The Curious Task

Alex Aragona speaks with Mustafa Akyol as he explores whether Islam can be compatible with liberalism, and his recent research on freedom in Muslim-majority countries. References from Episode 70 with Mustafa Akyol Mustafa Akyol is the author of Rethinking the Kurdish Question: What Went Wrong, What Next? (Turkish), Islam Without Extremes: A Muslim Case For Liberty, The Islamic Jesus: How the King of the Jews Became a Prophet of the Muslims, and his book set for release in April 2021, Reopening Muslim Minds: A Return to Reason, Freedom, and Tolerance (all available titles hyperlinked to Amazon Canada store pages). You can read Mustafa’s articles featured on his profile on the CATO Institute’s website at this link. The concluding segment of this podcast was dedicated to discussing Mustafa’s findings in his study, Freedom in the Muslim World, which was published on the Cato Institute’s website and is available for reading here. Mustafa quotes the observation that Islam had compatible socio-legal setups for embracing liberal society early on had it abided by its foundational teachings from Professor David Forte’s article, Islam’s Trajectory. This article can be read on the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s website at this link. One of the themes in his upcoming book, Reopening Muslim Minds, Mustafa cites Ash’arism as one of the theological paradigms predating modernity which gave rise to the insularity in Islamic philosophy towards thoughts not originating from revelation. The journal Studia Islamica has an article recounting the religious history of Ash’arism and can be accessed at this link through an active JSTOR account. Mustafa briefly mentions the Euthyphro Dilemma (Wikipedia), Divine Command Theory (Michael W. Austin, Eastern Kentucky University), and Ethical Objectivism (Oxford Reference) whilst discussing the different camps in Islamic thought. More can be read about these topics through their respective hyperlinks. You can read more about philosopher John Locke’s premises on toleration of religion and heresy here (A Letter Concerning Toleration courtesy of McMaster University), as well as his view on the separation of church and state at this link (Liberty Fund). While literature on Islamic liberalism is vast, a good place to start is this article titled What Is Liberal Islam?: The Sources of Enlightend Muslim Thought featured in the Journal of Democracy at this link. This article on Deutsche Welle summarizes the domestic and international tensions stemming from the cartoons of religious caricatures that were published in France. Mustafa quotes Daniel Philpott’s book, Religious Freedom in Islam: The Fate of a Universal Human Right in the Muslim World (available on Amazon Canada), about how Islam “had seeds of freedom, but those seeds need to be cultivated.” You can read the excerpt where the French jurist, Jean Bodin, commended the religious freedom of the Ottoman empire compared to the denominational violence amongst Christians in Europe in Daniel Goffman’s book, The Ottoman Empire and Early Modern Europe here. Here are Wikipedia articles to the controversy of Islamic scarfs in France, policing over the burkini, and Saudi Arabia’s legislation on public head coverings for women.

Alex Aragona speaks with Kevin Vallier as he explores the different tenets of political and social polarization, and whether the divisions we're seeing today can be reversed. References from Episode 69 with Kevin Vallier Kevin Vallier is the author of Liberal Politics and Public Faith: Beyond Separation, Must Politics Be War?: Restoring Our Trust in Open Society, and Trust in a Polarized Age, which is the basis of this episode’s discussion. All books are available on Amazon Canada (titles hyperlinked). Kevin talks about the two empirical literature camps on social trust: one is the economics, lab-based games of trust; the second is macro-survey data provided by institutions such as the World Values Survey, the General Social Survey, the American National Election Studies, and barometers (Afrobarometer, Eurobarometer). All names are hyperlinked. This is a link to the Corporate Finance Institute’s overview of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Kevin briefly mentions the Georgia Secretary of State’s certification of the election outcome disputing voter fraud. A report of the Secretary of State’s statements can be read here. Here is a brief overview of the contact hypothesis by the American Psychological Association, which Kevin contrasted to in the podcast with a lack of contract enforcement and the ill-definition of property titles which do not result in economic interactions being trust-building. Kevin discusses legislation such as For the People Act of 2019 as a possible remedy to polarization. This specific Act contained legal rulings on automatic voter registration, delays in joining the private sector, and divestment requirements. It is available for reading on the United States’ Congress website at this link.

