gov/issues/trade-enforcement/section-232-steel
- “China Section 301-Tariff Actions and Exclusions Process” by Office of the United States Trade Representative
Link: https://ustr.gov/issue-areas/enforcement/section-301-investigations/tariff-actions
- “Only Congress can end the China trade war quagmire” by Daniel Griswold
Link: https://www.mercatus.org/economic-insights/expert-commentary/only-congress-can-end-china-trade-war-quagmire
- “The Coronavirus Should Not Prompt Us to Rethink Globalization” by Daniel Griswold
Link: https://www.discoursemagazine.com/p/the-coronavirus-should-not-prompt-us-to-rethink-globalization
- “Daniel Griswold: Curbing globalization would compound coronavirus damage” by Daniel Griswold
Link: https://www.twincities.com/2020/03/13/daniel-griswold-curbing-globalization-would-compound-coronavirus-damage/
- “Daniel Griswold on US Demographic Decline and the Case for Expanding Immigration” by Daniel Griswold
Link: https://www.mercatus.org/macro-musings/daniel-griswold-us-demographic-decline-and-case-expanding-immigration
- “Clashing Over Commerce: A History of US Trade Policy” by Douglas Irwin
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Clashing-over-Commerce-History-Policy/dp/022639896X
- “Death by China: Confronting the Dragon - A Global Call to Action” by Peter Navarro and Greg Autry
Link: https://www.amazon.com/Death-China-Confronting-Dragon-paperback/dp/0134319036
- “United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement” by Office of the United States Trade Representative
Link: https://ustr.gov/trade-agreements/free-trade-agreements/united-states-mexico-canada-agreement
In this episode from 2022, Alex speaks with Thomas Bunting about politics, democracy, social progress and more as they relate to baseball and athletics more broadly.
In this episode from 2024, Alex speaks with Bryce Tingle about corporations, how these unique legal entities are governed, how changes we have made to corporate governance has discouraged companies from joining Canada’s public markets, and how the decline in our public market is hurting Canadians.
Episode Notes:
- Bryce’s article “Returning Markets To The Centre Of Corporate Law”
https://jcl.law.uiowa.edu/sites/jcl.law.uiowa.edu/files/2023-09/Tingle_Final.pdf
- Bryce’s profile at UofCalgary
https://profiles.ucalgary.ca/bryce-tingle
- Jensen and Meckley’s “The Theory Of The Firm”
https://www.sfu.ca/~wainwrig/Econ400/jensen-meckling.pdf
- Introduction to Douglass North’s theory of Institutions:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40803-016-0028-8
- Summary of Montesquieu’s “Doux Commerce”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doux_commerce
- Mill on Trade As a Social Act:
https://www.utilitarianism.com/ol/five.html
- The Voltaire quote referenced regarding the London Stock Exchange:
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/7351337-go-into-the-london-stock-exchange-a-more-respectable
In this episode from 2023, Alex speaks with Nigel Ashford about the prospects for a freer world and how the memory of history, the hope of younger persons, and the teaching of ideas can shape the future of classical liberalism.
Further Reading:
https://libertarianism.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/socin003.pdf
Chapter 2 of this book: https://iea.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Blundell-interactive.pdf
https://fee.org/articles/the-tide-in-the-affairs-of-men/
https://cdn.mises.org/Intellectuals%20and%20Socialism_4.pdf
https://www.libertarianism.org/publications/essays/why-do-intellectuals-oppose-capitalism
http://wordlist.narod.ru/Government-Failure.pdf
In this episode, Alex speaks with Nick Cowen about why an “examined education” is better than an unexamined one. Drawing on his paper, Nick argues that exams are valuable not just as external assessments but as opportunities for students to test themselves, build confidence, develop resilience, and discover what they actually know rather than what they merely think they know.
References
- “An Examined Education” — Nick Cowen https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6261178
- The Theory of Moral Sentiments — Adam Smith https://a.co/d/0iSQvp4l
- “Why I Am Not a Conservative” — F. A. Hayek https://press.uchicago.edu/books/excerpt/2011/hayek_constitution.html
- Graduate premium in the UK and debates over higher education quality https://theskillsagenda.substack.com/p/a-declining-graduate-premium
Thanks to Our Patrons
Thanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald.
To support The Curious Task, visit:
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In this episode from 2023, Alex speaks with Stefanie Haeffele about her book Living Better Together, which explores the work of Elinor Ostrom and Viviana Zelizer.
Episode Notes:
"Living Better Together" by Stefanie Haeffele and Virgil Henry Storr:
https://a.co/d/hJNCxw6
Viviana Zelizer's homepage at Princeton:
https://sociology.princeton.edu/people/viviana-zelizer
Elinor Ostrom's bio and short autobiography on the Nobel website:
https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/economic-sciences/2009/ostrom/facts/
Nonneutrality of Money in a Social Perspective by Julia Włodarczyk
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274184545_Nonneutrality_of_Money_in_a_Social_Perspective
Zelizer's "Circuits of Commerce"
https://doi.org/10.1525/california/9780520241367.003.0009
Ostrom's "Governing The Commons"
https://a.co/d/gcUDVWq
Economic Lives: How Culture Shapes the Economy by
Viviana A. Zelizer
https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691139364/economic-lives
"Testing Circuits of Commerce in the Distant Past: Archaeological Understandings of Social Relationships and Economic Lives"
by: Crystal A. Dozier
https://www.springerprofessional.de/testing-circuits-of-commerce-in-the-distant-past-archaeological-/23930708
In part two of this episode from 2022, Alex speaks again with philosopher Eric Mack about "Anarchy, State and Utopia", this time touching on some of the challenges to Nozick's theory and Eric's own personal connection to Robert Nozick during his life.
References
- Part 1 of Eric Mack’s The Curious Task Episode on “Why Read Anarchy, State, and Utopia?”
Link: https://thecurioustask.podbean.com/e/ep-145-eric-mack-why-read-anarchy-state-and-utopia/
- Eric Mack’s Previous Episode “Why Not Socialism?” on the Curious Task Podcast
Link: https://thecurioustask.podbean.com/e/ep-7-eric-mack-%e2%80%94-why-not-socialism/
- “Anarchy, State, and Utopia” by Robert Nozick
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Anarchy-State-Utopia-Robert-Nozick/dp/0465051006
- “Who Would Choose Socialism” by Robert Nozick
Link: https://reason.com/1978/05/01/who-would-chose-socialism/
In this episode from 2022, Alex speaks with Philosopher Eric Mack about Robert Nozick's "Anarchy State and Utopia" and how the book shaped the conversation around natural rights theory, philosophical libertarianism, and the study of political utopias for decades to come.
References
- Eric Mack’s Previous Episode “Why Not Socialism?” on the Curious Task Podcast
Link: https://thecurioustask.podbean.com/e/ep-7-eric-mack-%e2%80%94-why-not-socialism/
- “Anarchy, State, and Utopia” by Robert Nozick
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Anarchy-State-Utopia-Robert-Nozick/dp/0465051006
- “Robert Nozick” by Britannica
Link: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Robert-Nozick
- “Murray Rothbard” by Mises Institute
Link: https://mises.org/profile/murray-n-rothbard
- “A Theory of Justice” by John Rawls
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Theory-Justice-Revised-John-Rawls/dp/0674000781
In this conversation from 2024, Alex speaks with Eric Schliesser about the growing declarations of the end of liberalism and what this means for the socio-political future in general.
Episode Notes:
- Eric Schliesser’s page at the University of Amsterdam https://www.uva.nl/en/profile/s/c/e.s.schliesser/e.s.schliesser.html#Publications
- Kevin Vallier’s episode of this podcast discussing religious anti-liberalism: https://thecurioustask.podbean.com/e/197-kevin-vallier-what-are-the-new-religious-threats-to-liberalism/
- Adrian Vermeulen’s publications https://hls.harvard.edu/faculty/adrian-vermeule/
- Tom Pink’s page at King’s College London: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/thomas-pink
- Yoram Hazony’s book on conservatism: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/thomas-pink
- Jacob Levy on borders and liberalism: https://www.niskanencenter.org/law-and-border/
In this episode, Matt speaks with Reem Ibrahim about whether Brexit can be considered a success six years after the UK left the European Union. They examine the classical-liberal case for Brexit (focused on sovereignty, deregulation, and free trade) and contrast it with a post-Brexit reality in which many EU-era regulations, trade barriers, and interventionist policies remain. While the most catastrophic “Project Fear” predictions did not come true, Ibrahim argues that Brexit’s promised freedoms have largely gone unused, leaving its long-term success still unresolved.
References
Brexit Referendum (2016) — https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/eu_referendum/results
Project Fear — https://ukandeu.ac.uk/why-take-back-control-trumped-project-fear/
Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA)’s Analysis of Brexit’s impact on trade — https://iea.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Perspectives_5_Has-Brexit-really-harmed-UK-trade__web-1.pdf
Brexit: The Movie — https://www.youtube.com/c/brexitthemovie
UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement — https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/relations-united-kingdom/eu-uk-trade-and-cooperation-agreement_en
CPTPP (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) — https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/the-uk-and-the-comprehensive-and-progressive-agreement-for-trans-pacific-partnershipcptpp
Working Time Directive — https://employment-social-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies-and-activities/rights-work/labour-law/working-conditions/working-time-directive_en
Thanks to Our Patrons
Thanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald.
To support The Curious Task, visit:
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In this episode, Alex speaks with Franco Terrazano about government spending, taxation, and fiscal accountability in Canada, with a focus on how deficits, debt, and expanding bureaucracy effect affordability for ordinary Canadians. Franco outlines where federal spending has grown most rapidly, critiques the lack of clear priorities and performance measurement, and explains how interest payments on the debt increasingly crowd out core public services.
References
Canadian Taxpayers Federation https://www.taxpayer.com/
Federal Budget of Canada (most recent edition) https://budget.canada.ca/home-accueil-en.html
Public Accounts of Canada https://www.canada.ca/en/public-services-procurement/services/payments-accounting/public-accounts.html
Canada’s Debt and Interest Charges https://www.fraserinstitute.org/sites/default/files/2025-08/federal-and-provincial-debt-interest-costs-for-canadians-2025.pdf
Government Program Spending Growth Since 2015 https://www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/explaining-growth-federal-program-spending-2015
Thanks to Our Patrons
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To support The Curious Task, visit:
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Alex interviews Sabine Benoit of the Consumer Choice Center on Canada’s housing crisis. Sabine argues the main causes are chronic undersupply plus policy barriers: zoning that blocks “missing middle” density, long approval timelines/red tape, and high development fees that get passed to buyers. They also cover why immigration is often scapegoated despite being only part of the story, and why governments should focus on enabling private building (and targeted skilled-trades immigration) rather than new government developer programs.
References:
- Consumer Choice Center (CCC): https://consumerchoicecenter.org/
- Sabine’s article in The Hub: https://thehub.ca/2026/01/14/only-the-richest-canadians-are-able-to-afford-homes-its-time-to-free-the-market-deepdive/
- TD Economics Housing Market Outlook: https://economics.td.com/ca-provincial-housing-outlook
- Scotiabank study: https://www.scotiabank.com/ca/en/about/economics/economics-publications/post.other-publications.housing.housing-note.housing-note--march-19-2025-.html
- CMHC Supply Study: https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/professionals/housing-markets-data-and-research/housing-research/research-reports/accelerate-supply/canadas-housing-supply-shortages-a-new-framework
Thanks to Our Patrons
Thanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald.
To support The Curious Task, visit:
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In this conversation from 2025, Alex Aragona speaks with Graeme Thompson about Canada's evolving role on the global stage, from Confederation through to the post-Cold War era and into the geopolitical uncertainties of today. They explore Canada’s historical balancing act between major powers, its close alignment with the United Kingdom and later the United States, and its present-day challenges in maintaining global relevance amid military underinvestment and economic stagnation. Thompson argues that Canada must become more serious about geopolitics if it wants to protect its sovereignty and remain influential internationally.
References1. “Canadians no longer take geopolitics seriously – and our neglect is going to cost us” by Graeme Thompson (The Hub)
https://thehub.ca/2024-04-03/graeme-thompson-canadians-no-longer-take-geopolitics-seriously-and-our-neglect-is-going-to-cost-us/
2. Biography Collection: Ogdensburg Agreement and Canadian Wartime Diplomacy (Dictionary of Canadian Biography)
https://www.biographi.ca/en/topics/topic-match-list.php?id=1504
3. Statute of Westminster (1931) – Recognized Canada’s legislative independence from Britain
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/statute-of-westminster
4. NATO Archives: Canada's Role and Early Involvement
https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/declassified_161511.htm
5. Canada–U.S. Automotive Products Agreement (Auto Pact)
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/canada-us-automotive-products-agreement
6. Lament for a Nation by George Grant
https://a.co/d/bnRI7Rb
7. Canada’s Military Expenditure and NATO’s 2% Spending Target (Parliamentary Budget Officer)
https://www.pbo-dpb.ca/en/publications/RP-2223-010-S--canada-military-expenditure-nato-2-spending-target--depenses-militaires-canada-objectif-depenses-2-otan
Thanks to Our PatronsIncluding Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald. To support the podcast, visit:
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In this episode from 2022, Alex speaks with Abigail Hall about propaganda - an elusive and at times far-reaching concept that can be found everywhere: from overt wartime speeches by presidents to covert uses of sports and film to promote the ends of state militarism.
References
- “Manufacturing Militarism: U.S. Government Propaganda in the War on Terror” by Christopher J. Coyne and Abigail R. Hall
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Manufacturing-Militarism-Government-Propaganda-Terror/dp/1503628361
- “Tyranny Comes Home: The Domestic Fate of U.S. Militarism” by Christopher J. Coyne and Abigail R. Hall
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Tyranny-Comes-Home-Domestic-Militarism/dp/1503605272
- Abigail Hall’s Previous Episode on The Curious Task
Link: https://thecurioustask.podbean.com/e/ep-13-abigail-hall-%e2%80%94-how-does-foreign-policy-create-a-boomerang-effect-at-home/
- “Keep Calm and Carry On” Poster
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keep_Calm_and_Carry_On
- “Uncle Sam” Poster
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Sam
- “Smith-Mundt Act” by US Agency for Global Media
Link: https://www.usagm.gov/who-we-are/oversight/legislation/smith-mundt/
- “Dick Cheney” by Britannica
Link: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Dick-Cheney
- “Biographies of Secretaries of State: Colin Powell (1937-2021)” by Office of the Historian
Link: https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/people/powell-colin-luther
- “Biographies of Secretaries of State: Condoleezza Rice (1954-)” by Office of the Historian
Link: https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/people/rice-condoleezza
- “Pat Tillman” by Britannica
Link: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pat-Tillman
- “The Life and Death of Phil Strub” by Spy Culture
Link: https://www.spyculture.com/the-life-and-death-of-phil-strub/
- “Windtalkers” by IMDb
Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0245562/
- “Top Gun” by IMDb
Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092099/
- "Transformers" by IMDb
Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0418279/
In this episode from 2024, Alex speaks with Chris Coyne about the complexities and ramifications of war, focusing on the interplay between media narratives, propaganda, and the impact on civil liberties, drawing insights from Coyne's book co-authored with Abigail Hall, which is a satirical guide on war strategies and their broader societal implications.
Episode Notes:
Chris and Abigail's book "How to Run Wars": https://www.independent.org/store/book.asp?id=145
-
Bruce Winton Knight's "How To Run A War": https://www.amazon.com/How-Run-War-Bruce-Knight/dp/B000OMR1KG
-
Herman and Chomsky's "Manufacturing Consent": https://www.amazon.ca/Manufacturing-Consent-Political-Economy-Media/dp/0375714499
-
Noam Chomsky's website: https://chomsky.info/
-
Alexis de Tocqueville's biography, including reference to his distinction between hard and soft despotism: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville
-
Otto Neurath's "Through War Economy to Economy in Kind" https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-010-2525-6_5
-
Abigail Hall and Christopher Coyne "Manufacturing Militarism: U.S. Government Propaganda in the War on Terror": https://www.amazon.ca/Manufacturing-Militarism-Government-Propaganda-Terror/dp/1503628361
Matt speaks with Randy Hicks (CEO of the Georgia Center for Opportunity) about why jobs and social capital matter, how government programs can stabilize but often fail to help people escape poverty, and what reforms might better support work and self-sufficiency. They also discuss the benefits cliff, UBI, the role of civil society (including faith-based organizations), Utah’s “one door” model, and the minimum wage.
References
- The Georgia Center for Opportunity: https://foropportunity.org/
- Alliance for Opportunity: https://allianceforopportunity.com/
- The "One-Door Path": https://allianceforopportunity.com/focus/safety-nets/one-door-2/
- “Benefits cliff”: https://freopp.org/whitepapers/fixing-the-broken-incentives-in-the-u-s-welfare-system/
- Milton Friedman and the Negative Income Tax proposal: https://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/NegativeIncomeTax.html
- Mike Rowe’s Dirty Jobs and the dignity/value of work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x17ip3ZwG0Q
Thanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald.
To support The Curious Task, visit:
https://patreon.com/curioustask
In this conversation from 2024, Alex speaks with Kevin Erdmann about how zoning, the 2008 economic crisis, and the desire to live away from "those people" is effecting the state of housing.
Episode Notes:
Kevin's page at the Mercatus Centre:
https://www.mercatus.org/scholars/kevin-erdmann
The Erdmann Housing Tracker:
https://kevinerdmann.substack.com/
Kevin on X:
https://x.com/KAErdmann?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
Kevin's book "Shut Out: How a Housing Shortage Caused the Great Recession and Crippled our Economy" on Amazon Canada:
https://a.co/d/gIh82Og
In this episode, Matt speaks with Sean Speer about the rise of the so-called “New Right” and the growing tension between conservatism and classical liberalism. Speer defends a fusionist vision rooted in ordered liberty, pluralism, and institutional restraint, arguing that attempts to use state power to impose cultural outcomes misunderstand how culture actually evolves. Together, they explore elite anxiety, civil society, immigration, and why liberal means remain essential even for those with conservative ends.
References
Sean's author page at The Hub:
https://thehub.ca/author/seanspeer/
What Is Conservatism? — edited by Frank S. Meyer
https://a.co/d/5suzcP4
The Road to Serfdom — F. A. Hayek
https://a.co/d/evGqw3L
The Crooked Timber of Humanity — Isaiah Berlin
https://a.co/d/4PuAvLB
Bourgeois Dignity / Bourgeois Equality — Deirdre McCloskey
https://a.co/d/8B7qlQV
The Anywhere vs Somewhere Divide — David Goodhart (interview)
https://www.commonplace.org/p/somewheres-and-anywheres-with-david
Thanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald.
To support The Curious Task, visit:
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In this episode, Alex speaks with Abraham Singer about his book Everyone’s Business, exploring why businesses and other private organizations should be understood not only as economic entities but as political communities that shape power, responsibility, and moral life. Singer explains how firms structure our choices, why classical liberals must take internal organizational governance more seriously, and what it means to treat workplaces as sites of real political and ethical significance.
References
Everyone’s Business: Toward a New Understanding of How Organizations Shape Our Lives - Abraham Singer
https://a.co/d/iz5yWEU
“The Form Of The Firm” - Abraham Singer
https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-form-of-the-firm-9780197586860?cc=ca⟨=en&
Abraham's Scholarly Articles
https://abrahamsinger.weebly.com/research.html
“The Political Nature of the Firm and the Cost of Norms” - Abraham Singer
https://www.jstor.org/stable/26550924
Private Government - Elizabeth Anderson
https://a.co/d/gNrwGK2
The Nature of the Firm - Ronald Coase
https://www.jstor.org/stable/2626876
Thanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald.
To support The Curious Task, visit:
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In this episode, Alex speaks with constitutional scholar Leonid Sirota about the notwithstanding clause—what it does, how it functions within Canada’s constitutional architecture, and why its routine use undermines the very rights the Charter is meant to protect. Drawing on arguments from his National Post piece and earlier writing, Sirota explains why Section 33 was intended as an exceptional political safeguard, not a convenient escape hatch for governments, and why treating it as a routine tool erodes constitutionalism, weakens judicial oversight, and shifts the balance of power away from individuals and toward the state.
References
Leonid Sirota, “Yes, the notwithstanding clause overrides rights. No, it isn’t defensible.” — National Post
https://nationalpost.com/opinion/leonid-sirota-yes-the-notwithstanding-clause-overrides-rights-no-it-isnt-defensible
“The Case Against the Notwithstanding Clause” — Leonid Sirota (Double Aspect)
https://doubleaspect.blog/2018/10/04/the-case-against-the-notwithstanding-clause/
“Notwithstanding Myths” — Leonid Sirota (Double Aspect)
https://doubleaspect.blog/2025/11/10/notwithstanding-myths/
Peter W. Hogg, Constitutional Law of Canada
https://digitalcommons.osgoode.yorku.ca/faculty_books/219/
The Constitution Act, 1982 (Section 33 — the Notwithstanding Clause)
https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/csj-sjc/rfc-dlc/ccrf-ccdl/check/art33.html
Thanks to Our PatronsIncluding Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald. To support The Curious Task, visit: https://patreon.com/curioustask
In this episode, Matt interviews Karen Restoule on the challenge of Indigenous reconciliation in Canada. Restoule stresses that true reconciliation must begin by re-embracing the vision of coexistence enshrined in early agreements such as the Treaty of Niagara — a relationship based on mutual respect and shared sovereignty — and not merely through state apologies or symbolic gestures.
