Did protective tariffs truly lead to the Civil War? This question is one that nearly every enthusiast of the era encounters, standing as one of the most controversial and misunderstood debates surrounding the roots of secession, exactly 150 years ago. The debate around tariffs is contentious because it can appear to downplay slavery’s critical role in the Civil War’s origins. In this simplified view, the argument can be countered by South Carolina’s Declaration of Immediate Causes, which cited “an increasing hostility on the part of the non-slaveholding States to the institution of slavery” as its motivation for secession. However, while tariffs may not have been primary, dismissing their role entirely would be hasty. James W. Loewen, a sociologist, sought to…
Jeanne Hoffman interviews Amy Sturgis about themes of liberty in science fiction books, movies and TV shows. Dr. Sturgis is an author, editor, scholar, educator, speaker and podcaster with specialties in the field of science fiction, fantasy and Native American studies. You can learn more about her work at www.amyhsturgis.com This podcast is part of our series on liberty and science fiction, please feel free to suggest topics for future podcasts in the comments! For more podcasts with Dr. Sturgis and about science fiction, visit StarShipSofa
Philosophy Program Officer Bill Glod sat down to talk with Georgetown professor and Bleeding Heart Libertarian blogger Jason Brennan about Dr. Brennan’s new book, Libertarianism: What Everyone Needs to Know (Oxford University Press). Over the course of the interview they talked about being a libertarian, the recent rise of left libertarianism, social change, and libertarianism in academia. Previous IHS Academic podcasts Listen and watch previous IHS Academic podcasts and videos
By Nathan Chang Everyone has an opinion about online education and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs, a term I grow weary of with each refresh of Google Reader). Naturally, some are good, some are bad, most are the same arguments recycled and tweaked. I have trudged through two weeks of higher education online education development stories to bring you this roundup with teaser summaries. Enjoy. The big news since the last roundup was Coursera who announced an additional 12 universities would join them, including University of Washington who will be offering credit for courses and University of Virginia. (New York Times) Inside Higher Ed’s take on the Coursera expansion, noting professorial skepticism, board enthusiasm (see UVA board vs. everyone else…
Over time our podcast series on Themes of Liberty in Sci-Fi has really grown, reflecting that of all the research academics have done on pop culture, that there is a heavy lean towards sci-fi. So for your summer listening enjoyment, we’ve put together a recap of all our podcasts on Liberty and Sci-Fi. Enjoy! Game of Thrones, Amber Taylor Firefly and Serenity, Amy Sturgis Hunger Games, Ilya Somin Battlestar Galactica Ilya Somin Star Trek Ilya Somin The Works of J.R.R Tolkien Brad Birzer World of Warcraft and Spontaneous Order, Joseph Packer The Twilight Zone, Aeon Skoble General Themes of Liberty in Science Fiction, Amy Sturgis Image courtesy of Flickr user bkRiverdog, under Creative Commons licensing. Apologies for the false advertising of Star Wars, but if…
James R. Harrigan: Massachusetts, first cradle, then laboratory of democracy…one town bans the sale of bottled water, then another tries to ban swearing. The revolution is finally complete. Sarah Straw: More on the future of online higher education, from David Brooks Phil Magness: Sheldon Richman revisits Grover Cleveland’s December 1888 “State of the Union” address. Bill Glod: Matt Zwolinski asks: “Why Not Utilitarianism?” Nathan Chang: Two responses to Harvard and MIT’s new EdX, one skeptical and another more open to discussion.
Jeanne Hoffman talks with Professor Ilya Somin of George Mason Law School and Volokh Conspiracy about The Hunger Games, and the themes of liberty in this popular series of novels. Jeanne Hoffman: Welcome to this Kosmos Online podcast. I’m Jeanne Hoffman. Today I’m talking about Hunger Games and Liberty with Ilya Somin, Associate Professor at George Mason University School of Law. Welcomes professor Somin and thanks for joining us. Ilya Somin: Thanks for having me. JH: First for any listeners who might not be familiar with the books or the movie, could you give a quick overview of the plot? IS: Sure, the Hunger Games is a series of three novels by Suzanne Collins. The first of which has now been made into a…
In this Kosmos Online Podcast, I’m discussing themes of liberty in the popular fiction and TV series, Game of Thrones. Our guest is Game of Thrones expert Amber Taylor, who has written about the series for The Atlantic and blogs at Prettier Than Napoleon. Download the Podcast here Jeanne Hoffman: Welcome to this Kosmos Online podcast. I am Jeanne Hoffman. Today we are talking about the popular fiction work in HBO series “Game of Thrones” and how it intersects with themes of liberty. I would like to welcome our Game of Thrones expert Amber Taylor who is a 2005 graduate of Harvard Law, a blogger at Prettier than Napoleon, and has written on Game of Thrones for The Atlantic. Welcome…
In this Kosmos podcast I talk with Aeon Skobleabout themes of liberty in the popular TV show the Twilight Zone. Dr. Skoble is professor of philosophy at Bridgewater State University. Download this podcast. Get Kosmos podcasts on iTunes or visit the podcast page for more interviews with leading scholars. TRANSCRIPT: Jeanne Hoffman: Welcome to this Kosmos online podcast, I’m Jeanne Hoffman. Today I am pleased to be joined by Aeon Skoble to talk about themes of liberty in the popular TV show the Twilight Zone. Dr. Skoble is professor of philosophy at Bridgewater State University. Welcome Dr. Skoble and thanks for being on our podcast. Dr. Skoble: Happy to be here. Jeanne Hoffman: First, what is your expertise in the twilight zone? Dr….
In this KosmosOnline podcast, I interview George Mason law professor and Volokh Conspiracy blogger Ilya Somin about themes of liberty in the TV series Battlestar Galactica. There are a few spoilers toward the end, but Professor Somin makes this clear before commenting. Download MP3 Jeanne Hoffman: Welcome to this Kosmos Online Podcast. I’m Jeanne Hoffman. Today I’m talking about themes of liberty in the TV show Battlestar Galactica with my guest Ilya Somin. Professor Somin is an associate professor at George Mason University School of Law, co-editor of the Supreme Court of Economic Review, and he blogs at the Volokh Conspiracy. Welcome Professor Somin, thanks for joining us. Ilya Somin: Thanks very much for having me. JH. So Professor Somin,…