Alex Aragona speaks with Sabine El-Chidiac as she explores the different ways civil society solutions help refugees succeed when they move to their new home. References from Episode 68 with Sabine El Chidiac You can find Sabine's work on this topic mentioned in the podcast at Police Options here The Government of Canada’s website contains a list of all the programs under which economic immigrants are admitted into Canada. Here is some more information about the express entry pathway. As Sabine noted in the podcast, admission under the Provincial Nominee Program is dependent upon what the destination province deems to be their biggest occupational and employment goals and needs. This link provides a brief overview of the program and hyperlinks to province-specific guidelines. You can read more about the UNHCR’s Refugee Status Designation process on their website here, as well as their procedural standards here. This is the link to the Government of Canada’s guide to the private refugee sponsorship process. Sabine mentioned the work of the Anglican Diocese of Toronto to accommodate and build a community for refugees by performing fundraisers and food drives amongst the parishioners. You can read their mission statement on their website. Sabine’s article, The success of the privately sponsored refugee system, discusses some of the themes from this podcast, such as the principle of civil society, and is available for reading on Policy Options. Here is a link to the Rapid Impact Evaluation of the Syrian Refugee Initiative developed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (2016. It compares the outcomes, living standards, and satisfaction of government and privately sponsored Syrian refugees between 2015-2016. This is a link to the joint statement to the UN General Assembly by the Ministers of Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Argentina, Spain, and New Zealand speaking in favour of community-led sponsorship approaches that Alex briefly mentions on the podcast. Here is a link to the official PSR cap published by the Government of Canada. Some examples of the lobbying against PSR caps include the Canadian Council for Refugees and the Canadian Refugee Sponsorship Agreement Holders Association. Alex and Sabine discuss Danby Appliances’ CEO Jim Estill’s sponsorship and hiring of over fifty refugee families in Guelph, Ontario. You can read more about this in the article linked here. On the podcast, Sabine shares the inspiring story coming out of Haida Gwaii, British Columbia with regards to how the refugees who were once sponsored to the area eventually became systems of support for new incoming refugees. You can follow the community work for refugees in Haida Gwaii through one of their local newspaper’s website.

Alex Aragona speaks with Tom Palmer as he explores the institutions and conditions that cause peace and war. References from Episode 67 with Tom Palmer Tom Palmer’s book, Realizing Freedom: Libertarian Theory, History, and Practice can be purchased on Amazon Canada at this link. Tom has additionally wrote and/or edited the following works: The Morality of Capitalism: What Your Professors Won't Tell You (link) After the Welfare State (link) Why Liberty (link) Self-Control or State Control? You Decide (link) Peace, Love, and Liberty - the basis of this episode from which many of quotes, interview references, and military case studies were selected (link) Dignity and Democracy with co-author Matt Warner (publication coming out next year) Erik Gartzke found that trading countries are less likely to war in his article, The Capitalist Peace, which is available online. Tom’s Interview with a Businessman for Peace with Chris Rufer on peacemaking in business and trade, appears in Chapter 4 of Peace, Love, and Liberty. Frédéric Bastiat’s was an economist and peace advocate who argued the costs of long-term consumption from tax-produced weaponry in his book, That Which Is Seen, and That Which Is Not Seen, which can be read on the Mises Institute’s website. Robert Higgs’ article, Wartime Prosperity? A Reassessment of the U.S. Economy in the 1940s, (featured in The Journal of Economic History) clarified how productive efforts in jeeps and vans shipped to other countries do not constitute economic benefit due to the lack of private vehicle production. This article can be accessed here through an active JSTOR account or your educational institution. Tom’s essay, Peace is a Choice, presents a case study on political science professor and former US government official Madeline Albright and her view of the exemplary nation and how professors have a tendency to think about wars differently than those who have witnessed them. This is a chapter in Peace, Love, and Liberty. A transcript of Colin Powell’s infamous 2003 speech to the United Nations on the disarmament of Iraq which touches on themes of human lives and consequence can be read on The Washington Post archives. Tom’s recommended two German novels of the Great War to enrich an understanding of war from different perspectives on anguish and glory, respectively: All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich M. Remarque (link) and Storm of Steel by Ernst Junger (link). Parker Thomas Moon’s book, Imperialism and World Politics, highlights the devaluation of important political science questions when personal pronouns are employed during conflict. This book is available on Google Books at this link. Joshua Greene’s book discussing our psychological propensities to cooperate and designate teams to destroy other groups, Moral Tribes: Emotion, Reason, and the Gap Between Us and Them is available on Amazon Canada for purchase here. Robert Musil’s book, The Man Without Qualities, explores how a nation exists to offset responsibilities without remorse and is available for purchase on Amazon at this link. Samuel P. Huntington’s study, The Clash of Civilizations?, noting how much territory is under military control can be viewed at this link through an active JSTOR or partner institution account. Tom cites Carl Schmitt and his theory on the irreconcilibity of conflicts as a foundation for solidarity in the podcast. An overview of Schmitt’s essential works was published by John P. McCormick from the University of Chicago in the Annual Review of Political Science at this link. Chapter Five of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, covering the types of friendships human beings can have, was briefly mentioned on the podcast and can be read at this link courtesy of McMaster University’s Faculty of Social Sciences. Ernesto Laclau emphasizes the importance of identifying the enemy for successful populist rhetoric in his book, On Populist Reason, available on Amazon Canada here. George Orwell’s essay on how language can be operationalized to “obscure pure violence,” Politics and the English Language, can be accessed online at this link.

Alex Aragona speaks with Virginia Postrel as she explores how her newest book traces how textiles shaped our modern societies. References from Episode 66 with Virginia Postrel Virgina Postrel is the author of The Power of Glamour: Longing and the Art of Visual Persuasion; The Substance of Style: How The Rise of Aesthetic Value Is Remaking Commerce, Culture, and Consciousness; The Future and Its Enemies: The Growing Conflict Over Creativity, Enterprise, and Progress, and The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World, featuring the majority of this episode’s quotes and chapter references. All titles are available for order on Amazon (book titles are hyperlinked). Steve Horwitz’s book, Hayek's Modern Family: Classical Liberalism and the Evolution of Social Institutions, commentates gender roles over time and can be purchased from Amazon Canada at this link. Virginia mention’s David Friedman’s study on Medieval Iceland’s cloth currency and can be read here. John Styles, a historian of the industrial revolution, noted how Northern Italy outnumbered Lanarkshire’s water-powered factories in his work, Fashion, Textiles and the Origins of Industrial Revolution, available at this link. You can learn more about the Caraglio silk-throwing mill in Piedmont, Italy that Virgina recommends in the podcast at this link.

Alex Aragona speaks with Eric Merkley as he explores the reasons why the public often mistrusts experts. References from Episode 65 with Eric Merkley Eric has a list of his publications on his website. Alex references the following excerpts from Eric’s article “Anti-Intellectualism, Populism, and Motivated Resistance to Expert Consensus,” which can be accessed through an active account with Oxford Academic or your Institution at this link: “… anti-intellectualism, the generalized mistrust and suspicion of intellectuals and experts...” “Populism and anti-intellectualism have a complex relationship. They are connected to one another, but the latter should not be seen as a component of the former.” Alex also references the following excerpts from Eric’s article “Are Experts (News)Worthy? Balance, Conflict, and Mass Media Coverage of Expert Consensus,” which can be accessed through an active account with Taylor and Francis Online or your Institution at this link: “The fault for sharply diverging opinions between experts and the public may not entirely rest with citizens, however. Scholars must also be attentive to the political information environment – the information space used by citizens to learn about political issues – of which the news media is a critical part.” “News coverage of expert consensus on general matters of policy is likely limited as a result of journalists’ emphasis in news production on novelty and drama at the expense of thematic context.” Bill Clinton’s speech on American protectionism from the Washington Boeing Hangar is available for viewing on Youtube here. More contextual information on the top-down model of attitude formation is available from this study published on the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health or this article by Ryan M. Stolier and Jonathan B. Freeman. Martin A. Nie published an article on Bill Clinton and Al Gore’s relationship to the environment for Presidential Studies Quarterly, which can be accessed with an active JSTOR account here. You can read Eric’s article, “The causes and consequences of COVID-19 misperceptions: understanding the role of news and social media,” that was featured on the Harvard Kennedy School’s Misinformation Review at this link. It discusses how social media is more responsible for misinformation than newsmedia (infodemic).

Alex Aragona speaks with Bart Wilson as he explores the natural tendencies of humans in relation to their views and attitudes on property. References from Episode 64 with Bart Wilson You can purchase Bart Wilson’s book, The Property Species: Mine, Yours, and The Human Mind on Amazon Canada. Bart referenced a study by linguists Cliff Goddard and Anna Wierzbicka on the conceptual semantics of possession found in every language, which may be accessed through ScienceDirect at this link. The full Bing episode, Not Yours, which demonstrates the morality of possession within children is available for viewing on Youtube. Bart’s laboratory study, “Exchange and Specialization as a Discovery Process,” was co-authored with Sean Crockett and Vernon L. Smith and appeared in volume 119, issue 539 of The Economic Journal (2009). You can access an e-version of the article through Wiley Online Library. In the podcast, Bart draws upon the whaling norms in the absence of formal sea jurisdictions featured in Robert C. Ellickson’s publication, Order without Law, and additionally informed one of his experiments’ testing for the rules of competition. Order without Law is available for purchase from the Harvard University Press’ website. A PDF copy of The Case of the Swans that was briefly mentioned by Bart and contains the concept of “hath property in” is available for viewing on CommonLII here. You can purchase the Andrea Tyler and Vyvyan Evans study, The Semantics of English Propositions, from which Bart illustrates the lingual relationship between physical objects and functionality in the podcast directly from the publisher’s website.