References
- Karen Restoule: Reconciliation requires looking back to move forward — The Hub (2025)
https://thehub.ca/2025/09/30/karen-restoule-reconciliation-requires-looking-back-to-move-forward/ - Karen Restoule — profile and bio (Macdonald-Laurier Institute)
https://macdonaldlaurier.ca/cm-expert/karen-restoule/ - “’The best is yet to come’ for Indigenous peoples: Karen Restoule on why reconciliation is a tangible goal and not a romantic notion” — Hub Dialogues (podcast)
https://thehub.ca/podcast/audio/karen-restoule-on-why-reconciliation-is-a-tangible-goal-and-not-a-romantic-notion/ - “An Overview of the Indian Residential School System” — Union of Ontario Indians / research compiled by Karen Restoule (PDF)
https://www.anishinabek.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/An-Overview-of-the-IRS-System-Booklet.pdf - Reconciliation Canada — about the non-profit working on reconciliation history & public awareness
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconciliation_Canada - “The Baroness von Sketch Show” — sketch series (mentioned in episode)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlG17C19nYo - Karen’s social media post with the map referred to in the episode: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7394536450693718016/
- Amber Midthunder’s guest appearance on Reservation Dogs (mentioned in episode)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8UpKVImNcU
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In this episode, Matt digs into modern Hungarian politics with Zoltan Kesz, exploring how Viktor Orbán evolved from a young liberal reformer into an illiberal, Putin-aligned strongman presiding over a reactionary kleptocracy. Zoltan breaks down how Orbán consolidated power, manipulated institutions, reshaped the media, and abandoned liberalism while Hungary’s economy and democratic norms declined.
References:
Zoltan at LibertyCon: https://libertycon.net/speaker/zoltan-kesz/
Zoltan at Emerging Europe: https://emerging-europe.com/author/zoltan-kesz/
BBC's Analysis of Viktor Orban: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-67832416
"How Viktor Orban Wins" at Journal of Democracy: https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/articles/how-viktor-orban-wins/
--
Thanks to our supporters—including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald.
To support The Curious Task, visit: https://patreon.com/curioustask
ILS Educational Programs Manager Alex Eames speaks with Moin Yahya about whether the state should run the postal service. They explore the history of Canada Post’s monopoly, competition and innovation in mail delivery, and why Lysander Spooner’s 19th-century rebellion still matters for debates about government-run enterprises today.
References:
- Moin A. Yahya — Faculty Profile (University of Alberta, Law)
https://apps.ualberta.ca/directory/person/myahya - Canada Post Corporation Act (Justice Laws, Government of Canada)
https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-10/ - Lysander Spooner, The Unconstitutionality of the Laws of Congress Prohibiting Private Mails (1844) — full text
https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/spooner-the-unconstitutionality-of-the-laws-of-congress-prohibiting-private-mails-1844 - American Letter Mail Company (Spooner’s private competitor to the U.S. Post) — Overview (Wikipedia)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Letter_Mail_Company - Royal Mail — Background & 2013 Privatization (Wikipedia)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Mail
Thanks to our patrons—especially Kris Rondolo—for supporting The Curious Task. To join them: https://patreon.com/curioustask
Matt speaks with Jason Crawford (Roots of Progress Institute) about “technohumanism”—the view that science, technology, and industry are good insofar as they advance human flourishing. They dig into agency vs. accelerationism, why progress creates new problems to solve, and where the next big gains may come from (AI, biotech, nuclear, housing, etc.).
References
Announcing “The Techno-Humanist Manifesto” — Jason Crawford (Roots of Progress)
https://blog.rootsofprogress.org/announcing-the-techno-humanist-manifesto
Technohumanism — Overview & Chapters (official project site)
https://technohumanist.org/
Roots of Progress (main site / institute)
https://rootsofprogress.org/
Thanks to our supporters—including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald.
To support The Curious Task, visit: https://patreon.com/curioustask
In this episode, Matt speaks with Rachel Davison Humphries, Senior Director of Civic Learning Initiatives at the Bill of Rights Institute, about how rituals like Halloween can strengthen democracy by building trust and social capital in communities.
References
- “Halloween Treats for Democracy” — Rachel Davison Humphries (Wall Street Journal)
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/halloween-treats-for-democracy-c8e861ba - Rachel Davison Humphries — Profile (Bill of Rights Institute)
https://oll.libertyfund.org/people/rachel-d-humphries - Rachel Davison Humphries on the Bill of Rights Institute and the Importance of Civics Projects — Getting Smart Podcast episode
https://www.gettingsmart.com/podcast/rachel-davison-humphries-on-the-bill-of-rights-institute-and-the-importance-of-civics-projects/ - Democracy in America — Alexis de Tocqueville
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/815
Thanks to Our Patrons
Including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald.
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In this conversation from 2020, Alex Aragona speaks with Mustafa Akyol as he explores whether Islam can be compatible with liberalism, and his recent research on freedom in Muslim-majority countries.
References from Episode 70 with Mustafa Akyol
- Mustafa Akyol is the author of Rethinking the Kurdish Question: What Went Wrong, What Next? (Turkish), Islam Without Extremes: A Muslim Case For Liberty, The Islamic Jesus: How the King of the Jews Became a Prophet of the Muslims, and his book set for release in April 2021, Reopening Muslim Minds: A Return to Reason, Freedom, and Tolerance (all available titles hyperlinked to Amazon Canada store pages).
- You can read Mustafa’s articles featured on his profile on the CATO Institute’s website at this link.
- The concluding segment of this podcast was dedicated to discussing Mustafa’s findings in his study, Freedom in the Muslim World, which was published on the Cato Institute’s website and is available for reading here.
- Mustafa quotes the observation that Islam had compatible socio-legal setups for embracing liberal society early on had it abided by its foundational teachings from Professor David Forte’s article, Islam’s Trajectory. This article can be read on the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s website at this link.
- One of the themes in his upcoming book, Reopening Muslim Minds, Mustafa cites Ash’arism as one of the theological paradigms predating modernity which gave rise to the insularity in Islamic philosophy towards thoughts not originating from revelation. The journal Studia Islamica has an article recounting the religious history of Ash’arism and can be accessed at this link through an active JSTOR account.
- Mustafa briefly mentions the Euthyphro Dilemma (Wikipedia), Divine Command Theory (Michael W. Austin, Eastern Kentucky University), and Ethical Objectivism (Oxford Reference) whilst discussing the different camps in Islamic thought. More can be read about these topics through their respective hyperlinks.
- You can read more about philosopher John Locke’s premises on toleration of religion and heresy here (A Letter Concerning Toleration courtesy of McMaster University), as well as his view on the separation of church and state at this link (Liberty Fund).
- While literature on Islamic liberalism is vast, a good place to start is this article titled What Is Liberal Islam?: The Sources of Enlightend Muslim Thought featured in the Journal of Democracy at this link.
- This article on Deutsche Welle summarizes the domestic and international tensions stemming from the cartoons of religious caricatures that were published in France.
- Mustafa quotes Daniel Philpott’s book, Religious Freedom in Islam: The Fate of a Universal Human Right in the Muslim World (available on Amazon Canada), about how Islam “had seeds of freedom, but those seeds need to be cultivated.”
- You can read the excerpt where the French jurist, Jean Bodin, commended the religious freedom of the Ottoman empire compared to the denominational violence amongst Christians in Europe in Daniel Goffman’s book, The Ottoman Empire and Early Modern Europe here.
- Here are Wikipedia articles to the controversy of Islamic scarfs in France, policing over the burkini, and Saudi Arabia’s legislation on public head coverings for women.
In this episode, Alex speaks with political researcher Sam Routley about how conservatism is changing in Canada. Drawing on his article “Decoding Canada’s Conservative Coalition” published in The Hub, Routley explains why Canada’s conservative movement has remained more stable than those in other Western democracies, where right-wing politics have undergone dramatic upheavals. They discuss the historical roots of Canada’s “fusionist” conservatism, the economic and cultural shifts driving new tensions between working-class and knowledge-economy voters, and how Pierre Poilievre’s brand of populism fits within Canada’s longstanding political traditions.
References:
- DeepDive: Decoding Canada’s Conservative coalition — Sam Routley (The Hub)
https://thehub.ca/2025/09/27/deepdive-decoding-canadas-conservative-coalition/ The Hub - Sam Routley — Author Page (The Hub)
https://thehub.ca/author/samroutley/ The Hub - Stephen Harper embraced pragmatic, incremental change. Does Pierre Poilievre have grander ambitions? — Sam Routley (The Hub)
https://thehub.ca/2024/10/11/sam-routley-stephen-harper-embraced-pragmatic-incremental-change-does-pierre-poilievre-have-grander-ambitions/ The Hub - Canada’s hard-fought immigration consensus is crumbling before our eyes — Sam Routley (The Hub)
https://thehub.ca/2024/04/10/sam-routley-canadas-hard-fought-immigration-consensus-is-crumbling/ The Hub - Canada needs new political experts — Sam Routley (The Hub)
https://thehub.ca/2023/11/09/sam-routley-canada-needs-new-political-experts/ The Hub - How Canada’s Conservatives Should Solve Their Free Trade Confusion — Sam Routley (C2C Journal)
https://c2cjournal.ca/2023/07/how-canadas-conservatives-should-solve-their-free-trade-confusion/ C2C Journal - Right Here, Right Now: Politics and Leadership in the Age of Disruption — Stephen J. Harper (Indigo)
https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/right-here-right-now-politics-and-leadership-in-the-age-of-disruption/9780771038624.html Indigo
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To support The Curious Task, visit: https://patreon.com/curioustask
In this episode from 2023, Alex speaks with Neil Boyd about the effects of drug decriminalization and legalization in Canada and around the world, and how regulation and criminalization can have positive or negative impacts on users of various substances and the communities around them.
References
- “Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, 1996” by the Justice Laws Website
Link: https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-38.8/
- “Cannabis Act, 2018” by Justice Laws Website
Link: https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-24.5/
In this conversation from 2022, Alex speaks with Jason Lee Byas about the complexities of responding to questions of historic injustice, reparations, and compensation within a libertarian framework.
References
- Articles by Jason Lee Byas, Center for a Stateless Society
Link: https://c4ss.org/content/author/jason-byas
- “Rectification and Historic Injustice” by Jason Lee Byas
Link: https://philpapers.org/archive/BYARAH.pdf
- “A Black Commons: A Framework for Recognition, Reconciliation, and Reparations” by Julian Agyeman and Kofi Boone
Link: https://www.academia.edu/113180745/The_Black_CommonsA_Framework_for_Recognition_Reconciliation_Reparations
- “Compensation for Historic Injustices: Completing the Boxill and Sher Argument” by Andrew I. Cohen
Link: https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/40212837.pdf
- “Should Race Matter?: Unusual Answers to the Usual Questions” by David Boonin
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Should-Race-Matter-Unusual-Questions/dp/0521149800
- “The Ethics of Liberty” by Murray N. Rothbard
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Ethics-Liberty-Murray-N-Rothbard/dp/0814775594
- “Historical Rights and Fair Shares” by A. John Simmons
Link: https://www.jstor.org/stable/3505011
- “The Multiculturalism of Fear” by Jacob Levy
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Multiculturalism-Fear-Jacob-T-Levy/dp/0198297122
- “Apologies and Moral Repair: Rights, Duties, and Corrective Justice” by Andrew I. Cohen
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Apologies-Moral-Repair-Corrective-Justice/dp/0367508036
In this coversation from 2023, Matt speaks with Seth Kaplan about his book Fragile Neighborhoods, and why a decision as simple as where we choose to live can often make the difference between lives of prosperity and lives of uncertainty and strife.
Seth's book can be ordered here:
https://a.co/d/aqUzRny
In this episode, Alex speaks with journalist and author Andrew Coyne about why Canadian democracy is in crisis. Drawing from his book The Crisis of Canadian Democracy, Coyne explains how the concentration of power in the Prime Minister’s Office, the erosion of cabinet and caucus independence, and the iron grip of party discipline have hollowed out Parliament. They explore electoral reform, regional alienation, and voter disengagement, and discuss why Canada’s institutions now fail to hold leaders accountable. Coyne argues that the issue is systemic: a slow but steady weakening of democratic norms that requires serious institutional repair if Canadian democracy is to endure.
References
The Crisis of Canadian Democracy — Andrew Coyne
https://a.co/d/49B2UrX
Andrew Coyne — Columns (The Globe and Mail)
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/authors/andrew-coyne/
Canada’s Democracy Is in Crisis: Andrew Coyne on GCD #3 — Macdonald-Laurier Institute
https://macdonaldlaurier.ca/canadas-democracy-is-in-crisis-andrew-coyne-on-gcd-3-in-the-post/
Q&A: MPs ‘Utterly Subservient’ to Leaders — Coyne on Reforming Canada’s Democratic System — The Hill Times
https://www.hilltimes.com/story/2025/06/26/qa-mps-utterly-subservient-to-leaders-says-andrew-coyne-who-proposes-a-path-away-from-that-anti-democratic-system/465123/
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To support The Curious Task, visit: https://patreon.com/curioustask
In this conversation from 2024,
Matt speaks with Tyler Cowen about his recent book "GOAT:
Who is the Greatest Economist of all Time and Why Does it Matter?", as they discuss the case for and against each of the top finalists, and the interactive AI features that Tyler has integrated into the book's online release.
Episode Notes:
The full book plus all interactive AI features can be found for free here: https://goatgreatesteconomistofalltime.ai/en
In this episode from 2022, Alex speaks with Aaron Powell about the origins of fusionism, where it stands today, and why non-traditional alliances might be the way of the future.
References
- Free Thoughts Podcast
Link: https://www.libertarianism.org/podcasts/free-thoughts
- ReImagining Liberty Podcast
Link: https://www.reimaginingliberty.com/podcast/
- “After protests, Disney CEO speaks out against ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill” by Elizabeth Blair
Link: https://www.npr.org/2022/03/08/1085130633/disney-response-florida-bill-dont-say-gay
- “An Introduction to Marxism for Non-Marxists” ReImagined Podcast Episode
Link: https://www.reimaginingliberty.com/an-introduction-to-marxism-for-non-marxists-w-ian-bennett/
In this conversation from 2023, Alex and Mike Munger discuss two strains of thought within the liberty movement - one concerned with philosophical purity and cohesion, the other with advancement towards a common ideal of greater freedom for all.
Episode Notes:
Mike's article "The Right Kind of Nothing": https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-right-kind-of-nothing/
An introduction to Coasian bargaining:
http://www.ejolt.org/2015/09/coasian-bargaining-2/
The Piece commissioned by Leonard Read by Milton Friedman and George Stigler on Rent Control:
https://fee.org/resources/roofs-or-ceilings-the-current-housing-problem/
Mike Munger's piece "This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things"
https://www.aier.org/article/this-is-why-we-cant-have-nice-things-directionalists-vs-destinationists/
James Buchanan on Relatively Absolute Absolutes
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11127-021-00883-0
In this conversation from 2023, Alex speaks with Pete Boettke about the relevancy of Friedrich Hayek in the contemporary context, what it means to be a "Hayekian" and the curious tale of how Hayek came to be the focus of his latest book "F. A. Hayek: Economics, Political Economy and Social Philosophy"
Episode Notes
- Pete’s book “F. A. Hayek: Economics, Political Economy and Social Philosophy“ https://a.co/d/ah7SpwW
- Hayek on The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/friedrich-hayek/
- Introduction to Hayek’s “Road to Serfdom” https://mises.org/library/road-serfdom-0
- Murray Rothbard’s “Man, Economy and State” retrospective https://fee.org/articles/rothbards-man-economy-and-state-at-50/
- Milton Friedman’s “Free To Choose” https://www.proglocode.unam.mx/sites/proglocode.unam.mx/files/docencia/Milton%20y%20Rose%20Friedman%20-%20Free%20to%20Choose.pdf
- Hayek “Prices and Production” https://mises.org/library/prices-and-production-and-other-works
- Introduction to economics of Lucas https://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/bios/Lucas.html
- Steve Horowitz on Hayek https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5dR0zgC1ZI
- Herbert Dreyfuss “What Computers Can’t Do” https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262540674/what-computers-still-cant-do/
- Horowitz quote on Hayek “we have to learn to live in two worlds at once” https://www.jstor.org/stable/41560288
- Hayek’s “The Fatal Conceit” https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/F/bo3643985.html
- Kenneth Boulding “After Samuelson, Who Needs Adam Smith?” https://read.dukeupress.edu/hope/article-abstract/3/2/225/12381/After-Samuelson-Who-Needs-Adam-Smith
- “The Extended Present” (concept) https://medium.com/extended-present/about
- The “Grapes vs. Cucumbers as pay for Monkeys” experiment (youtube video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meiU6TxysCg
- The Constitution of Liberty - Hayek https://www.mises.at/static/literatur/Buch/hayek-the-constitution-of-liberty.pdf
- Chandran Kukathas’ Liberal Archipelago https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-liberal-archipelago-9780199219209?cc=ca⟨=en&
- Kind vs. Wicked learning environments. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/experience-studio/202007/experience-kind-vs-wicked
In this episode, Alex speaks with transportation policy expert Robert Poole about his book Rethinking America’s Highways. Poole makes the case for replacing the current tax-funded, politically managed highway system with a customer-focused, market-based model. He outlines how tolling, public-private partnerships, and long-term concessions can improve infrastructure, reduce congestion, and provide sustainable funding. The discussion examines lessons from international examples, the political and technical barriers to reform, and why a shift in mindset is essential for meeting America’s future mobility needs.
References
Rethinking America’s Highways — Robert Poole
https://a.co/d/1gu8lWE
Robert Poole — Reason Foundation Profile
https://reason.org/author/robert-poole/
Modernizing the Interstate Highway System via Toll Finance — Robert Poole (Reason Foundation)
https://reason.org/policy-study/modernizing-the-interstate-highway/
Funding & Finance — Eno Center for Transportation
https://enotrans.org/topics/funding-finance/
The Big Roads — Earl Swift
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-big-roads
Infrastructure Economics and Policy: International Perspectives — José A. Gómez-Ibáñez & Zhi Liu (eds.)
https://www.booktopia.com.au/infrastructure-economics-and-policy-jose-a-gomez-ibanez/book/9781558444188.html
Thanks to Our Patrons
Including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald.
To support The Curious Task, visit: https://patreon.com/curioustask
In this episode from 2023, Alex speaks with Kevin Vallier about his new book "All The Kingdoms Of The World", in which he takes a global view of anti-liberal integralist strands in political thought and warns of the consequences of following them toward a rejection of liberal freedom and democracy.
Episode Notes:
- The conversation focuses primarily on Kevin’s book:
- https://www.kevinvallier.com/books/all-the-kingdoms-of-the-world-radical-religious-alternatives-liberalism/
- Introduction to Catholic Political Integralism:
- https://thejosias.com/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integralism
- Introduction to islamic political anti-liberalism
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamism
- “The Confucian Tradition and Politics” Youngmin Kim, Ha-Kyoung Lee and Seongun Park https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228637.013.991
In this episode, Matt speaks with Brian Dijkema of Cardus, about the moral limits of modern liberalism. Dijkema argues that while classical liberalism emerged from a tradition concerned with virtue and the common good, today’s liberalism often treats neutrality and technocratic governance as ends in themselves. They discuss the work of classical liberal theorists, Rawls' liberal vision, the legacy of Christian social thought, and how institutional renewal requires more than procedural fairness but rather a shared vision of the good.
References:
Brian Dijkema — Profile (Cardus)
https://www.cardus.ca/personnel/brian-dijkema/
“Liberty, Equality, … Disintegration?” — Patrick Deneen in conversation with Brian Dijkema
https://comment.org/liberty-equality-disintegration/
“Labor’s Conservative Heart” — Brian Dijkema (American Compass)
https://americancompass.org/labors-conservative-heart/
Why Liberalism Failed — Patrick Deneen
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_Liberalism_Failed
“The Ethics of Attention in an Age of Distraction” — Brian Dijkema
https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1146&context=icctej
Brian Dijkema — Contributor Archive (Convivium)
https://www.convivium.ca/writers/bio/bdijkema/page/2/
Brian Dijkema — Articles at Comment Magazine
https://comment.org/contributors/brian-dijkema/
“The Classical Liberal Diaspora” — Michael C. Munger
https://dukespace.lib.duke.edu/items/513d2184-ca95-4508-b4ef-f137a03b32f0
Thanks to Our Patrons
Including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald.
To support The Curious Task, visit: https://patreon.com/curioustask
In this episode from 2022, Alex speaks with Chandran Kukathas about the costs of limiting immigration and what effects there may be on policy if the question of who counts as an immigrant is itself unclear.
References
- “Immigration and Freedom” by Chandran Kukathas
Link: https://www.amazon.com/Immigration-Freedom-Chandran-Kukathas/dp/0691189684
In this conversation from 2020, Alex Aragona chats with Pete Boettke as he dives into what the curious task of economics is and relates it back to the work of Friedrich Hayek.
References from Episode 40 with Pete Boettke
- You can purchase Pete Boettke’s book on F.A. Hayek on Amazon Canada here
- Check out Pete Boettke’s economics blog here
In this episode, Matt speaks with legal scholar Bruce Pardy about the deep tension between freedom and virtue. Pardy argues that “freedom people” - classical liberals and libertarians - see virtue as something that can only emerge when individuals are free to choose, while “virtue people” believe virtue must come first, even if enforced by the state. They explore the limits of state neutrality, city planning, drug policy, and the rise of authoritarian instincts across both the right and the left. Pardy explains why a truly free society is risky - and why that risk is necessary for genuine virtue and responsibility.
