Posts Tagged Mark Skousen

Persuasion vs Force by Mark Skousen

Oct 16

Posted by Billy in Philosophy | No Comments

I have linked to this essay before and decided, for sake of preservation (if links change and such), to quote it in its entirety here. I like it so here it is. You may still get it at its original location here.

Persuasion vs. Force
by Mark Skousen

Sometimes a single book or even a short cogent essay can change an individual’s entire outlook on life. For Christians, it is the New Testament. For radical socialists, Karl Marx’ and Friedrich Engels’ The Communist Manifesto is revolutionary. For libertarians, Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged is pivotal. For economists, Ludwig von Mises’ Human Action can be mind-changing.

Recently I came across a little essay in a book called Adventures of Ideas, by Alfred North Whitehead, the British philosopher and Harvard professor. The essay, “From Force to Persuasion,” had a profound effect upon me. Actually what caught my attention was a single passage on page 83. This one small excerpt in a 300-page book changed my entire political philosophy.

Here’s what it says:

“The creation of the world — said Plato — is the victory of persuasion over force… Civilization is the maintenance of social order, by its own inherent persuasiveness as embodying the nobler alternative. The recourse to force, however unavoidable, is a disclosure of the failure of civilization, either in the general society or in a remnant of individuals…

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Tags: freedom, Mark Skousen

Book Review: The Making of Modern Economics – Mark Skousen

Aug 18

Posted by Billy in Book Reviews, Economics | 1 Comment

I recently finished “The Making of Modern Economics” by Mark Skousen. I found this book quite intriguing. It provides a powerful foundation and historical background to economic thought by offering the histories of the individuals that most contributed to modern schools of economics and public policy.

For me, this was very educational and interesting as I do not have a formal, in-depth, economics-specific education. The book provided not only the economic contributions of each individual but attempts to provide a glimpse into the events of each person’s life that lead up to and followed their contribution, offering a deeper understanding of why they may have thought the way they did. The book carries a tone and focus on free-market thinking with Adam Smith as the reference standard throughout. This is easily understood considering the author and also my choice in reading it.

I highly recommend this book to any interested in a deeper education and understanding of economic thought and its historical evolution.

Tags: history, Mark Skousen

Persuasion vs. Force

Jul 28

Posted by Billy in Featured, Philosophy | 2 Comments

I recently read a pamphlet by Mark Skousen entitled “Persuasion vs. Force” which largely and succinctly defines my view of political freedoms and economic liberty. The purpose of the work is not to begin debating the nuances of society and management thereof but to put for a new precedent, a respect for all who are born on this earth and a philosophy to allow the debate through persuasion, not force.

As I have expressed in previous posts, I feel that socialism and interventionist agendas are disrespectful and attempts to play “God” as if certain groups and individuals have been given a special authority to control and force society, that they somehow know what is best for me when they don’t even know my name, situation, circumstance, nothing! Skousen makes a powerful case for a society of mutual respect, education and persuasion. Will bad still happen? of course! It happens anyway, no matter how much you legislate, it’s just considered “illegal” by the state. Will there be no law? of course there will be law! Only these laws will merely protect us from each other and not from ourselves. As Mr Skousen put it: