The Curious Task

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...

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 Ke...

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-jo...

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 Amer...

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 Osb...

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.  References 1. “Technology and the End of Authority: What Is Government For?” by Jason Kuznicki Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Technology-End-Authority-What-Government/dp/3319486918   2. Jason’s previous episode “What Is Government For?...

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-housto...

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/...

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://a.co/d/iKnulei   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 o...

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. References 1. “On Target: Gun Culture, Storytelling, and the NRA” by Noah Schwartz Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Target-Gun-Culture-Storytelling-NRA/dp/1487548443/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=   2....

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. References 1. Liya’s articles, The Mercatus Center Link: https://www.mercatus.org/scholars/liya-palagashvili?utm_source=ad_link&utm_medium=google&utm_campaign=scholar_branding&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAgJa6BhCOARIsAMiL7V_UHKSW...

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. References 1. “Bill C-11: An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts” by the Government of Canada Link: https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/csj-sjc/pl/charter-charte/c11_2.html   2. Canadian Radio-te...

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. References from The Curious Task Special Episode 15 with Bryan Caplan You can purchase Bryan Caplan’s New York Times best-seller, The Myth of the Rational Voter...

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 1. “Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, 1996” by the Justice Laws Website Link: https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-38.8...

Alex speaks with Vincent Geloso about income mobility, distinguishing it from income inequality and the effects of markets and government regulations on each.  References 1. Vincent’s Articles Link: https://vincentgeloso.com/publications/   2. Vincent’s previous episode “Should We Care About Inequality?” on The Curious Task podcast Link: https://thecurioustask.podbean.com/e/ep-28-vincent-geloso-%e...

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/...

Alex speaks with Scott Beyer about the insights he's gleaned from travelling 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.  References 1. The Market Urbanist Website Link: https://www.marketurbanist.com/   2. Scott’s previous episode “What Is Market Urbanism?” on The Curious Task podc...

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. References 1. “Conservatism, Ideology, Skepticism” by Brandon Turner Link: https://digital.sandiego.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1048&context=jcli   2. “The Conservative Sensi...

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.  References 1. Rachel’s Articles, Law&Liberty  Link: https://lawliberty.org/author/rachel-lomasky/   2. “Artificial Intelligence (AI) vs. Machine Learning” by Columbia Engineering Link:...

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.  References 1. “Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act” by the Legislative Assembly of Alberta Link: https://www.assembly.ab.ca/assembly-business/bills/bill?billinfoid=11984&from=bills 2. “Opinion: Alberta’s Sovereignty Act is consti...

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.   References from The Curious Task Special Episode 14 with Russ Roberts  You can purchase Russ Roberts’ book How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life at Amazon Canada ...

Alex, Sabine and Matt reflect on the year that was 2022. References 1. Christy Horpedahl’s episode “How Can Books Advance Liberal Society” of The Curious Task Podcast Link: https://thecurioustask.podbean.com/e/ep-163-christy-horpedahl-how-can-books-advance-liberal-society/   2. Russ Robert’s episode “What’s Wrong With Education?” of The Curious Task Podcast Link: https://thecurioustask.podbean.com...