References:
- “Freedom and Virtue: Friends or Enemies?” — Bruce Pardy (Brownstone Institute)
https://brownstone.org/articles/freedom-and-virtue-friends-or-enemies/ - Bruce Pardy — Profile (Fraser Institute)
https://www.fraserinstitute.org/profile/bruce-pardy - Bruce Pardy — Author Page (The Epoch Times)
https://www.theepochtimes.com/author/bruce-pardy - The Road to Serfdom by Friedrich Hayek
https://a.co/d/cp4rlD5 - The Open Society and Its Enemies by Karl Popper
https://a.co/d/iVwmVvs
Thanks to Our Patrons including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald. To support The Curious Task, visit: https://patreon.com/curioustask
In this episode, Alex speaks with political theorist Ben Woodfinden about the meaning and complexity of Canadian conservatism. Drawing on his essay “A Tory Impulse and Anti-Laurentian Ideas Drive Canadian Conservatism”, Woodfinden explains why conservatism in Canada is not a single rigid doctrine but a pluralistic network of regionally rooted traditions — from prairie populism and Western anti-elitism to Ontario’s old Toryism and Quebec’s nationalist strands. They unpack Canada’s unique confederation story, the idea of the Laurentian elite, and how any coherent conservatism must remain a coalition rooted in local distinctiveness and historical context.
References
- “A Tory Impulse and Anti-Laurentian Ideas Drive Canadian Conservatism” – Ben Woodfinden (The Hub)
https://thehub.ca/2022/08/17/ben-woodfinden-a-tory-impulse-and-anti-laurentian-ideas-drive-canadian-conservatism/ - “Canada’s aspiring populists aren’t actually all that radical” – Ben Woodfinden (The Hub)
https://thehub.ca/2022/05/27/canadas-aspiring-populists-arent-actually-all-that-radical/ - “King Charles III and the glorious weirdness of Canada's monarchy” – Ben Woodfinden
https://nationalpost.com/opinion/ben-woodfinden-king-charles-iii-and-the-glorious-weirdness-of-canadas-monarchy - Ben's contributions to The Hub
https://thehub.ca/author/benwoodfinden/ - “Lament for a Nation: The Defeat of Canadian Nationalism” by George Grant
https://a.co/d/d0NQs95 - “The Crooked Timber of Humanity” by Isaiah Berlin
https://a.co/d/6l1wq3d
Thanks to Our Patrons
Including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald. To support the podcast, visit:
https://patreon.com/curioustask
In this conversation from 2023, Alex speaks with Professor Jacob Levy about the concept of neutrality within the history of liberalism and how many historical thinkers have approached the subject within that tradition.
Episode Notes:
- Michael Oakeshott on “adverbial rules” https://lawliberty.org/forum/michael-oakeshott-on-the-rule-of-law-and-the-liberal-order/
- John Locke’s religious beliefs https://rb.gy/1yg43
- Heresy of Americanism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americanism_(heresy)
- Deirdre McCloskey’s Bourgeois Virtues Thesis https://www.deirdremccloskey.com/docs/bv_selection.pdf
- Ronald Dworkin “Liberalism” https://www.scribd.com/document/313373358/Ronald-Dworkin-Liberalism#
- Stephanie Slade, "Must Libertarians Care About More Than the State?" https://reason.com/2022/03/19/two-libertarianisms/
- Alexis De Toqueville’s concerns about the rising liberal democratic order https://www.economist.com/schools-brief/2018/08/09/de-tocqueville-and-the-french-exception
- John Stuart Mill “On Liberty” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Liberty
Episode Summary:Matt Bufton is joined by Bill Wirtz of the Consumer Choice Centre to explore why governments often crack down on fun—from drinking and smoking to gambling and vaping. They dive into the cultural and political roots of paternalistic policies, how public health rhetoric masks deeper control impulses, and why Canada offers a revealing case study in state-imposed virtue. Wirtz also highlights how prohibitionist instincts persist even when evidence contradicts their effectiveness.
References“Children Are the Future: Authoritarianism, Culture War and Making Model Citizens” by Alan Elrod
https://www.liberalcurrents.com/children-are-the-future-authoritarianism-culture-war-and-making-model-citizens/
That Which is Seen and That Which is Not Seen by Frédéric Bastiat
https://oll.libertyfund.org/title/bastiat-selected-essays-on-political-economy#lf0181_head_009
The Fun Police – Podcast Series by Bill Wirtz
https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/fun-police/id1714265675
World Health Organization – Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
https://fctc.who.int/
Milton Friedman’s “Free to Choose” (PBS Series)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dngqR9gcDDw&list=PLt27lKoC5LS4wbD28Jkv95UUm9H7wbVO4
Thanks to Our PatronsIncluding Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald. To support the podcast, visit:
https://patreon.com/curioustask
In this conversation from 2024, Alex speaks with Marc-William Palen about the evolution of left-wing visions of free trade from the mid-19th century through the Cold War, highlighting key movements and figures like the Anti-Corn Law League, Karl Marx, and the Fair Trade movement, and contrasting these with protectionist and imperialist policies of the era.
Episode Notes:
Marc-William's book "Pax Economica: Left-Wing Visions of a Free Trade World": https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691199320/pax-economica
Marx on Free Trade:
https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1888/free-trade/#:~:text=Only%20under%20Free%20Trade%20can,%2C%20wage%2Dlaborers%20there%3B%20hereditary
The Eric Schliesser episode of the Curious Task mentioned by Alex: https://thecurioustask.podbean.com/e/special-episode-5-eric-schliesser-%e2%80%94-what-is-neoliberalism/
Journal of Liberal History's summary of the history of the Anti-Corn Law League:
https://liberalhistory.org.uk/history/anti-corn-law-league/
Overview of the history of the Opium Wars:
https://asiapacificcurriculum.ca/learning-module/opium-wars-china#:~:text=The%20Opium%20Wars%20in%20the,China%20lost%20both%20wars.
A primer on the origins of Fair Trade and the Haslemere Declaration:
https://imperialglobalexeter.com/2018/05/03/what-fair-trade-was-originally-about-the-haslemere-declaration-of-1968/
In this conversation from 2022, Alex speaks with Russ Roberts about the nature of education and how we should rethink it in today's world. This is a special episode being released in conjunction with this week's episode of Econtalk.
References
- The Center for Experiential Learning at Washington University
Link: https://olin.wustl.edu/student-resources/center-for-experiential-learning.php#:~:text=The%20Center%20for%20Experiential%20Learning,Driven%E2%84%A2%20practice%20and%20application.
- EconTalk Podcast
Link: https://simplecast.econtalk.org/
- “How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life: An Unexpected Guide to Human Nature and Happiness” by Russ Roberts
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Adam-Smith-Change-Your-Life/dp/1591847958
In this episode from 2023, Alex speaks with David Friedman about defenses, definitions and critiques of Anarcho-Capitalism in David's work and in others'.
Episode Notes:
-
Summary of David's book "The Machinery of Freedom" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Machinery_of_Freedom
-
Some of Ayn Rand's views on Libertarianism and Anarcho-Capitalism: http://aynrandlexicon.com/ayn-rand-ideas/ayn-rand-q-on-a-on-libertarianism.html
-
Some of David's comments on his Father's views of his work can be found here: https://www.econlib.org/archives/2011/07/david_friedmans_1.html
-
The Stanford Encyclopedia's entry on Anarchism https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/anarchism/#:~:text=Libertarianism%20and%20anarcho%2Dcapitalism%20also,the%20idea%20of%20social%20development.
-
"The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress" - Robert A. Heinlein https://a.co/d/4gmWZrP
-
"The Private Enforcement of Law" - Landes and Posner https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=259376
-
"Law Enforcement, Malfeasance, and Compensation of Enforcers" - Gary S. Becker and George J. Stigler https://laws21.classes.ryansafner.com/readings/Becker-Stigler-1974.pdf
In this conversation from 2023, Alex speaks with Mike Munger about the state of classical liberalism in an era in which conservatism seems intent on wielding the tools of central planning and the left prefers the term "progressive" to "liberal".
Episode Notes:
The Classical Liberal Diaspora by Mike Munger: https://t.co/xoRnPIUXXi
The Articles of Confederation: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Articles-of-Confederation
Preamble to the United States constitution: https://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/educational-resources/about-educational-outreach/activity-resources/us
Fusionism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusionism
Albert Jay Nock and The Remnant: https://mises.org/library/isaiahs-job
Chile rewriting its constitution: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/chilean-congressional-council-finalizes-new-draft-constitution-again-2023-10-30/
In a special episode of the Curious Task, Matt sits down with James Tooley and Robyn Mulcahy at Blueberry Creek Forest School and Nature Centre to discuss the benefits of private education, outdoor education programs including forest schools and the history of approaches around the globe that strive to offer students a more well-rounded alternative to government schools.
References:
James’ profile at the University of Buckingham:
https://www.buckingham.ac.uk/directory/professor-james-tooley/
Robyn’s bio on re-cognition:
https://re-cognition.ca/portfolio-item/educators/
Blueberry Creek Nature Centre:
https://re-cognition.ca/home-page/blueberry-creek-forest-and-nature-centre/
James’ Book “The Beautiful Tree”:
https://a.co/d/9SbGCMp
Thanks to Our Patrons
Including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald. To support the podcast, visit:
https://patreon.com/curioustask
Janet speaks with Alan Elrod to explore how classical liberalism understands the role of children in a free society. They discuss the liberal view of children as future autonomous individuals, the responsibilities of both parents and the state in their development, and how education sits at the center of ongoing ideological battles. Elrod unpacks the liberal commitment to individual flourishing and critiques contemporary efforts to politicize childhood through authoritarian or illiberal frameworks.
References
“Children Are the Future: Authoritarianism, Culture War and Making Model Citizens” by Alan Elrod
https://www.liberalcurrents.com/children-are-the-future-authoritarianism-culture-war-and-making-model-citizens/
“Parents, Government and Children: Authority over Education in the Liberal Pluralist State” by William A. Galston (Chapter in Liberal Pluralism)
https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/liberal-pluralism/parents-government-and-children-authority-over-education-in-the-liberal-pluralist-state/4FEF2172B5BD8B088A4D0558C11E1A1B
The Open Society and Its Enemies by Karl Popper
https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/O/bo3619943.html
Democratic Education by Amy Gutmann
https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt7sdfv
On Liberty by John Stuart Mill
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/34901
Taking Responsibility for Children edited by Samantha Brennan and Robert Noggle
https://www.wlupress.wlu.ca/Books/T/Taking-Responsibility-for-Children
Thanks to Our Patrons
Including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald. To support the podcast, visit:
https://patreon.com/curioustask
In this conversation from 2020, Alex Aragona speaks with Christopher Freiman as he explores why you might be happier, and ultimately contribute more to society, if you choose to ignore politics.
References from Episode 31 with Chris Freiman:
- You can purchase Chris Freiman’s book when it’s out here
- You can check out the Bleeding Heart Libertarians blog here
- You can purchase Bryan Caplan’s book ‘The Myth of the Rational Voter’ on Amazon Canada here
Alex Aragona speaks with Graeme Thompson about Canada's evolving role on the global stage, from Confederation through to the post-Cold War era and into the geopolitical uncertainties of today. They explore Canada’s historical balancing act between major powers, its close alignment with the United Kingdom and later the United States, and its present-day challenges in maintaining global relevance amid military underinvestment and economic stagnation. Thompson argues that Canada must become more serious about geopolitics if it wants to protect its sovereignty and remain influential internationally.
References1. “Canadians no longer take geopolitics seriously – and our neglect is going to cost us” by Graeme Thompson (The Hub)
https://thehub.ca/2024-04-03/graeme-thompson-canadians-no-longer-take-geopolitics-seriously-and-our-neglect-is-going-to-cost-us/
2. Biography Collection: Ogdensburg Agreement and Canadian Wartime Diplomacy (Dictionary of Canadian Biography)
https://www.biographi.ca/en/topics/topic-match-list.php?id=1504
3. Statute of Westminster (1931) – Recognized Canada’s legislative independence from Britain
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/statute-of-westminster
4. NATO Archives: Canada's Role and Early Involvement
https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/declassified_161511.htm
5. Canada–U.S. Automotive Products Agreement (Auto Pact)
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/canada-us-automotive-products-agreement
6. Lament for a Nation by George Grant
https://a.co/d/bnRI7Rb
7. Canada’s Military Expenditure and NATO’s 2% Spending Target (Parliamentary Budget Officer)
https://www.pbo-dpb.ca/en/publications/RP-2223-010-S--canada-military-expenditure-nato-2-spending-target--depenses-militaires-canada-objectif-depenses-2-otan
Thanks to Our PatronsIncluding Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald. To support the podcast, visit:
https://patreon.com/curioustask
In this episode from 2023, Matt speaks with Iain Murray about the estrangement of conservative liberalism from identitarian forms of conservative nationalism and the intriguing alliances that may arise in the future between freedom-loving libertarians and some unlikely allies.
Episode Notes:
Iain's book "The Socialist Temptation" https://a.co/d/5AUQHQp
One of Iain's articles on the subject https://cei.org/blog/european-populism-is-nationalist-conservatism/
"Do Libertarians Have a Political Home Anymore?" by Iain Murray https://www.acton.org/religion-liberty/volume-35-number-1-2/do-libertarians-have-political-home-anymore
Summary of Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillbilly_Elegy
Ezra Klein's comment on "Everything Bagel Liberalism" https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/02/opinion/democrats-liberalism.html
Matt speaks with Franco Terrazzano about the carbon tax within the broader context of government spending, taxation, and fiscal responsibility in Canada. They discuss the impact of high government debt, the role of the federal budget, and the long-term consequences of deficit spending. Terrazzano critiques the federal carbon tax, arguing that it places an unnecessary burden on Canadians while failing to achieve its intended environmental goals, and points to some glaring instances of hypocrisy on the part of its supporters.
References1. Axing the Tax: 100 Simple and Painless Ways to Save Money on Your Taxes by Franco Terrazzano
* https://a.co/d/azlHzK6
-
"Carbon tax costs average Ontario family $627 this year" by Franco Terrazzano (Canadian Taxpayers Federation)
- https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/carbon-tax-costs-average-ontario-family-627-this-year
-
"PBO confirms carbon tax costs more than rebates" by Franco Terrazzano (Canadian Taxpayers Federation)
-
https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/pbo-confirms-carbon-tax-costs-more-than-rebates
-
"Carbon tax bureaucracy costs taxpayers $800 million" by Franco Terrazzano (Canadian Taxpayers Federation)
-
https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/carbon-tax-bureaucracy-costs-taxpayers-800-million *
-
"Cut taxes and government spending to combat inflation" by Franco Terrazzano (EnergyNow)
-
https://energynow.ca/2022/02/news-release-cut-taxes-and-government-spending-to-combat-inflation
Thanks to Our PatronsIncluding Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald. To support the podcast, visit:
https://patreon.com/curioustask
In this episode from 2021, Alex Aragona speaks with Graeme Thompson about the classical liberal tradition in Canada, and what the evolution of that tradition has looked like.
References from The Curious Task Episode 94 with Graeme Thompson
- A collection of the speeches of Wilfred Laurier can be found in an edited edition by Arthur Milnes, available from Amazon here.
- Macdonald Laurier and the Election of 1891 by Christopher Pennington can be found from Penguin House here.
- Graeme Thompson’s piece “Whatever Happened to Laurier” can be found in the National Post here.
- Graeme mentions positive and negative liberty by Isaiah Berlin, which is discussed on the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy here.
- The works of Adam Smith, Edmund Burke, and J.S. Mill can be read for free through the Online Library of Liberty.
Matt Bufton speaks with Matt McManus about the philosophical foundations of liberalism and socialism, exploring how these two traditions intersect and diverge. They discuss McManus’ work on the political theory of liberal socialism, the historical tensions between the two ideologies, and the ways in which contemporary political movements reflect aspects of both. The conversation also touches on critiques of classical liberal thought, the role of the state in economic justice, and the potential for a synthesis between liberal and socialist principles.
References1. The Political Theory of Liberal Socialism by Matt McManus
* https://www.routledge.com/The-Political-Theory-of-Liberal-Socialism/McManus/p/book/9781032647234?srsltid=AfmBOorDPxbjpTmpCJ2dgOznjWaxh8s53bHfYJ9odk360mjLFnf77MK\_
-
A Critical Legal Examination of Liberalism and Liberal Rights by Matt McManus
- https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-61025-8
-
Liberalism and Socialism: Mortal Enemies or Embittered Kin? (Edited by Matt McManus)
-
https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-79537-5
-
Why Socialists Shouldn’t Reject Liberalism An interview with
Matt McManus (Jacobin Magazine) -
https://jacobin.com/2024/08/socialism-liberalism-mill-marx-moyn
-
Matt's portfolio on Academia.edu
-
https://umich.academia.edu/MatthewMcManus
Thanks to Our PatronsIncluding Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald. To support the podcast, visit:
https://patreon.com/curioustask
Alex Aragona speaks with James Harrigan about U.S.-Canada relations, with a focus on tariffs, trade policy, and economic misunderstandings that shape political discourse. James critiques the expansion of tariffs under Trump and challenges the idea that protectionism helps domestic industries. The conversation highlights the historical benefits of free trade, the consequences of government intervention in markets, and the flawed assumptions underlying modern trade restrictions.
References
-
James on X:
- https://x.com/jamesrharrigan
-
The Centre for American Culture and Ideas:
-
https://thecaci.org/
-
The Words And Numbers Podcast:
-
https://wordsandnumbers.libsyn.com/
-
"Fair Trade Encourages Free Trade" by James Harrigan and Antony Davies:
-
https://archive.triblive.com/opinion/featured-commentary/antony-davies-james-r-harrigan-fair-trade-encourages-free-trade/
Thanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald. To support the podcast, visit https://patreon.com/curioustask.
Matt Bufton speaks with Don Boudreaux about tariffs, free trade, and the economic misunderstandings that drive protectionist policies. Don critiques the balance of trade doctrine, drawing from historical examples and economic theory to explain why tariffs harm both consumers and producers. The discussion covers the impact of tariffs on the U.S. and Canada, how politicians exploit economic misconceptions, and why a policy of unilateral free trade would be the best path forward.
References
-
Globalization by Don Boudreaux
- Paperback: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/globalization-9780313342134/
-
The Essential Hayek by Don Boudreaux
-
Free PDF: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/sites/default/files/essential-hayek_0.pdf
-
"The Case for Free Trade" by Don Boudreaux (Mercatus Center)
-
https://www.mercatus.org/system/files/boudreaux-benefits-free-trade-ep-v2.pdf
-
"Don't Get Played By Protectionists" (Cafe Hayek)
-
https://cafehayek.com/2025/03/dont-get-played-by-protectionists.html
-
"On America's Trade Deficit With China" by Don Boudreaux
-
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/on-americas-trade-deficit-with-china/
-
"Adam Smith Doesn't Like U.S. Trade Policy" by Stuart Anderson
-
https://www.forbes.com/sites/stuartanderson/2018/07/18/adam-smith-doesnt-like-u-s-trade-policy/
Thanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald. To support the podcast, visit https://patreon.com/curioustask.
Matt Bufton speaks with Ryan Manucha about interprovincial trade in Canada, focusing on the legal and economic barriers that hinder free trade between provinces. They discuss Ryan’s book Booze, Cigarettes, and Constitutional Dust-Ups, examining how constitutional law, historical disputes, and political inertia have shaped Canada’s fragmented trade landscape. The conversation explores key legal cases, the role of the Supreme Court, and potential reforms that could enhance economic cooperation across the country.
References
-
Booze, Cigarettes, and Constitutional Dust-Ups: Canada's Quest for Interprovincial Free Trade by Ryan Manucha
- https://www.amazon.ca/dp/0228014417
-
Gold Seal Ltd. v. Alberta (Attorney-General) (1921) – Key legal case on interprovincial trade barriers
-
https://www.canlii.org/t/2f2ng
-
R. v. Comeau (2018) – Supreme Court decision on cross-border alcohol sales
-
https://decisions.scc-csc.ca/scc-csc/scc-csc/en/item/17059/index.do
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Interprovincial Trade Barriers in Canada: Options for Moving Forward by Alvarez et al.
-
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/383376202_Interprovincial_Trade_Barriers_in_Canada_Options_for_Moving_Forward
-
Provincial Red Tape Report Card by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB)
-
https://www.cfib-fcei.ca/en/research-economic-analysis/provincial-red-tape-report-card
-
Internal Trade in Canada: Case for Liberalization by the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
-
https://www.imf.org/-/media/Files/Publications/WP/2019/WPIEA2019158.ashx
Thanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald. To support the podcast, visit https://patreon.com/curioustask.
Matt speaks with Bart Wilson about what economists often overlook in their analysis—specifically, the role of morality, human cooperation, and language in shaping economic behaviour. Wilson argues that mainstream economics tends to focus too much on scarcity and efficiency while neglecting the deeper social and moral foundations that make trade and prosperity possible. Drawing on his book Meaningful Economics: Making the Science of Prosperity More Human, he explores how concepts like property, reciprocity, and justice emerge from human relationships rather than being imposed from the top down.
