Economics from Albion
It seems someone in England has read Adam Smith, and can explain with passion, logic, and conviction the basic truths of how the world works to those unacquainted to the world, to truth, or to logic. It is an astonishing and heartening performance. To hear common sense these days is as rare as hearing a Shakespearean sonnet.
The gentleman’s name is Daniel Hannan.
This is a shock and a surprise to me. I had thought the Socialists had castrated every brain in Europe, as well as lobotomized their manhood, and left their entire craven and neutered intellectual class unable to perform any higher mental functions aside from uttering stale ad hominem attacks.
If any socialist leaves a comment here, you will see what I mean. They cannot help themselves, since their philosophy requires first, that they respond as if intellectually superior, requires that they arrogate to themselves the moral high ground, yet robs them of any rational means to make an intellectual argument or support a moral position. So, logically, the only thing left to them is to PRETEND that they have some moral and mental superiority, and the only way to create that illusion is to indulge in ad hominem, that is, to honor themselves by dishonoring their opposition’s motives, character, intelligence, or background.
One would think they could use other illogical arguments to buttress their position, but keep in mind their position is as much an emotional security blanket to bandage their frail self-worth and smother their consciences more than it is an economic argument. The argument only has power to the socialist if it flatters their self-esteem, and nothing flatters the self esteem more than an excuse to indulge in envy and malice. How easy are all debates to the faithful socialist, since all his foes are illiterate devils!
About John C Wright
John C. Wright is a practicing philosopher, a retired attorney, newspaperman, and newspaper editor, and a published author of science fiction. Once a Houyhnhnm, he was expelled from the august ranks of purely rational beings when he fell in love; but retains an honorary title.
