The Curious Task

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.  References 1. Paige’s articles, The Fraser Institute Link: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/profile/paige-macpherson   2. Paige’s Blog Link: https://www.paigetmacpherson.com/blog   3. “Public, private, and charter schools: How they compare” by Understood Link: https://www.understood....

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 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. References 1. “The Use of Knowledge in Society” by Freidrich August von Hayek Link: https://www.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/articles/hayek-use-knowledge-society.pdf

Alex Aragona speaks with Graeme Thompson about the classical liberal tradition in Canada, and what the evolution of that tradition has looked like.  References 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. Gra...

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. References Peter Jaworski is the co-author of the book, Markets without Limits: Moral Virtues and Commercial Interests, which is available for purchase on Amazon Canada  at this link . Peter mentions B. van der...

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. References from The Curious Task Special Episode 9 with Janet Bufton Janet Bufton manages the  Liberal Studies Guides project  and is a consultant at  Adam Smith Works , whose websites have been hyperlinked. You can read more about Adam S...

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.   References 1. “Rationalism, Pluralism, and Freedom” by Jacob Levy Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Rationalism-Pluralism-Freedom-Jacob-Levy/dp/0198808917   2. “The Multiculturalism of Fear” by Jacob Levy Lin...

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 1. 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-a...

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 1. Eric Mack’s Previous Episode “Why Not Socialism?” on the Curious Task Podcast Link: https://thecurioustask.podbean.com/e/ep-7-eric-mack-%e2%8...

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 1. “Manufacturing Militarism: U.S. Government Propaganda in the War on Terror” by Christopher J. Coyne and Abigail R. Hall Link: https://www.amazon....

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. References 1. “Generation Gap: Why the Baby Boomers Still Dominate American Politics and Culture” by Kevin Munger Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Generation-Gap-Dominate-American-Politics/dp/B08ZK7YV47

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. References 1. “Empiricism and History” by Stephen Davies Link: htt...

Alex speaks with Deirdre McCloskey in a wide-ranging conversation that addresses the economic, philosophical, and political reasons why liberalism just works.  References 1. “Why Liberalism Works: How True Liberal Values Produce a Freer, More Equal, Prosperous World for All” by Dierdre Nansen McCloskey  Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Why-Liberalism-Works-Liberal-Prosperous/dp/0300235089   2. “The Bou...

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. References 1. “The Duty to Consult: New Relationships with Aboriginal Peoples” by Dwight G. Newman Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Duty-Consult-Relationships-Aboriginal-Peoples/dp/1895830370   2....

Alex speaks with Jason Lee Byas about the complexities of responding to questions of historic injustice, reparations, and compensation within a libertarian framework.  References 1. Articles by Jason Lee Byas, Center for a Stateless Society  Link: https://c4ss.org/content/author/jason-byas   2. “Rectification and Historic Injustice” by Jason Lee Byas Link: https://philpapers.org/archive/BYARAH.pdf...

Alex speaks with David Friedman about the history of legal systems around the world from an economic standpoint. References 1. “The Machinery of Freedom: Guide to Radical Capitalism” by David D. Friedman Link: http://www.daviddfriedman.com/The_Machinery_of_Freedom_.pdf   2. “Law’s Order: What Economics Has to Do with Law and Why It Matters” by David D. Friedman Link: http://www.daviddfriedman.com/...

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.  References 1. “Adam Smith and the Character of Virtue” by Ryan Patrick Hanley  Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Smith-Character-Virtue-Patrick-Hanley/dp/0521449294   2. “Adam Smith: His Life, Though, and Legacy” by Ryan Patric...

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.  References 1. “Rationalism, Pluralism, and Freedom” by Jacob Levy Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Rationalism-Pluralism-Freedom-Jacob-Levy/dp/0198808917   2. “The Mu...

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 1. The Center for Experiential Learning at Washington University Link: https://olin.wustl.edu/student-resources/center-for-experiential-learning.php#:~:text=The%20Center%20for%20Experien...

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 1. Free Thoughts Podcast  Link: https://www.libertarianism.org/podcasts/free-thoughts   2. ReImagining Liberty Podcast Link: https://www.reimaginingliberty.com/podcast/   3. “After protests, Disney CEO speaks out against ‘Don’t Say Gay’...

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.  References 1. Institute for Liberal Studies  Link: https://www.liberalstudies.ca/