References:
- Meaningful Economics: Making the Science of Prosperity More Human by Bart Wilson
https://global.oup.com/academic/product/meaningful-economics-9780197758151?cc=us⟨=en& - The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
https://a.co/d/j0nL0mY - The Theory of Moral Sentiments by Adam Smith
https://a.co/d/iKwedtg - Knowledge and Decisions by Thomas Sowell
https://a.co/d/cRgCwe4 - The Invisible Heart: An Economic Romance by Russell Roberts
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/0262681358 - Frankenstein by Mary Shelley https://a.co/d/a7vAUsi
Thanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald. To support the podcast, visit our Patreon page.
Alex Aragona speaks with Tim Thurley about gun policy in Canada, discussing the current state of firearm regulations, the shift away from a past political consensus, and whether recent legislative changes are effectively targeting crime. They explore the role of licensing, background checks, and storage laws, as well as the impact of smuggled firearms and high-profile policy changes like Bill C-21 and the handgun freeze. Thurley argues that recent policy shifts focus on legal gun owners while failing to address the main sources of gun crime in Canada.
References
- "Aiming Off Target: Gun Policy in Canada" by Tim Thurley & Noah Schwartz (Macdonald-Laurier Institute)
https://macdonaldlaurier.ca/aiming-off-target-gun-policy-canada/ - "On gun control, Liberals opt for wedge politics over actual change" by Noah Schwartz
https://nationalpost.com/opinion/noah-schwartz-on-gun-control-liberals-opt-for-wedge-politics-over-actual-change - "More Guns, Less Crime" by John R. Lott Jr.
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/0226493660 - "The Culture of Fear: Why Americans Are Afraid of the Wrong Things" by Barry Glassner
https://a.co/d/4qXgBqf - "The Origins and Development of Canada’s Firearms Laws" by R. Blake Brown
https://a.co/d/bMb4zyV - "Armed: New Perspectives on Gun Control" by Gary Kleck & Don B. Kates
https://a.co/d/5xk3gUj
Thanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald. To support the podcast, visit https://patreon.com/curioustask.
Matt speaks with Ethan Nadelmann about vaping, e-cigarettes, and pouch nicotine alternatives to cigarettes within the broader context of health policy and the drug war. They discuss the misconceptions surrounding nicotine, harm reduction strategies, and how opposition to non-combustible nicotine mirrors past drug war policies. Ethan highlights international case studies, the role of public health organizations, and the influence of figures like Michael Bloomberg in shaping the global discourse - and misinformation - around alternatives to cigarettes.
References
- "Thinking Seriously About Alternatives to Drug Prohibition" by Ethan Nadelmann
https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/20027122.pdf - "The Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction" (KAC Reports)
https://gsthr.org/ - "High Price" by Carl Hart
https://a.co/d/inDX5Gi - "Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness" by Richard H. Thaler & Cass R. Sunstein
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/014311526X - "Ending the War on Drugs: A Solution for America" by Dirk Chase Eldredge
https://a.co/d/bIGQpJ6
Thanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald. To support the podcast, visit https://patreon.com/curioustask.
Alex speaks with Eric Schliesser about the "freedom to" vs. "freedom from" debate in political theory, using Serene Khader’s book Faux Feminism as a central reference. They explore the historical distinction between negative and positive liberty, the role of hierarchy in structuring freedom, and how liberalism’s focus on removing restrictions can sometimes reinforce existing power structures. The discussion touches on feminist theory, liberal political thought, and broader critiques of market-based individualism.
References
- Faux Feminism: Why We Fall for White Feminism and How We Can Stop by Serene Khader
https://a.co/d/fFRt6op - Liberal Legislation and Freedom of Contract by T.H. Green
https://history.hanover.edu/texts/green.html - Two Concepts of Liberty by Isaiah Berlin
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/liberty-positive-negative/ - The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
https://a.co/d/6YWK7bA - The Origins of Totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt
https://www.amazon.ca/Origins-Totalitarianism-Hannah-Arendt/dp/0156701537 - Capitalism and Freedom by Milton Friedman
https://www.amazon.ca/Capitalism-Freedom-Milton-Friedman/dp/022673479X
Thanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald. To support the podcast, visit https://patreon.com/curioustask.
Alex Aragona moderates a discussion with Ryan Thorpe and Matt Bufton about the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and its relevance in today’s world. They explore the CBC’s historical mission to promote Canadian culture and information, its struggles to meet its mandate, and the challenges posed by media fragmentation and perceived biases. The conversation also touches on the roles of private media, government funding, and the rise of independent outlets as alternatives to a state broadcaster.
References
- Lament for a Nation: The Defeat of Canadian Nationalism by George Grant
https://www.amazon.ca/Lament-Nation-Defeat-Canadian-Nationalism/dp/077353010X - Peter Mansbridge Quote on CBC’s "Toronto Bias"
https://youtu.be/8c0HWFg9dpw?si=3Uo8DXe7MPMNRWyY - Canadaland
https://www.canadaland.com/ - The Hub
https://thehub.ca/ - The Narwhal
https://thenarwhal.ca/ - The Tyee
https://thetyee.ca/
Thanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald. To support the podcast, visit https://patreon.com/curioustask.
In this episode, host Matt Bufton interviews historian Steve Davies about the political realignment happening across the Western world. Steve explains how traditional divisions in politics, such as socialism versus capitalism, have been replaced by a new axis centered on nationalism versus globalism. He critiques both "national collectivism" and "technocratic liberal progressivism" while discussing the implications for classical liberalism. The conversation also touches on the influence of leaders like Donald Trump, Justin Trudeau, and Emmanuel Macron, and explores what the future holds for liberal ideas in a shifting political landscape.
References
- "The Great Realignment: Understanding Politics Today" by Steve Davies (Cato Institute)
https://www.cato-unbound.org/2018/12/10/stephen-davies/great-realignment-understanding-politics-today/ - Steve Davies' talk at the IEA's THINK event
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GVMnQ4-_cQ - "The Road to Serfdom" by Friedrich Hayek
https://www.amazon.ca/Road-Serfdom-Friedrich-Hayek/dp/0226320553 - "Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy" by Joseph A. Schumpeter
https://www.amazon.ca/Capitalism-Socialism-Democracy-Joseph-Schumpeter/dp/0061330086 - "The Origins of Political Order: From Prehuman Times to the French Revolution" by Francis Fukuyama
https://www.amazon.ca/Origins-Political-Order-Prehuman-Revolution/dp/0374227349 - "Leviathan" by Thomas Hobbes
https://www.amazon.ca/Leviathan-Thomas-Hobbes/dp/0140431950 - "The Constitution of Liberty" by Friedrich Hayek
https://www.amazon.ca/Constitution-Liberty-Friedrich-Hayek/dp/0226320847
Thanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald. To support the podcast, visit https://patreon.com/curioustask.
In this conversation from 2021, Alex speaks with Jacob Levy about Montesquieu's role in shaping contemporary political science, the American revolutionary project, and the role of the separation of powers as a bulwark against despotism.
References
- “Rationalism, Pluralism, and Freedom” by Jacob Levy
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Rationalism-Pluralism-Freedom-Jacob-Levy/dp/0198808917
- “The Multiculturalism of Fear” by Jacob Levy
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Multiculturalism-Fear-Jacob-T-Levy/dp/0198297122
- “Montesquieu’s Constitutional Legacies” by Jacob Levy
Link: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1117087
- “Beyond Publius: Montesquieu, Liberal Republicanism, and the Small-Republic Thesis” by Jacob Levy
Link: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=739447
- “The Spirit of Laws” by Charles Baron de Montesquieu
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Spirit-Laws-Charles-Baron-Montesquieu/dp/1616405287#:~:text=The%20Spirit%20of%20Laws%2C%20first,by%20the%20Roman%20Catholic%20Church.
- “Leviathan” by Thomas Hobbes
Link: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/3207/3207-h/3207-h.htm
- “Second Treatise of Government” by John Locke
Link: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/7370/7370-h/7370-h.htm
In this episode from 2021, Alex Aragona speaks with Victor M. Muniz-Fraticelli about whether the monarchy might seem absurd, and whether a little absurdity can be a good thing.
References
- “The Monarchy and the Constitution” by Vernon Bogdanor
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Monarchy-Constitution-Vernon-Bogdanor/dp/0198293348
Alex speaks with Neera Badhwar about her forthcoming paper, “There are Divinities in Liberal Market Societies Too,” exploring how liberal societies enable prosperity, intellectual virtue, and moral growth. Neera discusses key concepts like happiness and flourishing, critiques thinkers like Gerry Cohen, and reflects on the role of free markets and limited government in fostering human well-being.
References
- "There are Divinities in Liberal Market Societies Too" by Neera Badhwar (forthcoming in Social Philosophy and Policy, 2025)
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/social-philosophy-and-policy - "The Theory of Moral Sentiments" by Adam Smith
https://www.amazon.ca/Theory-Moral-Sentiments-Adam-Smith/dp/0865970122 - "If You're an Egalitarian, How Come You're So Rich?" by Gerry Cohen
https://a.co/d/6NyLaC2 - "The Case Against Education: Why the Education System Is a Waste of Time and Money" by Bryan Caplan
https://www.amazon.ca/Case-Against-Education-System-Money/dp/0691174652 - World Values Survey
https://www.worldvaluessurvey.org/ - World Happiness Report
https://worldhappiness.report/ - Human Progress Newsletter
https://humanprogress.org/
Thanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald. To support the podcast, visit https://patreon.com/curioustask.
Alex speaks with Erwin Dekker about the economics and philosophy of art, examining various theories on how art derives its value. Dekker explores perspectives from classical liberal thinkers, discussing the role of market forces, cultural significance, and individual perception in determining the worth of art, as well as how art's intangible qualities challenge traditional economic valuation.
References
"Realizing the Values of Art: Making Space for Cultural Civil Society" by Erwin Dekker and Valeria Morea
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Realizing-Values-Art-Cultural-Economics/dp/3030875302
Erwin Dekker's Website
Link: https://www.erwindekker.com/
"The Market and the City: Square and Stage in Classical Economies" by Erwin Dekker
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Market-City-Classical-Economies-ebook/dp/B08J1TJKKL
"The Value of Culture: On the Relationship between Economics and Arts" by Arjo Klamer
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Value-Culture-Relationship-between-Economics/dp/9053562184
"The Economics of Aesthetics: Art and the Market" by Bruno S. Frey
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Economics-Aesthetics-Bruno-S-Frey/dp/1441973850
"Art and the Market: Roger Fry on Commerce in Art" by Charles Saumarez Smith
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Art-Market-Roger-Commerce/dp/0801433685
"Creative Destruction" by Tyler Cowen
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Creative-Destruction-Cowen/dp/0691117591
"What Price Fame?" by Tyler Cowen
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/What-Price-Fame-Tyler-Cowen/dp/0674955107
Thanks to our patrons including: Amy Willis, Kris Rondolo, and Christopher McDonald.
To become a patron, go to patreon.com/curioustask
Matt speaks with Lauren Hall about "radical moderation," a framework that encourages moving beyond binary thinking in social and political issues. Hall explains her framework, which helps individuals navigate complex situations by fostering curiosity, empathy, and creative thinking. They also discuss the roles of community, parenting, and social psychology in moderating polarized views.
Episode Notes:
"Radical Moderation" by Lauren Hall
Find more at: https://radicalmoderatesguide.substack.com
"The Way Out: How to Overcome Toxic Polarization" by Peter T. Coleman
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Way-Out-Overcome-Toxic-Polarization/dp/0231195718
"High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out" by Amanda Ripley
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/High-Conflict-Trapped-How-Out/dp/1982128575
"Elements of Justice" by David Schmidtz
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Elements-Justice-David-Schmidtz/dp/0521539360
"Living Together: Essays on Justice, Pluralism, and Community" by David Schmidtz
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Living-Together-Essays-Justice-Pluralism/dp/0190233731
"The Polarization Detox Challenge" by Starts With Us
Explore more at: https://startswith.us/polarization-detox
"The Science of Family: The Politics of Moderation in Family Policies" by Lauren Hall
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Science-Family-Politics-Moderation-Policies/dp/0367523267
Thanks to our patrons including: Amy Willis, Kris Rondolo, and Christopher McDonald.
To become a patron, go to patreon.com/curioustask
Alex speaks with Elias Khalil about the influential ideas of Ibn Khaldun, delving into Khaldun's theories on the rise and fall of civilizations, the nature of political communities, and the importance of solidarity (Asabiyya). Khalil connects these insights to classical liberal thought and the works of Adam Smith, emphasizing Khaldun’s impact on understanding political order as a product of social dynamics rather than divine intervention.
References1. "The Muqaddimah: An Introduction to History" by Ibn Khaldun, translated by Franz Rosenthal
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Muqaddimah-Introduction-History-Ibn-Khaldun/dp/0691166285
-
“Ibn Khaldoun and Adam Smith—Two Heroes of the Modern Age.”
https://www.adamsmithworks.org/documents/ibnkhaldoun-and-adam-smith (Liberty Fund), 11 November 2020; -
“Ibn Khaldûn on Property Rights, The Muqaddimah: An Introduction to History.”
Journal of Institutional Economics, August 2007, 3:2, pp. 227-238. (It includes a
long excerpt (pp. 233-238) from Ibn Khaldûn’s The Muqaddimah: An Introduction
to History.) http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1744137407000677 -
"The Theory of Moral Sentiments" by Adam Smith
Link: https://a.co/d/j7XuEp4 -
"The Wealth of Nations" by Adam Smith
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Wealth-Nations-Adam-Smith/dp/1505577128
Matt speaks with Larry White about the principles of free banking, focusing on how competitive banking systems can operate without centralized control. Larry highlights historical examples and the theoretical frameworks supporting free banking, emphasizing the benefits of decentralized monetary systems.
References1. "The Theory of Free Banking: Money Supply under Competitive Note Issue" by Larry White
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Theory-Free-Banking-Supply-Competitive/dp/091396913X
2. "Free Banking in Britain: Theory, Experience, and Debate, 1800-1845" by Larry White
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Free-Banking-Britain-Experience-1800-1845/dp/0521379838
3. "Competition and Currency: Essays on Free Banking and Money" by Lawrence H. White
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Competition-Currency-Essays-Banking-Money/dp/0814779786
4. "Money, Bank Credit, and Economic Cycles" by Jesús Huerta de Soto
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Money-Credit-Economic-Cycles-Jesus/dp/1933550030
5. "The Denationalisation of Money" by Friedrich Hayek
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Denationalisation-Money-Friedrich-Hayek/dp/0255360872
6. "The Experience of Free Banking" by Kevin Dowd
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Experience-Free-Banking-Kevin-Dowd/dp/0415099357
7. "Money and the Market: Essays on Free Banking" by Kevin Dowd
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Money-Market-Essays-Free-Banking/dp/0415140552
Thanks to our patrons including: Amy Willis, Kris Rondolo, and Christopher McDonald.
To become a patron, go to patreon.com/curioustask
Alex speaks with Alex Edmans about his book May Contain Lies, examining the widespread issue of misinformation and exploring how factors like confirmation bias, cognitive shortcuts, and misleading statistics can shape public opinion. They discuss practical strategies for identifying and avoiding misinformation, along with the broader societal impact of misinterpreted data.
References1. "May Contain Lies" by Alex Edmans
Link: https://a.co/d/aX2AJ0I
2. "Thinking, Fast and Slow" by Daniel Kahneman
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Thinking-Fast-Slow-Daniel-Kahneman/dp/0385676530
3. "Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction" by Philip E. Tetlock
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Superforecasting-Art-Science-Philip-Tetlock/dp/0804136696
4. "Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think" by Hans Rosling
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Factfulness-Reasons-World-Things-Better/dp/1250107814
5. "The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail – but Some Don't" by Nate Silver
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Signal-Noise-Many-Predictions-Fail/dp/0143125087
6. "How to Lie with Statistics" by Darrell Huff
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/How-Lie-Statistics-Darrell-Huff/dp/0393310728
7. "Start With Why" by Simon Sinek
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Start-Why-Leaders-Inspire-Everyone/dp/1591846447
Thanks to our patrons including: Amy Willis, Kris Rondolo, and Christopher McDonald.
To become a patron, go to patreon.com/curioustask
Matt speaks with Jeffrey Miron about the justice and effectiveness of "sin taxes," evaluating whether taxes on goods like alcohol, tobacco, and sugary drinks achieve their intended public health goals or whether they unfairly restrict individual choice. The conversation explores the ethical implications of using taxation as a tool for social engineering and questions the actual impact these policies have on behavior.
References1. "Should Governments Try to Reduce Sin?" by Jeffrey Miron
Link: https://scholar.harvard.edu/miron/publications/should-governments-try-reduce-sin
2. "The Time Travelling Dietitian" (YouTube Video)
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ua-WVg1SsA
3. "Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness" by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Nudge-Improving-Decisions-Health-Happiness/dp/014311526X
4. "The Ethics of Taxation" by Jane G. Gravelle
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Ethics-Taxation-Jane-Gravelle/dp/XXXXX
5. "The Theory of Moral Sentiments" by Adam Smith
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Theory-Moral-Sentiments-Adam-Smith/dp/XXXXX
6. "For Your Own Good: The Anti-Smoking Crusade and the Tyranny of Public Health" by Jacob Sullum
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/For-Your-Own-Good-Public/dp/0684849520
7. "The Constitution of Liberty" by Friedrich Hayek
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Constitution-Liberty-Friedrich-Hayek/dp/0226320847
Thanks to our patrons including: Amy Willis, Kris Rondolo, and Christopher McDonald.
To become a patron, go to patreon.com/curioustask
Alex speaks with Ádám Lovász about the concept of spontaneous order, examining its philosophical roots in thinkers like Hayek and exploring its applications beyond human societies, including ecosystems and insect colonies, as well as its implications for understanding the limitations of technocratic control in both markets and ecological systems.
References1. Adam's Author Page on Amazon
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/stores/author/B00LXFHXN8/about?ingress=0&visitId=5dbd96f1-456d-41f2-a1e7-6d59eeaf6ca9&ref_=ap_rdr
2. "The Constitution of Liberty" by Friedrich Hayek
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Constitution-Liberty-Friedrich-Hayek/dp/0226320847
3. "The Sensory Order" by Friedrich Hayek
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Sensory-Order-Friedrich-Hayek/dp/0226320944
4. "The Wealth of Nations" by Adam Smith
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Wealth-Nations-Adam-Smith/dp/1505577128
5. "Anarchy, State, and Utopia" by Robert Nozick
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Anarchy-State-Utopia-Robert-Nozick/dp/0465097200
6. "Stigmergy and the Role of Insect Societies in Complex Systems" by Leslie Marsh
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Stigmergy-Insect-Societies-Complex-Systems/dp/XXXXX
7. "The Road to Serfdom" by Friedrich Hayek
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Road-Serfdom-Fiftieth-Anniversary/dp/0226320553
Thanks to our patrons including: Amy Willis, Kris Rondolo, and Christopher McDonald.
To become a patron, go to patreon.com/curioustask
Matt speaks with Colin Craig about the Canadian healthcare system, discussing its inefficiencies, long wait times, and potential reforms, while comparing it to healthcare models in other countries and offering practical suggestions for improvement.
References1. Health Reform Now - the documentary that informs much of this conversation:
Link: https://secondstreet.org/new-documentary-health-reform-now/
2. "Universal Health Care: What the United States Can Learn from the United Kingdom" by Karen Davis
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Universal-Health-Care-Learn-Karen-Davis/dp/XXXXX
3. "Sick in the Head: Why America Still Doesn't Have Universal Health Care" by Sarah Kliff
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Sick-Head-America-Doesnt-Universal/dp/XXXXX
4. "The Healthcare Fix: Universal Insurance for All Americans" by Laurence J. Kotlikoff
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Healthcare-Fix-Universal-Insurance-Americans/dp/0262612263
5. "The European Union's Cross-Border Healthcare Directive"
Link: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/factsheets/en/sheet/205/cross-border-healthcare
6. "Activity-Based Funding Model in Healthcare: A Comparative Analysis"
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Activity-Based-Funding-Comparative-Analysis/dp/XXXXX
7. "Waiting Your Turn: Wait Times for Health Care in Canada" by Bacchus Barua (Fraser Institute)
Link: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/waiting-your-turn-wait-times-for-health-care-in-canada
8. "Overton Window: The Political Theory of Change" by Joseph P. Overton
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Overton-Window-Political-Change-Joseph/dp/XXXXX
Thanks to our patrons including: Amy Willis, Kris Rondolo, and Christopher McDonald.
To become a patron, go to patreon.com/curioustask
To celebrate Sabine’s time at the ILS and her work with the Curious Task, we’re revisiting Sabine’s first appearance as a guest on the podcast.
—
Alex Aragona speaks with Sabine El-Chidiac as she explores the different ways civil society solutions help refugees succeed when they move to their new home.
References from The Curious Task Episode 68 with Sabine El-Chidiac
- You can find Sabine's work on this topic mentioned in the podcast at Police Options here
- The Government of Canada’s website contains a list of all the programs under which economic immigrants are admitted into Canada.
- Here is some more information about the express entry pathway.
- As Sabine noted in the podcast, admission under the Provincial Nominee Program is dependent upon what the destination province deems to be their biggest occupational and employment goals and needs. This link provides a brief overview of the program and hyperlinks to province-specific guidelines.
- You can read more about the UNHCR’s Refugee Status Designation process on their website here, as well as their procedural standards here.
- This is the link to the Government of Canada’s guide to the private refugee sponsorship process.
- Sabine mentioned the work of the Anglican Diocese of Toronto to accommodate and build a community for refugees by performing fundraisers and food drives amongst the parishioners. You can read their mission statement on their website.
- Sabine’s article, The success of the privately sponsored refugee system, discusses some of the themes from this podcast, such as the principle of civil society, and is available for reading on Policy Options.
- Here is a link to the Rapid Impact Evaluation of the Syrian Refugee Initiative developed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (2016. It compares the outcomes, living standards, and satisfaction of government and privately sponsored Syrian refugees between 2015-2016.
- This is a link to the joint statement to the UN General Assembly by the Ministers of Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Argentina, Spain, and New Zealand speaking in favour of community-led sponsorship approaches that Alex briefly mentions on the podcast.
- Here is a link to the official PSR cap published by the Government of Canada. Some examples of the lobbying against PSR caps include the Canadian Council for Refugees and the Canadian Refugee Sponsorship Agreement Holders Association.
- Alex and Sabine discuss Danby Appliances’ CEO Jim Estill’s sponsorship and hiring of over fifty refugee families in Guelph, Ontario. You can read more about this in the article linked here.
- On the podcast, Sabine shares the inspiring story coming out of Haida Gwaii, British Columbia with regards to how the refugees who were once sponsored to the area eventually became systems of support for new incoming refugees. You can follow the community work for refugees in Haida Gwaii through one of their local newspaper’s website.
Alex speaks with Mark Koyama about the historical context and economic implications of the Manila Galleon trade, focusing on how monopolistic practices increased the risk of shipwrecks and the broader lessons for contemporary economics about the unintended consequences of monopoly power.
References1. "Shipwrecked by Rents: The Manila Galleon Trade" by Mark Koyama, Desiderio Desideri, and Fernando Arteaga
Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304387823001967
2. "The Wealth of Nations" by Adam Smith
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Wealth-Nations-Adam-Smith/dp/1505577128
3. "Institutions, Institutional Change and Economic Performance" by Douglass C. North
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Institutions-Institutional-Change-Economic-Performance/dp/0521397340
4. "An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations" by Adam Smith
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Inquiry-Nature-Causes-Wealth-Nations/dp/1494465227
5. "The East India Company: A History" by Philip Lawson
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/East-India-Company-Philip-Lawson/dp/0582490522
6. "Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World" by Niall Ferguson
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Empire-How-Britain-Made-Modern/dp/0141007540
7. "The Rise and Fall of the Spanish Empire" by William Maltby
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Rise-Fall-Spanish-Empire-Maltby/dp/1405844874
SummaryAlex speaks with Jacob Levy about the concept of a liberal party, exploring its philosophical foundations, historical context, and touch on all of these points within the context of Jacob's article "The Liberal Party Idea" (2024).
References1. The Liberal Party Idea by Jacob Levy:
Link:https://www.researchgate.net/publication/381323406_The_liberal_party_idea_and_American_ideology
2. "On Liberty" by John Stuart Mill
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Liberty-John-Stuart-Mill/dp/1505851210
3. "The Constitution of Liberty" by Friedrich Hayek
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Constitution-Liberty-Friedrich-Hayek/dp/0226320847
4. "The Federalist Papers" by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Federalist-Papers-Alexander-Hamilton/dp/0486496363
5. "Reflections on the Revolution in France" by Edmund Burke
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Reflections-Revolution-France-Edmund-Burke/dp/0199539022
6. "Democracy in America" by Alexis de Tocqueville
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Democracy-America-Alexis-Tocqueville/dp/0140447601
7. "Two Treatises of Government" by John Locke
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Two-Treatises-Government-John-Locke/dp/1532846815
8. "Political Liberalism" by John Rawls
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Political-Liberalism-John-Rawls/dp/0231130899
Thanks to our patrons including: Amy Willis, Kris Rondolo, and Christopher McDonald.
To become a patron, go to patreon.com/curioustask
Sabine speaks with Nathan Goodman about the complexities of border control and domestic policy, focusing on how these issues intersect with libertarian philosophy, the economic implications of immigration, and the ethical considerations of state power in regulating borders.
References
"The Law of Peoples" by John Rawls
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Law-Peoples-John-Rawls/dp/0674005422
"The Machinery of Freedom" by David D. Friedman
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Machinery-Freedom-Guide-Radical-Capitalism/dp/1507785607
"Anarchy, State, and Utopia" by Robert Nozick
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Anarchy-State-Utopia-Robert-Nozick/dp/0465097200
"The Ethics of Liberty" by Murray Rothbard
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Ethics-Liberty-Murray-N-Rothbard/dp/0814775594
"Borders of Justice" edited by Todd May
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Borders-Justice-Todd-May/dp/1438433712
"Free to Move: Foot Voting, Migration, and Political Freedom" by Ilya Somin
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Free-Move-Migration-Political-Freedom/dp/0190054581
"Politics in Plural Societies: A Theory of Democratic Instability" by Alvin Rabushka and Kenneth A. Shepsle
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Politics-Plural-Societies-Democratic-Instability/dp/0674686266
Thanks to our patrons including: Amy Willis, Chris Rondollo, and Christopher McDonald.
To become a patron, go to patreon.com/curioustask
Alex speaks with Ignacio Cofone about the intricacies of privacy in the digital era, examining how personal data is collected, inferred upon, and the legal frameworks that govern these practices, as elucidated in Ignacio Cofone's book, "The Privacy Fallacy."Episode Notes:1. "The Privacy Fallacy: Harm and Power in the Information Economy" by Ignacio Cofone
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Privacy-Fallacy-Power-Information-Economy/dp/XXXXX
2. "The Age of Surveillance Capitalism" by Shoshana Zuboff
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Age-Surveillance-Capitalism-Future-Frontier/dp/1541758005
3. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
Link: https://gdpr.eu/
4. "Privacy and Freedom" by Alan F. Westin
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Privacy-Freedom-Alan-F-Westin/dp/XXXXX
5. "Code and Other Laws of Cyberspace" by Lawrence Lessig
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Code-Laws-Cyberspace-Lawrence-Lessig/dp/0465039146
6. "Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness" by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Nudge-Improving-Decisions-Health-Happiness/dp/014311526X
7. "The Right to Privacy" by Samuel D. Warren and Louis D. Brandeis
Link: https://www.cs.cornell.edu/~shmat/courses/cs5436/warren-brandeis.pdf
Thanks to our patrons including: Amy Willis, Chris Rondollo, and Christopher McDonald.
To become a patron, go to patreon.com/curioustask
Alex speaks with Bruce Pardy about the rule of law in Canada, implications of the notwithstanding clause, the evolving interpretation of the Charter, and the balance between individual rights and state power.
References1. Friedrich Hayek - "The Road to Serfdom" - https://www.amazon.ca/Road-Serfdom-Fiftieth-Anniversary/dp/0226320553
Discussed in relation to emergent order and skepticism of imposed rules.
2. Magna Carta - "The Magna Carta" - https://www.bl.uk/magna-carta
Mentioned as a historical document marking the beginning of limiting the king's power.
3. U.S. Bill of Rights - "The Bill of Rights" - https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/bill-of-rights
Cited as a document that transferred power from the legislature to the courts in the American context.
4. Section 33 - The Notwithstanding Clause - "Section 33 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms" - https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/csj-sjc/rfc-dlc/ccrf-ccdl/check/art33.html
Discussed as a controversial clause allowing legislatures to override certain rights.
5. Adam Smith - "The Wealth of Nations" - https://www.amazon.ca/Wealth-Nations-Adam-Smith/dp/1505577128
Referenced in discussions on free markets and the role of government.
6. John Locke - "Two Treatises of Government" - https://www.amazon.ca/Two-Treatises-Government-John-Locke/dp/1507621453
His ideas on government and individual rights were mentioned.
7. Milton Friedman - "Capitalism and Freedom" - https://www.amazon.ca/Capitalism-Freedom-Anniversary-Milton-Friedman/dp/0226264211
Cited in discussions about the role of government in economic affairs.
ThanksThanks to our patrons including: Amy Willis, Chris Rondollo, and Christopher McDonald.
To become a patron, go to patreon.com/curioustask
Alex speaks with Rosolino Candela about the morality and dynamics of illicit markets, focusing on the transition from central planning to privatization in post-Soviet Russia and the role of property rights in shaping economic behaviors and attitudes.
References:
Rosolino's Website - https://www.rcandela.com/
Timothy Fry - Property Rights and Property Wrongs - https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316661727
Peter Boettke - Economic History and Soviet System - https://www.peter-boettke.com/soviet-studies
Adam Smith & Classical Economics - https://www.britannica.com/money/classical-economics
Constantine Menges - https://www.hudson.org/domestic-policy/an-appreciation-of-constantine-menges
Ayn Rand - Philosophy of Objectivism - https://aynrand.org/novels/objectivism-the-philosophy-of-ayn-rand/
Ludwig von Mises - Human Action - https://mises.org/library/book/human-action
Milton Friedman - Capitalism and Freedom - https://ctheory.sitehost.iu.edu/resources/fall2020/Friedman_Capitalism_and_Freedom.pdf
Matt speaks with Matt Zwolinski about Bleeding Heart Libertarianism and the diverse perspectives within libertarian thought, discussing its history, philosophical foundations, and contemporary issues, including debates on social justice, individual rights, and the role of government.
References:
The BHL blog: https://bleedingheartlibertarians.com/
Hayek on SEP including his thoughts on social justice and libertarianism: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/friedrich-hayek/
John Tomasi and Matt Zwolinski's book "The Individualists" - https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691155548/the-individualists
Roderick Long on natural rights and libertarianism - http://freenation.org/a/f42l1.html
Eric Mack's page on Tulane U website, including works - https://liberalarts.tulane.edu/philosophy/people/eric-mack-phd
Ralph Nader on a libertarian alliance with "liberals"/progressives - https://www.wbur.org/radioboston/2014/05/21/ralph-nader
Billy Christmas on PhilPeople - https://philpeople.org/profiles/billy-christmas
A summary of American Libertarianism and consequentialism including a reference to Richard Epstein -
https://usapoliticaldatabase.weebly.com/consequentialist-libertarianism.html
Alex speaks with Chris Coyne about the complexities and ramifications of war, focusing on the interplay between media narratives, propaganda, and the impact on civil liberties, drawing insights from Coyne's book co-authored with Abigail Hall, which is a satirical guide on war strategies and their broader societal implications.
Episode Notes:
Chris and Abigail's book "How to Run Wars": https://www.independent.org/store/book.asp?id=145
-
Bruce Winton Knight's "How To Run A War": https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=bruce+winton+knight&title=how+to+run+a+war
-
Herman and Chomsky's "Manufacturing Consent": https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/61214/manufacturing-consent-by-edward-s-herman-and-noam-chomsky/
-
Noam Chomsky's website: https://chomsky.info/
-
Alexis de Tocqueville's biography, including reference to his distinction between hard and soft despotism: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville
-
Otto Neurath's "From the War Economy to the Economy in Kind" https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/neurath/works/war-economy.htm
-
Abigail Hall and Christopher Coyne "Manufacturing Militarism: U.S. Government Propaganda in the War on Terror": https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781503628171/Manufacturing-Militarism-U-S-Government-Propaganda-in-the-War-on-Terror
Matt speaks with Joanna Baron about how government measures during the pandemic undermined civil liberties in North America and beyond.
Episode Notes:
-
Brian Bird's PhD Thesis: https://escholarship.mcgill.ca/concern/theses/4j03d4180
-
Fraser Institute:
https://www.fraserinstitute.org/
- The Forgotten Fundamental Freedoms - Dwight G. Newman
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3803888
-
Joanna's book with Christine Van Geyn "Pandemic Panic: How Canadian Government Responses to COVID-19 Changed Civil Liberties Forever" https://a.co/d/0aNNzvLW
-
"Let's Declare a Pandemic Amnesty" by Emily Oster https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/10/covid-response-forgiveness/671879/
Sabine speaks with Jonathan Blanks about why and how systemic racism exists in society, and what can potentially be done to curb it in various aspects of institutional life.
Episode Notes:
-
The Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity: https://freopp.org/
-
An article by Jonathan on defining systemic racism: https://freopp.org/what-systemic-racism-is-and-isnt-1213c1c972ff
-
Ghettoside: A True Story of Murder in America (2015) by Jill Leovy https://a.co/d/8f9JGqB
-
The Thirteenth trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6IXQbXPO3I
Alex speaks with Kevin Erdmann about how zoning, the 2008 economic crisis, and the desire to live away from "those people" is effecting the state of housing today.
Episode Notes:
Kevin's page at the Mercatus Centre:
https://www.mercatus.org/scholars/kevin-erdmann
The Erdmann Housing Tracker:
https://kevinerdmann.substack.com/
Kevin on X:
https://x.com/KAErdmann?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
Kevin's book "Shut Out" on Amazon Canada:
https://a.co/d/gIh82Og
Alex speaks with Dominic Parker about his 2023 paper with Dean Lueck entitled "The Economic Origins And Extent Of America's First Environmental Agencies"
Episode Notes:
Dominic's paper: https://aae.wisc.edu/dparker/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/12/Lueck-Parker-Origins-December-2023.pdf
Some history on the conservation movement from 1850-1920 via the American Library of Congress:
https://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20220203190507/https://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amrvhtml/conshome.html
Alex speaks with Ryan Bourne as he explores the misconceptions around inflation and the dangers of price controls, emphasizing how prices act as signals to coordinate economic activity and promote growth. Ryan explains the adverse effects of government intervention in setting prices, such as shortages, quality declines, black markets, and inefficient resource allocation.
Episode Notes:
-
Ryan’s book that serves as the basis for most of the discussion:
https://a.co/d/6B4n1Uf -
Summary of Friedman, Monetarist School and the K-percent rule https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/monetarism.asp#:~:text=In%20his%20book%2C%20%22A%20Monetary,a%20fixed%20percentage%20per%20year.
-
Explanation of greedflation: https://cssh.northeastern.edu/what-is-greedflation-and-is-it-driving-higher-prices/
-
Kahneman and Thaler's research: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1806070
-
Clemens on minimum wage
https://econweb.ucsd.edu/~j1clemens/pdfs/ClemensMinWageCatoPolicyAnalysis867.pdf
Alex speaks with Kent Roach about a topic that many Canadians may overlook when thinking about issues that are recurring at home: wrongful convictions and the victims thereof.
Episode Notes:
-
Kent's award-winning book "Wrongfully Convicted: Guilty Pleas, Imagined Crimes, and What Canada Must Do to Safeguard Justice" https://a.co/d/d9mB5cN
-
Canadian Registry of Wrongful Convictions: https://www.wrongfulconvictions.ca/
-
The Innocence Project at Cardozo: https://cardozo.yu.edu/innocence-project
-
Blackstone's ratio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackstone%27s_ratio
-
Charles Smith (pathologist) background: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/dr-charles-smith-the-man-behind-the-public-inquiry-1.864004
-
R v Gladue: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R_v_Gladue
-
Richard Catchaway case: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/richard-catcheway-wrongful-conviction-1.4681737
-
The Morin case on CRWC https://www.wrongfulconvictions.ca/cases/guy-paul-morin
-
The Goudge report on pediatric forensic pathology: https://wayback.archive-it.org/16312/20211207211516/https://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/inquiries/goudge/index.html
-
The David Milgaard case: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Milgaard
Matt speaks with Ethan Nadelmann about drug decriminalization, legalization, and the slow end to the drug war in Canada and the United States, and how successes and failures in both countries compare to those abroad.
Episode Notes:
The Drug Policy Alliance website: https://drugpolicy.org/
Some history on Portugal's Drug Harm Reduction Programs: https://americanaddictioncenters.org/blog/portugals-harm-reduction-policies
Philip Owen's obituary highlighting some of his successes in Vancouver as mayor: https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2021/10/02/dtes-philip-owens-four-pillars//
Larry Cambell's call for opioid legalization: https://globalnews.ca/news/3260074/make-prescription-opioids-legal-says-senator-and-former-mayor-larry-campbell/
"Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness" on Amazon Canada: https://a.co/d/36Y1M4L
Peltzman's original article studying drug availability: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1830639
Ed Preble's "Taking Care Of Business":
https://doi.org/10.3109/10826086909061998
Matt speaks with Craig Biddle about objectivism and the legacy of Ayn Rand, and how it all ties to classical liberalism, the American ideal, and post-modernism.
Episode Notes:
Craig's work for the Objective Standard:
https://theobjectivestandard.com/author/cbiddle/
Craig on X:
https://twitter.com/CraigBiddle
Free Ayn Rand books courtesy of the Ayn Rand Institute, including almost all of those referenced throughout this episode:
https://aynrand.org/students/free-books/
Craig's talk "Choosing a Philosophy for Loving Life":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzhwsK6dyuE
Alex speaks with Bryce Tingle about corporations, how these unique legal entities run on efficiency and how an over-reliance on the public market is hurting Canadians.
Episode Notes:
- Bryce’s article “Returning Markets To The Centre Of Corporate Law” https://jcl.law.uiowa.edu/sites/jcl.law.uiowa.edu/files/2023-09/Tingle_Final.pdf
- Bryce’s profile at UofCalgary https://profiles.ucalgary.ca/bryce-tingle
- Jensen and Meckley’s “The Theory Of The Firm” https://www.sfu.ca/~wainwrig/Econ400/jensen-meckling.pdf
- Introduction to Douglass North’s theory of Institutions: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40803-016-0028-8
- Summary of Montesquieu’s “Doux Commerce” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doux_commerce
- Mill on Trade As a Social Act: https://www.utilitarianism.com/ol/five.html
- The Voltaire quote referenced regarding the London Stock Exchange: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/7351337-go-into-the-london-stock-exchange-a-more-respectable
Matt speaks with Eric Merkley about NIMBYism, the surprising touchpoints for unity between left and right on the subject of housing, and how uncovering the true motivations of NIMBYs has altered Eric's view of the housing crisis.
Episode Notes:
"Housing for Me, but not for Thee", Eric's paper serving as the basis for most of this conversation:
https://osf.io/preprints/7vmt3
Eric on X:
https://twitter.com/EricMerkley
Eric's article on the subject on Policy Options:
https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/march-2024/nimby-housing-opinion/
Some background on Premier Ford's backtracking on housing policy: https://www.robinsappleby.com/post/bridge-beat/conservative-housing-policy-backtrack.-a-setback-to-home-builders-and-new-home-owners-alike
Sabine speaks with Ben Klutsey about political polarization, commonalities between the United States and Canada, and his documentary on the subject entitled "Undivide Us"
Episode Notes:
The documentary's website with more information, a trailer and the option to request a screening: https://undivideusmovie.com/
Kevin Vallier's "Trust in a Polarized Age":
https://a.co/d/gDm6pjz
John Inazu's "Learning To Disagree":
https://a.co/d/1OmKckQ
Kevin Vallier on the Curious Task:
https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-isuwy-d16f34
Alex speaks with Rachael LaRose about the hidden costs of the pandemic, especially as they effected our commercial relationships, loose ties with individuals that once provided much value to our lives, and orthodox communities who rallied to prioritize faith in the face of fear.
Episode Notes:
-
Rachael's webpage with past publications, etc.: https://www.rachaelbehr.com/
-
"The Strength of Weak Ties" Mark S. Granovetter https://www.jstor.org/stable/2776392
-
A summary of Ostrom's work on the governance of the commons: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/lsereviewofbooks/2012/06/17/elinor-ostroms-work-on-governing-the-commons-an-appreciation/
-
Rachael's coverage of the Orthodox Jewish community's healthcare action during the pandemic: https://www.econlib.org/library/columns/y2024/larosehealthcare.html
Matt speaks with Sam Bowman about the global housing crisis and why, in English-speaking countries in particular, a growing consensus across the political divide is pointing to problems with central planning, NIMBYism and a supply limit as the causes.
Episode Notes:
- Sam Bowman’s on substack: https://substack.com/@sambowman
- Sam on "Vetocracy": https://www.sambowman.co/p/democracy-is-the-solution-to-vetocracy
- Sam’s “Housing Theory of Everything” article: https://worksinprogress.co/issue/the-housing-theory-of-everything/
- Works in Progress website: https://worksinprogress.co/
- Michael Giberson on Manser Olson's theory of concentrated costs and dispersed benefits: https://knowledgeproblem.com/2010/10/17/concentrated-benefits-and-dispersed-costs/
- Comparison of UK vs. US GDP per capita: https://countryeconomy.com/countries/compare/usa/uk
Alex speaks with Akshaya Kamalnath about her work on Corporate Diversity, the social pressures and cultural trends that corporations are facing, as well as the jurisdictional realities of handling diversity, amongst other issues.
Episode Notes:
Akshaya's page at ANU: https://researchers.anu.edu.au/researchers/kamalnath-a
Akshaya's blog:
corporatelawacademic.wordpress.com
"Legal and Market Initiatives to Increase Diversity in Corporations—A Cross-Jurisdictional Analysis" by Akshaya Kamalnath
https://digitalcommons.law.seattleu.edu/sulr/vol46/iss1/5/
In May 2022, Alex spoke with Deirdre McCloskey in a wide-ranging conversation that addresses the economic, philosophical, and political reasons why liberalism just works. We're reposting that important conversation today on The Curious Task.
Alex speaks with Alex Nowrasteh about nationalism as more of an innate tendency towards ethnic tribalism than anything resembling patriotism, and how this tendency may never disappear, but is worth resisting nonetheless.
Episode Notes:
Alex's page at the Cato Insitute:
https://www.cato.org/people/alex-nowrasteh
Alex on X:
https://twitter.com/alexnowrasteh?lang=en
Alex's book "Wretched Refuse?: The Political Economy of Immigration and Institutions":
https://a.co/d/2JePWpU
Alex speaks with Oyebade Oyerinde about the state of federalism in Nigeria, and how western ideas of democracy, liberalism and centralization of powers have influenced the current state of politics in the African nation.
Episode Notes:
"Polycentric Interstate Federalism Among The Yoruba Of Nigeria: Lessons For Growing An International Federal Order" by Oyebade Kunle Oyerinde https://cosmosandtaxis.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/kunleoyerinde_ct_vol10_iss11_12.pdf
"Polycentric and Centralized Federalism in Africa" (Chapter 3) by Oyebade Kunle Oyerinde https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781666902716/Issues-of-Governance-Security-and-Development-in-Contemporary-Africa
"Does Polycentric Order Make Sense?" by Oyebade Kunle Oyerinde https://isonomiaquarterly.com/archive/volume-2-issue-1/disorder-in-west-africa-does-polycentric-order-make-sense/
"Beyond Markets and States: Polycentric Governance of Complex Economic Systems" By Elinor Ostrom https://web.pdx.edu/~nwallace/EHP/OstromPolyGov.pdf
Sabine speaks with Jason Kuznicki about the present, past, and future influence of technology on gender and why he questions the uproar made about a choice made by individuals in the market about their own self-expression and identity.
Episode Notes:
Jason's article "Gender as Essence and as Economic Choice" http://tinyurl.com/2p9byb5d
The Cosmos + Taxis issue on gender: http://tinyurl.com/2p9byb5d
Jason's newsletter "Pacification": http://tinyurl.com/yeycjzj
Alex speaks with Marian Tupy about the notion that human progress has increased quality of life worldwide for centuries, making today the greatest time to be alive in the history of human life (in spite of what you may have heard elsewhere).
Episode Notes:
-
Marian's book "Superabundance: The Story of Population Growth, Innovation, and Human Flourishing on an Infinitely Bountiful Planet" on Amazon Canada: https://a.co/d/boeFBP3
-
Marian's profile and bio on the FEE website: https://fee.org/people/marian-l-tupy/
-
An article breaking down the Malthusian thinking in the Avengers movie referenced by Marian https://carnegiemnh.org/defeating-thanos-and-his-malthusian-mission-of-population-control/
-
A Youtube video giving some history and context for the Simon - Ehrlich bet:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw2mn40BVo0
Sabine speaks with Aeon Skoble about the harms of limiting access to information, including book bans and why a better understanding of ideas we disagree with often strengthens rather than weakens our arguments in support of the ideas we endorse.
Episode Notes:
- “Free Speech and the Function of a University” Aeon J. Skoble https://vc.bridgew.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2081&context=br_rev
- A brief history of Hume’s works being banned: https://oll.libertyfund.org/publications/reading-room/2023-10-25-donway-hume-great-work-on-religion-banned
- A handy breakdown from the University of Notre Dame on J.S. Mill’s case for disagreement and free speech in “On Liberty”: https://philife.nd.edu/j-s-mills-on-liberty-seek-disagreement/
- Jacob Mchangama’s book “Free Speech: A History From Socrates to Social Media” https://a.co/d/8lcEV6a
Alex speaks with Eric Schliesser about the growing declarations of the end of liberalism and what this means for the socio-political future in general.
Episode Notes:
- Eric Schliesser’s page at the University of Amsterdam https://www.uva.nl/en/profile/s/c/e.s.schliesser/e.s.schliesser.html#Publications
- Kevin Vallier’s episode of this podcast discussing religious anti-liberalism: https://thecurioustask.podbean.com/e/197-kevin-vallier-what-are-the-new-religious-threats-to-liberalism/
- Adrian Vermeulen’s publications https://hls.harvard.edu/faculty/adrian-vermeule/
- Tom Pink’s page at King’s College London: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/thomas-pink
- Yoram Hazony’s book on conservatism: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/thomas-pink
- Jacob Levy on borders and liberalism: https://www.niskanencenter.org/law-and-border/
Sabine speaks with Akiva Malamet and Mikayla Novak about the effects of market forces on gender as a social construct, the unlikely pairing of free markets and gender in an age of socialist feminist theory, and their recent co-authored article in Cosmos + Taxis.
Episode Notes:
"Gender as a Discovery Process: Social Construction, Markets, and Gender" Akiva Malamet and Mikayla Novak https://cosmosandtaxis.files.wordpress.com/2023/10/malamet_novak_ct_vol11_iss11_12_epub.pdf
Randall Holcombe on Spontaneous Order:
https://doi.org/10.1177/1473095212458270
David Pozen "We Are All Entrepreneurs Now":
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1044021
Immanuel Kant first introduces the concepts of "phenomena" and "noumena" in his critical philosophy, particularly in his work titled "Critique of Pure Reason" (Kritik der reinen Vernunft), which was first published in 1781.
Isreal Kirzner on Entrepreneurship:
https://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/bios/Kirzner.html
Jason Kuznicki "Human, Transhuman, Transgender.":
https://www.libertarianism.org/columns/human-transhuman-transgender
Sabine Speaks with Ryan Thorpe about the state of Journalism in Canada and about how bills C-18, C-11 and government subsidies for journalism are compromising an industry necessary for democratic participation in an age when accountability is more important than ever.
Episode Notes:
Ryan's page on the Winnipeg Free Press website: https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/biographies/ryan-thorpe
A primer on Canada's Bill C-18: https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/understanding-bill-c-18-canada-s-online-news-act-and-its-proposed-rules-explained-1.6488532
Canadaland's statement regarding denial of government subsidies: https://www.canadaland.com/how-to-support-canadaland/
A legal perspective on Bill C-11: https://www.lexpert.ca/legal-insights/exploring-the-controversy-around-bill-c-11/380414
Sy Hersh's C-SPAN speech describing how he exposed the My Lai massacre: https://www.c-span.org/video/?62006-1/vietnam-war-lai-massacre
Torstar losing approximately 50 million dollars a year: http://surl.li/pqchw
Blacklocks reporter on the memo to Pablo Rodriguez demonstrating the failure of public subsidies to Canadian media: https://www.blacklocks.ca/media-bailout-failed-memo/
Matt speaks with Tyler Cowen about his recent book "GOAT:
Who is the Greatest Economist of all Time and Why Does it Matter?", as they discuss the case for and against each of the top finalists, and the interactive AI features that Tyler has integrated into the book's online release.
Episode Notes:
The full book plus all interactive AI features can be found for free here: https://goatgreatesteconomistofalltime.ai/en
Alex speaks with Peter Boettke and Matthew Mitchell about their recent book co-authored with Konstantin Zhukov about the unusual rise of Estonia from the ashes of Stalinism to their current status as one of the freest nations on earth.
Episode Notes:
The conversation focusses on the book "Road To Freedom" which can be read in its entirety here: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/sites/default/files/road-to-freedom-estonias-rise-from-soviet-vassal-state-to-one-of-the-freest-nations-on-earth_0.pdf
A similar publication on the economic history of Poland by these same authors can be read in its entirety here: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/sites/default/files/road-to-socialism-and-back-an-economic-history-of-poland-1939-2019.pdf
Alex speaks with Nick Cowen about democracy, markets, and his forthcoming article "Include The Ignorant"
Episode Notes:
-
Jason Brennan "Against Democracy" https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691178493/against-democracy
-
On the Compatibility of Epistocracy and Public Reason
by Thomas Mulligan https://www.jstor.org/stable/24575740 -
Hayek on Limited Democracy, Dictatorships, and the ‘Free’ Market: An Interview in Argentina, 1977
"Birsen Filip" https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-91358-2_10
Alex speaks with Mike Munger about the state of classical liberalism in an era in which conservatism seems intent on wielding the tools of central planning and the left prefers the term "progressive" to "liberal".
Episode Notes:
The Classical Liberal Diaspora by Mike Munger: https://t.co/xoRnPIUXXi
The Articles of Confederation: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Articles-of-Confederation
Preamble to the United States constitution: https://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/educational-resources/about-educational-outreach/activity-resources/us
Fusionism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusionism
Albert Jay Nock and The Remnant: https://mises.org/library/isaiahs-job
Chile rewriting its constitution: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/chilean-congressional-council-finalizes-new-draft-constitution-again-2023-10-30/
Sabine speaks with Lauren K Hall, who defends the notion that feminism is an emergent order, and speaks about her recent special edition of Cosmos+Taxis.
Episode Notes:
All articles in the most recent edition of Cosmos+Taxis are linked here:
https://cosmosandtaxis.org/current-issue/
Sarah Blaffer Hrdy "The Woman That Never Evolved":
https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv1khdr6b
Kimberle Crenshaw "Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex:
A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination
Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics":
https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1052&context=uclf
Matt speaks with Clara Piano about the relationship between economic freedom, fertility, and the roles that modernization and increasing well-being for women have on the number of babies that are born in countries around the world.
Episode Notes:
"The Fertility Gap and Economic Freedom" by Clara Piano & Lyman Stone https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4564080
"The Fertility Benefits of Economic Freedom" by Clara E. Piano https://ifstudies.org/blog/the-fertility-benefits-of-economic-freedom
"The Best Policy for Supporting Families Is “Do No Harm”" by Clara E. Piano https://www.aier.org/article/the-best-policy-for-supporting-families-is-do-no-harm/
Some history on "The Population Bomb" https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/book-incited-worldwide-fear-overpopulation-180967499/
Sabine speaks with Sarah Skwire about the fascinating world of Shakespeare and why there are so many lessons we can learn from a pre-enlightenment playwright about markets, politics, and the human condition.
Episode Notes:
-
Mike Huemer's Post on Shakespeare: https://fakenous.substack.com/p/why-i-hate-shakespeare
-
"The Comedy of The Errors" https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/the-comedy-of-errors/read/#:~:text=Synopsis%3A,named%20Dromio%2C%20as%20their%20servants.
-
Sarah on Shakespeare and Immigration: https://fee.org/articles/even-shakespeare-knew-that-kicking-out-immigrants-harms-us-all/
-
Adam Smith on Human Sympathy: https://www.adamsmithworks.org/documents/smith-on-sympathy-lauren-hall-12-1
-
Summary of Shakespeare's "Sir Thomas More": https://nosweatshakespeare.com/sir-thomas-more-play/
-
Adam Smith's misrecollection of Othello https://www.adamsmithworks.org/speakings/skwire-smith-shakespeare-slips-end-of-othello
-
Intro to "Measure for Measure": https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/measure-for-measure/
-
Commentary on the Political Theology of First Samuel: https://www.theologyofwork.org/old-testament/samuel-kings-chronicles-and-work/from-tribal-confederation-to-monarchy-1-samuel/
Alex speaks with David Friedman about defenses, definitions and critiques of Anarcho-Capitalism in David's work and in others'.
Episode Notes:
-
Summary of David's book "The Machinery of Freedom" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Machinery_of_Freedom
-
Some of Ayn Rand's views on Libertarianism and Anarcho-Capitalism: http://aynrandlexicon.com/ayn-rand-ideas/ayn-rand-q-on-a-on-libertarianism.html
-
Some of David's comments on his Father's views of his work can be found here: https://www.econlib.org/archives/2011/07/david_friedmans_1.html
-
The Stanford Encyclopedia's entry on Anarchism https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/anarchism/#:~:text=Libertarianism%20and%20anarcho%2Dcapitalism%20also,the%20idea%20of%20social%20development.
-
"The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress" - Robert A. Heinlein https://a.co/d/4gmWZrP
-
"The Private Enforcement of Law" - Landes and Posner https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=259376
-
"Law Enforcement, Malfeasance, and Compensation of Enforcers" - Gary S. Becker and George J. Stigler https://laws21.classes.ryansafner.com/readings/Becker-Stigler-1974.pdf
Matt speaks with Iain Murray about the estrangement of conservative liberalism from identitarian forms of conservative nationalism and the intriguing alliances that may arise in the future between freedom-loving libertarians and some unlikely allies.
Episode Notes:
Iain's book "The Socialist Temptation" https://a.co/d/5AUQHQp
One of Iain's articles on the subject https://cei.org/blog/european-populism-is-nationalist-conservatism/
"Do Libertarians Have a Political Home Anymore?" by Iain Murray https://www.acton.org/religion-liberty/volume-35-number-1-2/do-libertarians-have-political-home-anymore
Summary of Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillbilly_Elegy
Ezra Klein's comment on "Everything Bagel Liberalism" https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/02/opinion/democrats-liberalism.html
Sabine speaks with Atlas Network's Brad Lips about what's in store for the liberty movement all over the world.
Episode Notes:
-
The Atlas Network https://www.atlasnetwork.org/who-we-are
-
Brad's book "Liberalism and the Free Society in 2021" https://a.co/d/0Bcor8q
-
The Free Market Foundation https://freemarketfoundation.com/
-
Article summarizing Margaret Thatcher's relationship with Anthony Fisher https://philanthropydaily.com/margaret-thatcher-and-antony-fisher-free-markets-and-philanthropy/
-
Watler Williams on South Africa https://www.annistonstar.com/the_st_clair_times/stclair_opinion/walter-williams-ridding-south-africa-of-apartheid-and-what-replaces-it-column/article_da26121e-ad32-11e8-ba86-7783725cd2d4.html
-
Centre for Civil Society in India https://ccs.in/
Matt speaks with Mark Mercer about academic freedom, the changing mission of universities themselves, and what role faculty, administrators, and students should play in shaping the future of the institution.
References:
- Mark’s Interview in C2C Journal: https://c2cjournal.ca/2023/05/confronting-the-post-academic-university-in-conversation-with-mark-mercer/
- Peter March at St. Mary’s: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/students-protest-prof-who-posted-cartoons-1.623017
- Kathleen Lowrey at University of Alberta: https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/u-of-a-professor-says-she-was-dismissed-over-views-that-biological-sex-trumps-transgender-identity-for-policy-decisions
- Tomáš Hudlický at Brock University: https://niagaraindependent.ca/remembering-professor-tomas-hudlicky-and-how-poorly-brock-university-treated-him/
- The Chicago Principles: https://provost.uchicago.edu/sites/default/files/documents/reports/FOECommitteeReport.pdf
Alex speaks with Cory Massimino about the concept of prison abolition and how this position corresponds with natural rights theory and recent movements demanding the end of prisons as we know them.
Read some of Cory’s published and unpublished pieces on prison abolition here: thttp://corymassimino.com/tag/prison-abolition/
Matt speaks with Seth Kaplan about his book Fragile Neighborhoods, and why a decision as simple as where we choose to live can often make the difference between lives of prosperity and lives of uncertainty and strife.
Seth's book can be ordered here:
https://a.co/d/aqUzRny
In March of 2023, Alex speaks with Noah Schwartz about gun control in Canada and how recent attempts to review firearms policy have failed to address root issues and the causes of violence and crime.
In April of 2023, Alex speaks with Monica Guzman about the need for curiosity as a remedy for the increasing polarization in American discourse and her recent book on the subject "I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times"
Monica's book:
https://a.co/d/j6xKME7
In this conversation from January 2020, Alex Aragona speaks with Kevin Vallier about conflicts in politics and how ideology aggravates them, and whether liberal institutions can help us trust each other more.
Alex speaks with Jayme Lemke about the life, work, and legacy of American Nobel Prize-winning political economist Elinor Ostrom.
Sabine interviews our regular host Alex Aragona as they discuss the first 200 episodes of the Curious Task.
Alex speaks with Nathan Goodman about the implications of Climate Change for immigration policy and how coercion and polycentricity factor into that conversation.
References:
-
Adapting to Climate Change through Migration: Justus Enninga and Nathan Goodman https://www.thecgo.org/research/adapting-to-climate-change-through-migration/
-
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Summary for Policy Makers https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/chapter/summary-for-policymakers/#:~:text=Climate%20change%2C%20through%20hazards%2C%20exposure,adapt%20and%20mitigate%20within%20limits
-
Beyond Markets and States: Polycentric Governance of Complex Economic Systems: Elinor Ostrom https://www.jstor.org/stable/27871226
-
The case for open immigration Chandran Kukathas https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/237298126.pdf
In August of 2022, Alex spoke with Paige MacPherson about school choice - and the lack thereof - in each of Canada's provinces.
Alex Aragona speaks with Peter Jaworski as he explores his definition of libertarianism, and how different kinds of morality can lead to certain conclusions about libertarian institutions.
Alex speaks with Tony Gill about the curious practice of tipping and why despite all our groaning, it may just be a habit worth defending.
Further Reading (some more of Tony Gill's writings on the subject):
https://www.polisci.washington.edu/news/2019/03/18/tony-gill-tipping
http://journal.apee.org/index.php/2018_Journal_of_Private_Enterprise_Vol_33_No_1_Spring_parte6
https://www.aier.org/article/in-defense-of-tipping-part-ii-price-discrimination/
https://www.econtalk.org/anthony-gill-on-tipping/
Alex speaks with Kevin Vallier about his new book "All The Kingdoms Of The World", in which he takes a global view of anti-liberal integralist strands in political thought and warns of the consequences of following them toward a rejection of liberal freedom and democracy.
Episode Notes:
- The conversation focuses primarily on Kevin’s book:
- https://www.kevinvallier.com/books/all-the-kingdoms-of-the-world-radical-religious-alternatives-liberalism/
- Introduction to Catholic Political Integralism:
- https://thejosias.com/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integralism
- Introduction to islamic political anti-liberalism
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamism
- “The Confucian Tradition and Politics” Youngmin Kim, Ha-Kyoung Lee and Seongun Park https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228637.013.991
Alex speaks with Stefanie Haeffele about her recent book Living Better Together, which explores the work of Elinor Ostrom and Viviana Zelizer.
Episode Notes:
"Living Better Together" by Stefanie Haeffele and Virgil Henry Storr:
https://a.co/d/hJNCxw6
Viviana Zelizer's homepage at Princeton:
https://sociology.princeton.edu/people/viviana-zelizer
Elinor Ostrom's bio and short autobiography on the Nobel website:
https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/economic-sciences/2009/ostrom/facts/
Nonneutrality of Money in a Social Perspective by Julia Włodarczyk
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274184545_Nonneutrality_of_Money_in_a_Social_Perspective
Zelizer's "Circuits of Commerce"
https://doi.org/10.1525/california/9780520241367.003.0009
Ostrom's "Governing The Commons"
https://a.co/d/gcUDVWq
Economic Lives: How Culture Shapes the Economy by Viviana A. Zelizer
https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691139364/economic-lives
"Testing Circuits of Commerce in the Distant Past: Archaeological Understandings of Social Relationships and Economic Lives" by: Crystal A. Dozier
https://www.springerprofessional.de/testing-circuits-of-commerce-in-the-distant-past-archaeological-/23930708
Alex speaks with Scott Scheall about Carl and Karl Menger and their influence on the history of economics, liberal theory, and - yes - mathematics.
Further Reading:
"Karl Menger as Son of Carl Menger" - Scott Scheall & Reinhard Schumacher
https://philarchive.org/rec/SCHKMA-4
Econlib Biography of elder Menger:
https://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/bios/Menger.html
-
Principles of Economics. Translated by J. Dingwall and B. F. Hoselitz, with an introduction by Friedrich A. Hayek. New York: New York University Press, 1981.
-
“On the Origin of Money.” Economic Journal 2 (June): 239–255.
“Mises Introduces the Austrian School,” http://mises.org/daily/3512 from Ludwig von Mises, Memoirs.
Joseph T. Salerno, “Biography of Carl Menger: The Founder of the Austrian School (1840-1921),” http://mises.org/about/3239
Biography of Karl Menger
https://www.hetwebsite.net/het/profiles/kmenger.htm
Including the following Major Works:
- Dimensiontheorie, 1928
- "On Intuitionism", 1930, Blatter der deutschen Pilosophy
- Kurventheorie, 1932
- "The New Logic", 1933, in Krise und Neuaufbau in den Exackten Wissenschaften
- Moral Wille und Weltgestaltung, 1934.
- "The Role of Uncertainty in Economics", 1934, ZfN
- "Remarks on the Law of Diminishing Returns: A study in meta-economics", 1936, ZfN
- "The Logic of Laws of Return: A study in meta-economics", 1954, in Morgenstern, editor, Economic Activity Analysis.
- "Austrian Marginalism and Mathematical Economics", 1973, in Hicks and Weber, editors, Carl Menger and the Austrian School of Economics
- Morality, decision, and social organization : toward a logic of ethics, 1974.
- Selected Papers in Logic and Foundations, Didactics, Economics, 1979.
- Reminiscences of the Vienna Circle and the Mathematical Colloquium, 1994. (ed. L. Golland, B. McGuinness and A. Sklar) [prev]
- "On the direction of ideas and the principal tendencies of the Vienna Mathematical Colloqium", 1998, in E. Dierker & K. Sigismund, editors, Karl Menger Ergebnisse eines Mathematischen Kolloquiums
Alex speaks with Jason Lee Byas about the complexities of responding to questions of historic injustice, reparations, and compensation within a libertarian framework.
Originally Aired as Episode 140 on Wednesday May 04, 2022
Alex speaks with Nigel Ashford about the prospects for a freer world and how the memory of history, the hope of younger persons, and the teaching of ideas can shape the future of classical liberalism.
Further Reading:
https://libertarianism.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/socin003.pdf
Chapter 2 of this book: https://iea.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Blundell-interactive.pdf https://fee.org/articles/the-tide-in-the-affairs-of-men/ https://cdn.mises.org/Intellectuals%20and%20Socialism_4.pdf https://www.libertarianism.org/publications/essays/why-do-intellectuals-oppose-capitalism http://wordlist.narod.ru/Government-Failure.pdf
Alex speaks with Jake Monaghan about ideal vs. ideal theory approaches to policing, the history and function of the police as an institution, and how to respond to police abolitionists.
Episode Notes
Jake's book - the subject of the conversation - can be purchased here: https://a.co/d/ewVS0h9
References are made to G. A. Cohen's Why Not Socialism, which can be read here: https://www3.nd.edu/~pweithma/Readings/Cohen,%20Gerald/Cohen,%20G%20(Why%20not%20Socialism).pdf
... and to "The Dispossessed", which can be read here:
https://files.libcom.org/files/Le%20Guin%20-%20The%20Dispossessed.pdf
Alex speaks with Trevour Burrus about his concept of the Statrix and why the solution to every problem should not be more government programs, intervention and restriction.
Episode Notes:
Introductory YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eavx1ZVVyzM
Seeing the Statrix: Invisible and Omnipresent
by Trevor Burrus: https://www.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/articles/burrus-cap-research-center-10-18-2018.pdf
The Boris Yeltsin Grocery Store Visit:
https://www.chron.com/neighborhood/bayarea/news/article/When-Boris-Yeltsin-went-grocery-shopping-in-Clear-5759129.php#photo-6130394
Trevor’s CATO article about the dairy industry:
https://www.cato.org/commentary/rebel-farmers-government-cartels-how-new-deal-cartelized-us-agriculture
Alex speaks with Camden Hutchison about the nuances of freedom of expression laws in Canada and the United States, and the ways in which immature understandings of free speech can obfuscate the public discourse surrounding this fundamental right in North American law and politics.
Episode Notes
Freedom of Expression: Values and Harms - Camden Hutchison
https://albertalawreview.com/index.php/ALR/article/view/2733
Guide to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Including Freedom of Expression)
https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/how-rights-protected/guide-canadian-charter-rights-freedoms.html
Guide to The Constitution (Including the First Amendment)
https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/our-government/the-constitution/#:~:text=The%20First%20Amendment%20provides%20that,the%20right%20to%20bear%20arms
Overview of Bill C-19 (Including Division 21 criminalizing various forms of Holocaust denial)
https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/trans/bm-mb/other-autre/c19/remarks-remarques.html
Alex speaks with Pete Boettke about the relevancy of Friedrich Hayek in the contemporary context, what it means to be a "Hayekian" and the curious tale of how Hayek came to be the focus of his latest book "F. A. Hayek: Economics, Political Economy and Social Philosophy"
Episode Notes
- Pete’s book “F. A. Hayek: Economics, Political Economy and Social Philosophy“ https://a.co/d/ah7SpwW
- Hayek on The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/friedrich-hayek/
- Introduction to Hayek’s “Road to Serfdom” https://mises.org/library/road-serfdom-0
- Murray Rothbard’s “Man, Economy and State” retrospective https://fee.org/articles/rothbards-man-economy-and-state-at-50/
- Milton Friedman’s “Free To Choose” https://www.proglocode.unam.mx/sites/proglocode.unam.mx/files/docencia/Milton%20y%20Rose%20Friedman%20-%20Free%20to%20Choose.pdf
- Hayek “Prices and Production” https://mises.org/library/prices-and-production-and-other-works
- Introduction to economics of Lucas https://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/bios/Lucas.html
- Steve Horowitz on Hayek https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5dR0zgC1ZI
- Herbert Dreyfuss “What Computers Can’t Do” https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262540674/what-computers-still-cant-do/
- Horowitz quote on Hayek “we have to learn to live in two worlds at once” https://www.jstor.org/stable/41560288
- Hayek’s “The Fatal Conceit” https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/F/bo3643985.html
- Kenneth Boulding “After Samuelson, Who Needs Adam Smith?” https://read.dukeupress.edu/hope/article-abstract/3/2/225/12381/After-Samuelson-Who-Needs-Adam-Smith
- “The Extended Present” (concept) https://medium.com/extended-present/about
- The “Grapes vs. Cucumbers as pay for Monkeys” experiment (youtube video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meiU6TxysCg
- The Constitution of Liberty - Hayek https://www.mises.at/static/literatur/Buch/hayek-the-constitution-of-liberty.pdf
- Chandran Kukathas’ Liberal Archipelago https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-liberal-archipelago-9780199219209?cc=ca⟨=en&
- Kind vs. Wicked learning environments. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/experience-studio/202007/experience-kind-vs-wicked
Alex speaks with Darwynn Deyo about the many ways in which occupational licensing can in fact reduce efficiency in the workforce, make it harder for people to cross borders, and ultimately reduce economic mobility for already disadvantaged groups.
Episode Notes and Further Reading:
License To Work: A National Study of Burdens from Occupational Licensing (2022) https://ij.org/report/license-to-work-3/
Policy Brief: Licensing Barriers for Women in the Workforce - Dr. Darwyyn Deyo (2022) https://csorwvu.com/policy-brief-licensing-barriers-for-women-in-the-workforce/
Policy Brief: Survey of Universal Licensing Reforms in the United States - Dr. Darwyyn Deyo (2022) https://csorwvu.com/policy-brief-survey-of-universal-licensing-reforms-in-the-united-states/
Testing Licensing and Consumer Satisfaction for Beauty Services in the United States
in Grease or Grit?: International Case Studies of Occupational Licensing and Its
Effects on Efficiency and Quality - Darwyyn Deyo (2022)
Have license, will travel: Measuring the effects of universal licensing
recognition on mobility - Darwyyn Deyo & Alicia Plemmons (2022)
Occupational Licensing: Improving Access to Regulatory Information - Morris M. Kleiner & Edward J. Timmons (2020)
Licensing massage therapists in the name of crime: the case of Harper v Lindsay - Darwyyn Deyo, Blake Hoarty, Conor Norris and Edward Timmons (2020)
Effects of Occupational Licensing and Unions on Labour Market Earnings in Canada
- Tingting Zhang (2019)
Guild-Ridden Labor Markets: The Curious Case of Occupational Licensing - Morris M. Kleiner (2015)
Alex speaks with Fiona Harrigan about the state of immigration in the United States and elsewhere, and the ways in which "outsiders" make "insiders" better off - both instrumentally and categorically.
Episode Notes:
- The Government Is Turning Border Surveillance on Everyday Americans by Fiona Harrigan https://reason.com/2023/03/28/the-government-is-turning-border-surveillance-on-everyday-americans/
- Cutting Legal Immigration Won’t Help Low‐Skilled American Workers By Alex Nowrasteh https://www.cato.org/blog/cutting-legal-immigration-wont-help-low-skilled-american-workers
- NFAP study on Immigrant-founded startups https://nfap.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Immigrant-Entrepreneurs-and-Billion-Dollar-Companies.DAY-OF-RELEASE.2022.pdf
- “Title 42 has ended. Here’s what it did, and how US immigration policy is changing” by Colleen Long https://apnews.com/article/immigration-biden-border-title-42-mexico-asylum-be4e0b15b27adb9bede87b9bbefb798d
What's the harm in dreaming big? Significant, James Harrigan believes. Alex and James discuss the many ways in which Utopian theory has led to disaster in practice - From Plato to Lenin and into the present day.
Episode Notes:
- Keynes on Eugenics, Race, and Population Control https://mises.org/wire/keynes-eugenics-race-and-population-control
- Phillip W. Magness, James R. Harrigan; John Maynard Keynes, H. G. Wells, and a Problematic Utopia. History of Political Economy 1 April 2020; 52 (2): 211–238. doi: https://doi.org/10.1215/00182702-8173298
- Plato’s Republic - Ethics and Politics https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/plato-ethics-politics/
- Thomas Moore’s Utopia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utopia_(book)
- “The curious task of economics is to demonstrate to men how little they really know about what they imagine they can design” - F.A. Hayek
Daniel Weinstock makes the case for lowering the voting age and extending the right to vote to teens who have much more in common with the general voting public than we may think.
Episode Notes:
Daniel Weinstock - “What’s So Funny about Voting Rights for Children?”, in Georgetown Journal of Law and Public Policy, vol. 18, no. 2 (2021), pp. 751 – 771. https://www.law.georgetown.edu/public-policy-journal/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2021/09/Weinstock.pdf
- Kant’s views on voting rights and the “underclasses” https://academic.oup.com/book/4831/chapter-abstract/147152492?redirectedFrom=fulltext
- Rousseau on “the general will” and deliberation, the force of the better argument. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/rousseau/#PoliPhil
- John Stewart Mill on weighted votes and plural voting https://www.jstor.org/stable/26220010
- “Votes for children! Why we should lower the voting age to six” by David Runciman https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/nov/16/reconstruction-after-covid-votes-for-children-age-six-david-runciman
Alex speaks with Professor Jacob Levy about the concept of neutrality within the history of liberalism and how many historical thinkers have approached the subject within that tradition.
Episode Notes:
- Michael Oakeshott on “adverbial rules” https://lawliberty.org/forum/michael-oakeshott-on-the-rule-of-law-and-the-liberal-order/
- John Locke’s religious beliefs https://rb.gy/1yg43
- Heresy of Americanism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americanism_(heresy)
- Deirdre McCloskey’s Bourgeois Virtues Thesis https://www.deirdremccloskey.com/docs/bv_selection.pdf
- Ronald Dworkin “Liberalism” https://www.scribd.com/document/313373358/Ronald-Dworkin-Liberalism#
- Stephanie Slade, "Must Libertarians Care About More Than the State?" https://reason.com/2022/03/19/two-libertarianisms/
- Alexis De Toqueville’s concerns about the rising liberal democratic order https://www.economist.com/schools-brief/2018/08/09/de-tocqueville-and-the-french-exception
- John Stuart Mill “On Liberty” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Liberty
Alex speaks with Aurelian Craiutu about the importance of moderation when it comes to virtue, political discourse, and the balancing of extremes in a world full of radicals.
Episode Notes:
- Aurelian Craiutu - Why Not Moderation? Letters to Young Radicals https://a.co/d/1LVcadG
- Aurelian Craiutu - Faces of Moderation: The Art of Balance in an Age of Extremes https://a.co/d/6cVwv5F
- Thomas Osborne - Moderation as Government: Montesquieu and the Divisibility of Power https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10848770.2023.2172780
- The Golden Mean in Philosophy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_mean_(philosophy)
- The Pocket Oracle and Art of Prudence Paperback by Balthasar Gracian https://a.co/d/hgyXcYG
- The 48 Laws of Power Paperback by Robert Greene https://a.co/d/96ifKoz
- A Propensity to Self-Subversion by Albert O. Hirschman https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674715585
Alex speaks with Jason Kuznicki about the societal tendency towards stagnation - and away from liberalism - and its roots in some of the earliest human civilizations.
Alex speaks with Monica Guzman about the need for curiosity as a remedy for the increasing polarization in American discourse and her recent book on the subject "I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times"
Monica's book:
https://a.co/d/j6xKME7
Alex and Nolan discuss a novel solution to many of the difficult issues surrounding housing in North America: the elimination of zoning laws.
Further Reading and References:
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/06/zoning-housing-affordability-nimby-parking-houston/661289/
https://reason.com/2022/06/21/abolish-zoning-all-of-it/
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-04/how-houston-s-zoning-can-help-hurricane-harvey-recovery
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-07-26/manufactured-homes-are-the-cheap-housing-fix-we-need
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-01-28/cities-don-t-use-zoning-to-exclude-families-with-kids
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRUbDvMpyCM&ab_channel=VancouverPublicLibrary
https://marketurbanism.com/2018/07/30/how-should-we-interpret-jane-jacobs/
https://marketurbanism.com/2016/02/21/who-plans-jane-jacobs-hayekian-critique-of-urban-planning/
https://www.planetizen.com/blogs/121786-jane-jacobs-and-zoning
Alex and Mike Munger discuss two strains of thought within the liberty movement - one concerned with philosophical purity and cohesion, the other with advancement towards a common ideal of greater freedom for all.
Episode Notes:
Mike's article "The Right Kind of Nothing": https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-right-kind-of-nothing/
An introduction to Coasian bargaining:
http://www.ejolt.org/2015/09/coasian-bargaining-2/
The Piece commissioned by Leonard Read by Milton Friedman and George Stigler on Rent Control:
https://fee.org/resources/roofs-or-ceilings-the-current-housing-problem/
Mike Munger's piece "This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things"
https://www.aier.org/article/this-is-why-we-cant-have-nice-things-directionalists-vs-destinationists/
James Buchanan on Relatively Absolute Absolutes
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11127-021-00883-0
Alex and Dennis discuss the very colorful character who, unbeknownst to many, wrote the American Constitution.
Episode Notes:
Dennis' book "The Constitution's Penman" https://www.amazon.ca/Constitutions-Penman-Gouverneur-Creation-Americas/dp/0700634142/ref=sr_1_1?crid=Q2CK4B1SI1TF&keywords=dennis+gouverneur+morris&qid=1680669513&sprefix=dennis+gouverneur+morris%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-1
The American Constitution https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript
The Federalist Papers https://www.congress.gov/resources/display/content/The+Federalist+Papers
Roosevelt's biography of Morris
https://www.amazon.ca/Gouverneur-Morris-Statesmen-Theodore-Roosevelt-ebook/dp/B008TC1UEQ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3KMDXKZ9MX1Y&keywords=roosevelt+gouverneur+morris&qid=1680669543&sprefix=roosevelt+gouverneur+morris%2Caps%2C123&sr=8-1
Gouverneur Morris' speech on the franchise for slaves:
https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/1787-gouverner-morris-curse-slavery/
William Pierce's description of Morris:
https://teachingamericanhistory.org/resource/convention/delegates/morris_g/#:~:text=William%20Pierce%20stated%20that%20%E2%80%9CMr,Morris.%E2%80%9D
Alex and Sabine speak about the state of classical liberalism in terms of individual rights and economic freedom in Canada today.
Works referenced:
Hayek's "Why I Am Not A Conservative": https://press.uchicago.edu/books/excerpt/2011/hayek_constitution.html
Alex speaks with Noah Schwartz about gun control in Canada and how recent attempts to review firearms policy have failed to address root issues and the causes of violence and crime.
Alex speaks with Liya Palagashvili about the state - and the meaning - of the gig economy and how history can show the not-so-novel nature of modern labour.
Alex speaks with Jay Goldberg about Canada's Bill C-11 and the implications of the government's attempt to change what Canadians see on the internet.
As the university school year begins to wrap up, we're bringing back a classic episode of the Curious Task! Alex Aragona speaks with Bryan Caplan about the value of a formal education, and compares the alleged benefits against the reality.
Alex speaks with Neil Boyd about the effects of drug decriminalization and legalization in Canada and around the world, and how regulation and criminalization can have positive or negative impacts on users of various substances and the communities around them.
Alex speaks with Vincent Geloso about income mobility, distinguishing it from income inequality and the effects of markets and government regulations on each.
Alex speaks with David D'Amato about the modern concept of intellectual property and how such a thing could exist at all in a free society.
References:
Copying is not theft cartoon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeTybKL1pM4
Alex speaks with Jeremy Horpedahl about the unusual political alliance between Baptists and Bootleggers - both figuratively and literally - and what these ties can tell us about public choice economics.
Sources Referenced:
- Horpedahl, Jeremy. "Bootleggers and Baptists Revisited: A Reply to Critics." Journal of Law and Economics, vol. 62, no. 2, Oct. 2019, pp. 557-576. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/26546700.
- Regulation (Cato Institute Journal) Spring 2021 issue
- "Not So Unlikely Coalitions" article by Thomas W. Hazlett in the Regulation (Cato Institute Journal) Spring 2021 issue.
Alex speaks with Scott Beyer about the insights he's gleaned from traveling the world in search of the most market-friendly urban centers and what other countries can teach us about central planning, solutions to homelessness, and more.
Alex speaks with Brandon Turner about the nature of conservatism and whether or not it constitutes an ideology, the rate of change within conservative thought, and the relationship between conservatism and liberalism.
Alex speaks with Rachel Lomasky about hot-button issues surrounding machine learning and artificial intelligence and the limitations and definitions of each, especially when it comes to ethical decision-making.
Alex speaks with Geoff Sigalet about Western Alienation and the events that led to the Alberta Sovereignty Act becoming law in Canada in December of 2022.
As you think about your New Year's resolutions, take another listen to Alex's conversation from May 2020 with Russ Roberts as he talks about the ways in which the ideas of Adam Smith can still change your life, even so many years later.
In their conversation from December 2019, Alex Aragona talks with Lauren Hall as she explores the problems with modern healthcare systems and some of the possible remedies.
Alex speaks with Matt Bufton about Canada's unique approach to power, monarchy, and government and how happy accidents have led to one of the best-governed and most free countries on earth being ruled by a King - at least symbolically.
Alex speaks with frequent guest Peter Jaworski about the gap between a moral obligation and the expectation that some specific institution ought to be the one to realize that moral obligation - especially an institution like the state.
Sabine speaks with Christy Horpedahl about the entrepreneurial spirit that imbues Penelope Fitzgerald's "The Bookshop".
Sabine speaks with the host of the Curious Task Alex Aragona to find out more about him, especially what he considers classical liberalism to be in its essence.
Sabine speaks with the host of the Curious Task Alex Aragona to find out more about him, especially what he considers classical liberalism to be in its essence.
Alex speaks with Jayme Lemke about the life, work, and legacy of American Nobel Prize-winning political economist Elinor Ostrom.
Alex speaks with Jayme Lemke about the life, work, and legacy of American Nobel Prize-winning political economist Elinor Ostrom.
Alex speaks with Thomas Bunting about politics, democracy, social progress and more as they relate to baseball and athletics more broadly.
Alex speaks with Thomas Bunting about politics, democracy, social progress and more as they relate to baseball and athletics more broadly.
Alex speaks with Edward Slingerland about the dance that most civilizations have done with alcohol and the delicate balance between worshipping its creative effects and fearing its dangerous consequences.
Alex speaks with Edward Slingerland about the dance that most civilizations have done with alcohol and the delicate balance between worshipping its creative effects and fearing its dangerous consequences.
Alex speaks with Claudia Williamson about what economists mean by culture and how individualism and other elements of culture can effect the economic progress of nations, peoples and groups.
Alex speaks with Claudia Williamson about what economists mean by culture and how individualism and other elements of culture can effect the economic progress of nations, peoples and groups.
Sabine speaks with Rosemarie Fike about the relationship between women's rights and economic freedom and the disparities that persist in contemporary economies around the world.
Sabine speaks with Rosemarie Fike about the relationship between women's rights and economic freedom and the disparities that persist in contemporary economies around the world.
Sabine speaks with John Wood Jr. about political polarization in America and its effects on democracy, civil rights and activism today.
Sabine speaks with John Wood Jr. about political polarization in America and its effects on democracy, civil rights and activism today.
Sabine speaks with Brent Orrell about the current challenges facing the workforce and labour market in America and abroad today.
Sabine speaks with Brent Orrell about the current challenges facing the workforce and labour market in America and abroad today.
Sabine speaks with Rachel Davison Humphries about various schools of thought in the study of education and how they may offer alternatives to learning more compatible with a free society.
Sabine speaks with Rachel Davison Humphries about various schools of thought in the study of education and how they may offer alternatives to learning more compatible with a free society.
Sabine speaks with Sarah Skwire about the role of liberalism in literature and ways in which all forms of literature can influence our ideas about markets, trust, and the value of others.
Sabine speaks with Sarah Skwire about the role of liberalism in literature and ways in which all forms of literature can influence our ideas about markets, trust, and the value of others.
Alex speaks with Paige MacPherson about school choice - and the lack thereof - in each of Canada's provinces today.
Alex speaks with Paige MacPherson about school choice - and the lack thereof - in each of Canada's provinces today.
Alex speaks with Emily Chamlee-Wright about what exactly liberalism is and why it is worth defending in a world that can no longer take it for granted.
Alex speaks with Emily Chamlee-Wright about what exactly liberalism is and why it is worth defending in a world that can no longer take it for granted.
Alex speaks with Chris Freiman about ideal theory and the case for no state being the best state in a perfect world.
Alex speaks with Lauren Hall about the unique approach that libertarians and classical liberals take when it comes to questions of consent, rights, and agency with respect to family and children.
Alex speaks with Lauren Hall about the unique approach that libertarians and classical liberals take when it comes to questions of consent, rights, and agency with respect to family and children.
Alex speaks with Moin Yahya about debates both new and old surrounding the causes and history of inflation.
Alex Aragona speaks with Jen Dirmeyer as she explores what markets do for us and the different ways they impact our lives.
Alex Aragona speaks with Graeme Thompson about the classical liberal tradition in Canada, and what the evolution of that tradition has looked like.
Alex Aragona speaks with Peter Jaworski as he explores his definition of libertarianism, and how different kinds of morality can lead to certain conclusions about libertarian institutions.
Alex Aragona speaks with Janet Bufton as she explores where and how the tenets of classical liberalism come into play for those who call themselves libertarians.
As we shift into our break, our first special episode is one of our recent favourites, Alex's chat with McGill University professor Jacob Levy about how he looks at the issue of academic freedom.
Alex speaks again with philosopher Eric Mack about "Anarchy, State and Utopia", this time touching on some of the challenges to Nozick's theory and Eric's own personal connection to Robert Nozick during his life.
Alex speaks with Philosopher Eric Mack about Robert Nozick's "Anarchy State and Utopia" and how the book shaped the conversation around natural rights theory, philosophical libertarianism, and the study of political utopias for decades to come.
Alex speaks with Abigail Hall about propaganda - an elusive and at times far-reaching concept that can be found everywhere: from overt wartime speeches by presidents to covert uses of sports and film to promote the ends of state militarism.
Alex speaks with Kevin Munger about why the oft-parodied and dismissed subject of inter-generational conflict may help us to better understand current economic and policy trends in America and abroad.
Due to Ottawa's electricity grids being all but completely destroyed after the city was treated to a derecho over the long weekend, we were unable to use our devices to produce episodes or the internet to upload a new one. For now, please enjoy a timely re-release of our conversation with Stephen Davies on global catastrophic risk.
Alex speaks with Deirdre McCloskey in a wide-ranging conversation that addresses the economic, philosophical, and political reasons why liberalism just works.
Alex speaks with Dwight Newman, who encourages listeners to think critically about the use of emergency powers, the term "crisis", and recent events in the history of government limits on freedom and rights.
Alex speaks with Jason Lee Byas about the complexities of responding to questions of historic injustice, reparations, and compensation within a libertarian framework.
Alex speaks with David Friedman about the history of legal systems around the world from an economic standpoint.
Alex speaks with Ryan Patrick Hanley about the enduring power of Adam Smith's contributions to not only political and moral philosophy, but to what it means to live a good life.
Alex speaks with Jacob Levy about the fine line between the generalized right to free speech and the distinct concept of academic freedom - and what implications there may be for academics and students alike in today's modern university.
Alex speaks with Russ Roberts about the nature of education and how we should rethink it in today's world. This is a special episode being released in conjunction with this week's episode of Econtalk.
Alex speaks with Aaron Powell about the origins of fusionism, where it stands today, and why non-traditional alliances might be the way of the future.
Alex speaks with Sabine El-Chidiac and Peter Jaworski about the advantages of advocating for more refugees and immigrants in Canada, and how it makes both immigrants and receiving countries better off.
Alex speaks with Charles Cockell about his focus on the future of liberty in space. They discuss solutions for protecting individual freedoms and rights on settlements beyond earth, and the novel solutions to the problems that would emerge from these overlooked facts of life in space.
Economist Pete Boettke joins Alex to discuss the promise of liberalism in creating a better world. (This episode originally aired Aug 21, 2021.)
Alex speaks with Matt Bufton about the effects of pandemic policy, impending war and populism on a once-optimistic outlook for liberalism's future.
Alex speaks with Mike Munger about the concept of monopoly and the history of anti-trust and industrial policy in America.
Alex speaks with Bryan Caplan about his novel solutions to the housing crisis, his affinity for graphic novels as a teaching tool, and the market-based approaches that are already working despite what our psychology is leading us to believe.
Alex speaks with Andrew Smith about capitalist peace theory and discusses a Canadian case study as an example of mutually beneficial exchange leading to peace and prosperity.
Alex speaks with Adam Gurri about how the large umbrella of liberalism under which a number of movements, systems of thought, and ideological identities may have more in common than is often thought.
Alex speaks with Chandran Kukathas about the costs of limiting immigration and what effects there may be on policy if the question of who counts as an immigrant is itself unclear.
Alex speaks with Steve Davies about the meaning of "Global Catastrophic Risk", and what it can reveal about how restructuring our understanding of big gambles can help us combat the threats of pandemics, climate change, and even technological singularity.
Alex speaks with Dan Shahar about the ethical implications of meat-eating, activism in relation to problematic markets, and a tricky thought experiment involving aliens and cows.
Alex speaks with Professor Will Clare Roberts about Marx's life, his liberal past, and the relationship between the Marxist and liberal conceptions of freedom.
Alex speaks with James Harrigan about popular culture as a source of social change and the many ways in which the export of American pop culture has shaped the world.
Alex speaks with Curious Task Executive Producer Matt Bufton and Producer Sabine El-Chidiac about topics related to freedom from 2021, and reflect on their favourite moments and accomplishments from the past year of The Curious Task.
Alex speaks with Tony Gill about the pros and cons of gift-giving from an economist's perspective - just in time for the holiday season!
Alex speaks with Lotta Stern about the tendency in sociology to overlook voluntary actions and associations as a means of addressing some of the largest social challenges of our day, and about the importance of avoiding absolutism in sociological thinking.
Alex speaks with Bill Glod about bad choices, coercion, and paternalism in order to flesh out the ideas from his 2020 book "Why It's Okay To Make Bad Choices".
Alex speaks with Gary Chartier about the varied ways in which the term "capitalism" is used today, the distinction between left-libertarianism and anarchism, and the future of market-based approaches to rooting out injustice from today's complex world.
Alex speaks with Ben Klutsey about the political polarization that is endemic to American society today, and how novel attempts to bridge the divide are being made by both individuals and organizations.
Alex speaks with Jacob Levy about Montesquieu's role in shaping contemporary political science, the American revolutionary project, and the role of the separation of powers as a bulwark against despotism.
Alex speaks with Geoff Kellow about the life and writings of Benjamin Franklin and whether they can help us better understand the connection between markets and virtue.
Alex speaks with Dan Smith about the lack of accountability in the contemporary world of monetary policy and why greater discretion may not be the answer.
Alex speaks with Bruce Caldwell on the history of one of the world's most exclusive intellectual societies.
Alex Aragona speaks with Victor M. Muniz-Fraticelli about whether the monarchy might seem absurd, and whether a little absurdity can be a good thing.
Alex Aragona speaks with Maria Pia Paganelli as she sheds light on the historical context of Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations, and some of the surprising insights within it that make it more relevant than ever today.
Alex Aragona speaks with Emily Nacol as she breaks down both the origins and contemporary puzzles of the concept of risk.
Alex Aragona speaks with Andrew Sabl as he explores what he means by "realist liberalism" and how it works to curb some of the misguided tendencies of other liberalisms.
Alex Aragona speaks with Michelle Schwarze as she presents what she means by resentment, and whether there is a place for it in politics.
Alex Aragona speaks with Stefan Kolev as he tours through the origins of Ordoliberalism and some of its fundamental principles.
Alex Aragona speaks with Travis Smith as he explores some key insights from Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America.
Alex Aragona speaks with Caroline Breashears as she explores concepts from Adam Smith's Theory of Moral Sentiments, and connects them to various characters and stories in English literature.
Alex Aragona speaks with Pete Boettke as he presents his thinking on whether the world needs more classical liberalism, and how understanding the principles of liberalism might be the way to a better world.
Alex Aragona speaks with James Otteson as he tours through the seven deadly sins of economics, and how they can avoiding them can improve your thinking on public policy and in personal matters.
Alex Aragona speaks with Moshe Lander about the supposed economic benefits of building sports and entertainment stadiums, and why those claims may not be as accurate as most people may think.
Alex Aragona speaks with Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili as she tours through some of her findings from Afghanistan, how she found Hayek in Afghanistan, and what the customs she observed say about polycentric authority and "anarchy as a policy alternative."
In Special Episode 2's celebration of 100 episodes, Curious Task host Alex Aragona pointed to Episode 60 with Eric Schliesser as one of his favourites, so we're re-releasing it! In this episode, Alex Aragona speaks with Eric Schliesser as he explores the history of the term "neoliberalism," its eventual evolution, and what neoliberalism means today. If you haven't had a chance to listen to it before, we hope you find it interesting. If you have, enjoy its re-release!
In Special Episode 2's celebration of 100 episodes, Curious Task producer Sabine El-Chidiac pointed to Episode 67 with Tom Palmer as one of her favourites, so we're re-releasing it! In this episode, Tom Palmer talks about the institutions and conditions that cause peace and war, and why the concept of war might be closer to home than some might think. If you haven't had a chance to listen to it before, we hope you find it interesting. If you have, enjoy its re-release!
In Special Episode 2, Matt Bufton pointed to The Curious Task Episode 77 with James Tooley as one of his favourites. If you haven't had a chance to listen to it before, we hope you find it interesting. If you have, enjoy its re-release!
To celebrate reaching 100 episodes, host Alex Aragona, producer Sabine El-Chidiac, and executive producer Matt Bufton look back on the origins and growth of the podcast, some of their favourite episodes, and so much more in this very special bonus episode.
In honour of Steve Horwitz (1964-2021), we are re-releasing his conversation with Alex Aragona on what drives progress — a topic near and dear to Steve's heart.
Tyler Cowen chats with Alex Aragona about all things food — great things to eat, where to find them, and how an economist gets lunch.
Alex Aragona peaks with Aeon Skoble as he outlines his ideas on what anarchism is, how we should think on it, and how it overlaps with classical liberal ideas.
Alex Aragona speaks with SmithTweeters Janet Bufton and Sarah Skwire as they describe what drew them to the idea of reading through all of The Wealth of Nations and providing an ongoing commentary on Twitter, and how Adam Smith's ideas remain relevant.
Alex Aragona speaks with Anton Howes about when the sparks of innovation started in Britain, and what fanned the flames moving forward.
Bill Easterly tours some of the concepts from his book The Tyranny of Experts, and explores why technocrats imposing their own form of economic development on cultures and peoples can produce more harm than good.
Alex Aragona speaks with Dennis Rasmussen about his findings on how the American Founding Fathers truly felt about the experiment they designed and built as time went on.
Alex Aragona speaks with Graeme Thompson about the classical liberal tradition in Canada, and what the evolution of that tradition has looked like.
Jacob Levy gives a tour of his thoughts on the conversations surrounding social justice, and how liberals might consider the topic from the perspective of social "injustice".
In honour of her birthday, Sandy Ikeda explores the ideas of Jane Jacobs and reflects on how her thinking on urban centres is still relevant today.
Terence Kealey speaks about the history of state involvement in funding science and technology, and why it may not be as good or innovative of an idea as it may seem.
Alex Aragona speaks with Nick Cowen as he explores the current state of sex work regulation, and what approaches regulators could (and should) take when considering the increasing online landscape for these services.
Alex Salter dives into Federal Reserve policies during the pandemic, what it got right and wrong, and what the lasting impacts will be.
Dan and Sabine discuss their newest policy brief with the Mercatus Center, and what changes they'd like to see to Canadian and American immigration policy as it relates to movement between the two countries.
Alex Aragona explores standard readings of Lockean property rights theories with Bas van der Vossen, and then explore Bas' idea on what might be missing from these traditional understandings and interpretations.
Alex Aragona speaks with Matt Warner as he explores the dilemma that outsiders face when trying to do good for others, and why local knowledge is so important.
Alex Aragona speaks with Paul Robinson about whether Russia is trying to meddle with Western democracy, and if he thinks the recommended solutions might be worse than the alleged threat.
Alex Aragona speaks with Scott Scheall as he explores how the knowledge problem and other epistemological considerations must be considered before political incentives.
Alex Aragona speaks with Shikha Dalmia about minority groups as defenders of rights and freedoms, and the North American libertarian movement during and after Donald Trump's presidency.
Alex Aragona chats with Art Carden as he explains the kind of deal we need to make if we want to see great prosperity.
Alex Aragona speaks with Erik Kimbrough as he explores the role social norms, groups, and other factors play in our decision making processes.
Alex Aragona chats with Ross Emmett and Steve Slivinski as they explore the policies that can hurt businesses, and their work on the Doing Business North America index.
Alex Aragona speaks with Peter Jaworski as he explores his definition of libertarianism, and how different kinds of morality can lead to certain conclusions about libertarian institutions.
Alex Aragona speaks with Sandra Peart as she traces the life of John Stuart Mill and explores some of the key pillars of his thinking.
Alex Aragona speaks with James Tooley as he retells some of his experiences discovering quality private education solutions in poorer communities, and how they compared to the government's offerings.
Alex Aragona speaks with Steve Horwitz as he explores what drives human progress, and why the market is so crucial to that.
Alex Aragona speaks with Clark Neily as he explores the causes of America's policing problems, and policies that may fix them.
It's our 2020 roundup episode! Alex Aragona chats with Matt Bufton and Sabine El-Chidiac about topics and ideas surrounding liberalism in the past year, and choose their favourite Curious Task episodes from 2020.
Alex Aragona speaks with Mike Tanner as he explores the factors that contribute to the persistence of poverty, and different policy recommendations that can help alleviate it.
Alex Aragona speaks with Janet Bufton as she explores where and how the tenets of classical liberalism come into play for those who call themselves libertarians.
Alex Aragona speaks with David Skarbek as he explores the different governance structures that prisoners live under and create in prisons around the world.
Alex Aragona speaks with Mustafa Akyol as he explores whether Islam can be compatible with liberalism, and his recent research on freedom in Muslim-majority countries.
Alex Aragona speaks with Kevin Vallier as he explores the different tenets of political and social polarization, and whether the divisions we're seeing today can be reversed.
Alex Aragona speaks with Sabine El-Chidiac as she explores the different ways civil society solutions help refugees succeed when they move to their new home.
Alex Aragona speaks with Tom Palmer as he explores the institutions and conditions that cause peace and war.
Alex Aragona speaks with Virginia Postrel as she explores how her newest book traces how textiles shaped our modern societies.
Alex Aragona speaks with Eric Merkley as he explores the reasons why the public often mistrusts experts.
Alex Aragona speaks with Bart Wilson as he explores the natural tendencies of humans in relation to their views and attitudes on property.
Alex Aragona speaks with Michael Strong as he explores how entrepreneurship improves the lives of people all over the world.
Alex Aragona speaks with Cara Zwibel as she offers her thoughts on whether we can maintain our civil liberties during an emergency like a pandemic, and how we can do so.
Alex Aragona speaks with Bryan Caplan about the value of a formal education, and compares the alleged benefits against the reality.
Alex Aragona speaks with Eric Schliesser as he explores the history of the term "neoliberalism," its eventual evolution, and what neoliberalism means today.
Alex Aragona speaks with Lynne Kiesling as she explores the current structure of energy systems and delivery, and how they can be restructured in more market-oriented ways.
Alex Aragona speaks with Matt Ridley as he explores the nature of innovation and the conditions that enable it to flourish.
Alex Aragona speaks with Terry Anderson as he explores the external forces that have restrained the wealth and well being of Indigenous peoples in the West, and how that wealth can be unlocked.
Alex Aragona speaks with Diana Thomas as she explores the factors that play into increasing childcare costs, and some potential solutions to the problem.
Alex Aragona speaks with Vincent Geloso as he explores anarcho-capitalist economic concepts and whether there are real life examples to back them up.
Alex Aragona speaks with Dan Griswold as he explores the benefits of open markets and free trade, and whether you can "win" a trade war.
Author of 'Unschooled' Kerry McDonald joins Alex Aragona to talk about how choice in education can allow children to lead happier and more fulfilled lives, and the positive impacts of taking education outside the conventional classroom.
Alex Aragona speaks with Nimish Adhia as he explores how Bollywood films traced cultural changes in India, and how the films themselves directly affect social attitudes.
Alex Aragona speaks with Malcolm Lavoie about the importance of property rights to decentralization and the use of resources, and discusses how FA Hayek's work plays a part in understanding this connection.
Alex Aragona speaks with Linda Kavuka as she explores why it's so important to rediscover Africa's free-market past, and how the ideas surrounding free markets can help remedy the problems facing many African countries.
Alex Aragona speaks with Fabio Rojas as he traces the history of the post 9/11 anti-war movement and what caused it to lose momentum.
Alex Aragona nerds out with Travis Smith as they discuss his book 'Superhero Ethics', why superheroes are so popular, and the ten ways superheros save the world.
Alex Aragona speaks with Ilya Somin as he explores how you can vote with your feet and if it is effective.
Alex Aragona speaks with Dennis Rasmussen as he traces the friendship between Adam Smith and David Hume, and how it helped shaped modern thought.
Alex Aragona speaks with Steve Davies as he explores what he thinks life after the pandemic will look like, including our relationship with the welfare state.
Alex Aragona talks with Shikha Sood Dalmia as she explores the story of a Sikh-Canadian broadcaster's rise to fame, and what stories like these mean for the broader immigrant community when it comes to joining, and changing, the world around them.
Alex Aragona speaks with Ben Perrin as he explores the causes of, and solutions to, the opioid crisis in Canada and the United States.
Everyone should care about economic freedom. But why is economic freedom especially relevant for women? Alex Aragona chats with Sarah Skwire as she explores why economic freedom has been, and is, important for women to cherish and defend.
Alex Aragona speaks with Russ Roberts as he talks about the ways in which the ideas of Adam Smith can change your life, even so many years later.
Alex Aragona chats with Pete Boettke as he dives into what the curious task of economics is and relates it back to the work of Friedrich Hayek.
Alex Aragona speaks with Mike Munger as he explores what's truly happening when we see rapid price changes during a crisis, and whether suppliers raising their prices in a time of crisis is wrong.
Alex speaks with the Consumer Choice Centre's David Clement about why Canada's marijuana legalization regulations missed the mark, and what government could have done to make legalization work.
Alex Aragona chats with Cardus' Ray Pennings as he explores the benefits of more school choice to both students and society, and look at some data to see if, and how, it works.
Alex Aragona chats with Jason Brennan's about his response to G.A. Cohen's book and question "Why Not Socialism?" and his thoughts on ideal capitalism.
Alex Aragona speaks with Jesse Walker as they explore whether a human being truly set foot on the moon.
Matt Bufton talks with Alex Aragona about the effects the response to COVID-19 will have on freedom, the proper government response to a pandemic, how lifting certain regulations can help, and more.
Alex Aragona speaks with Scott Beyer as he explores the basic tenets of market urbanism and the ideas behind market driven solutions to problems in our communities.
Alex Aragona speaks with Jason Sorens as he explores what it takes for a group to secede or gain independence from a state, and whether Alberta could leave Canada.
Alex Aragona speaks with Christopher Freiman as he explores why you might be happier, and ultimately contribute more to society, if you choose to ignore politics.
Alex Aragona and Adam Bartha discuss whether populism is a threat to liberalism and what political landscapes look like after political realignment.
Jacob Levy speaks with Alex about how liberals should approach the ideas of freedom of association and civil society, and what that means for the way groups interact with other groups and the state.
Alex Aragona speaks with economist Vincent Geloso about whether we should care about inequality, and how we should approach measuring and understanding it.
Alex Aragona speaks with Trevor Burrus as he explores the many ways the drug war has failed drug addicts and society.
Alex Aragona speaks with Kevin Vallier about conflicts in politics and how ideology aggravates them, and whether liberal institutions can help us trust each other more.
Alex Aragona speaks with Glenn fox as he explores whether environmentalism from a free market perspective creates a contradiction.
Alex Aragona talks with Sandy Ikeda as he explores why a city can't be thought of, and specifically designed as, a work of art.
Alex Aragona talks with Mike Munger as he explores his views on the sustainability of capitalism and the factors that contribute to it.
Alex Aragona talks with Matt Bufton about the future of liberalism (and why it's not as bad as you might think!).
Alex Aragona chats with Alex Tabarrok on this very special Christmas episode of The Curious Task as he explores whether gift giving is inefficient, and if there are better ways to give to others.
Alex Aragona speaks with James Stacey Taylor as he makes the case for a market for organs.
Alex Aragona talks with Lauren Hall as she explores the problems with modern healthcare systems and some of the possible remedies.
Alex Aragona speaks with the Cato Institute's Alex Nowrasteh about why immigration is important to a free society, and the common misconceptions some people have that keep them from being more open to immigration.
Alex Aragona chats with Sarah Burns about whether American foreign policy is broken as a result of a breakdown of the separation, and increased centralization, of power.
Alex Aragona chats with Alain Bertaud as he shares his thoughts on how cities truly flourish and how urban planners should approach their role.
Alex Aragona speaks with Jen Dirmeyer as she explores what markets do for us and the different ways they impact our lives.
Alex Aragona speaks with Steve Horwitz as he explores how the evolution of capitalism also shaped the modern family.
Alex Aragona speaks with Abigail Hall as she describes how various elements of United States foreign policy ultimately come back home from abroad and affect domestic life.
Alex Aragona speaks with Jason Kuznicki as he explores some history on how intellectuals viewed the state, and how we should view the state.
Alex Aragona speaks with Sigal Ben-Porath as she details her perspective on campus free speech issues.
Alex Aragona speaks with Chris Freiman as he shares his thoughts on whether people have the right to immigrate.
Alex Aragona speaks with Jessica Flanigan as she explores whether all drugs should be legalized.
Alex Aragona speaks with Hongkonger Andrew Work. Relying on his first-hand experience with the Hong Kong extradition law protests, he explores whether recent political tensions have pushed Hong Kong toward a more liberal environment.
Alex Aragona asks Eric Mack to explore his views on what socialism is and if it's the answer to the problems proponents say it can solve.
Alex Aragona chats with Paul Robinson as he offers his thoughts on whether or not military intervention works (and explores what is meant by "works").
Alex Aragona chats with Pierre Desrochers and Joanna Szurmak as they explore whether or not an increasing population necessarily harms the planet.
Alex Aragona asks James Harrigan to explore his thoughts on whether or not we can have principled politicians that represent us.
Alex Aragona and Jacob Levy explore Jacob's belief on whether or not a liberal society requires democratic institutions.
Alex Aragona and Peter Jaworski explore Peter's perspective on what the limits of markets should be. The conversation also explores the ethics surrounding paid blood and plasma donations.
Alex Aragona and Nigel Ashford explore what Nigel considers to be the basic tenets of classical liberalism.