Alex Aragona speaks with Michael Strong as he explores how entrepreneurship improves the lives of people all over the world. References 1. “Be the Solution: How Entrepreneurs and Conscious Capitalists Can Solve All the World’s Problems” by Michael Strong and John Mackey Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Be-Solution-Entrepreneurs-Conscious-Capitalists/dp/0470450037 2. “The Magic Washing Machine” video by Hans Rosling Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZoKfap4g4w&ab_channel=TED

Alex Aragona speaks with Cara Zwibel as she offers her thoughts on whether we can maintain our civil liberties during an emergency like a pandemic, and how we can do so. References from Episode 62 with Cara Zwibel This is the website for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. The Government of Canada has sector and industry-specific guidelines in place for the COVID-19 pandemic, which may be reviewed here. You can refresh yourself on the articles of The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms on the Canada Justice Laws Website. You can read about the Government of Canada’s travel restrictions and position on face coverings (Note: provinces and territories may have varying mandatory rules on face coverings). Provincial and territorial travel restrictions may be accessed through this official masterlist. Taylor v. Her Majesty the Queen, 2020 NLSC 125 is the Newfoundland Court challenge pursued by the CCLA. The transcript of Cara’s interview with The Halifax Examiner can be read here. This is the CCLA’s letter to the Correctional Service of Canada outlining their concerns “regarding the health and well-being of the inmates and staff in Canada’s federal correctional institutions.” A link to the CCLA’s press release on their mission to support Toronto’s homeless population can be accessed here.

Alex Aragona speaks with Bryan Caplan about the value of a formal education, and compares the alleged benefits against the reality. References from Episode 61 with Bryan Caplan You can purchase Bryan Caplan’s New York Times best-seller, The Myth of the Rational Voter from Amazon Canada at this link. His other publications include Selfish Reasons to Have More Kids (book), The Case Against Education (the book upon which this episode was based), and Open Borders (graphic novel). This is an outline of Bryan’s upcoming work on Poverty: Who to Blame. You can refer to a breakdown of Bryan’s study of the Economic Models of Education, where he operationalizes his definition of “human capital purism” here. Bryan builds off of Michael Spence’s work on signaling. One of Michael’s publications, Signaling in Retrospect and the Informational Structure of Markets, can be accessed with an active JSTOR account. Bryan briefly uses the term Catch-22 that was coined by Joseph Heller’s novel of the same name, which can be purchased through Amazon Canada. There is a reference to the Indian caste system when Bryan was comparing the inclinations of degree-bearers to marry those who have a degree at a similar level. A thorough study of the sociopolitics of identity and status under the Indian caste system may be read here. While discussing how to discipline thinking about the intelligent life in the universe, Bryan references the Drake Equation whose analysis by Leonor Sierra (University of Rochester) can be reviewed on NASA’s website. The Corporate Finance Institute published a rundown on the meaning of “austerity,” which can be read here. You can watch The Pianist, which Bryan references while forecasting relevancies in employer consideration, on Amazon Prime.

Alex Aragona speaks with Eric Schliesser as he explores the history of the term "neoliberalism," its eventual evolution, and what neoliberalism means today. References from episode 60 with Eric Schliesser Here is a list of Eric Schliesser’s publications. Dr. Karen Horn and Dr. Stefan Kolev’s joint work, entitled Economic Thinking, has a German version available for purchase on Amazon Canada at this link. Walter Lippmann’s book, The Good Society, which went on to become an international hit as for “its insight of neoliberalism as the intellectual status quo in the 19th century” can be purchased on Amazon Canada at this link. Marxist Scholar David Harvey’s book, A Brief History of Neoliberalism, where he equated neoliberalism “to everything he hated about capitalism” is available on Amazon Canada at this link. Mishel Foucault’s lecture series where he traced the history of neoliberalism from the eighteenth to twentieth centuries was published as The Birth of Biopolitics, which can be purchased on Amazon Canada at this link. Mark Buchanan’s article Wealth Happens analyzes the the “butchers and bakers” quote that was mentioned in passing by Alex Aragona at this online publishing from The Harvard Business Review. Milton Friedman’s article, Laws That Do Harm, is available for viewing at the Center of the American Experiment’s blog, which features the quote to “judge public policies by their results, not their intentions.” According to Eric Schliesser, the harm principle is a core liberal value and can be extended to markets. You can read about the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy’s lesson on John Stuart Mill’s version of the harm principle (Chapter 3.6) here. You can read Milton Friedman’s The Basic Principles of Liberalism here. You can watch Milton Friedman speak about the enemies of markets on the American Enterprise Institute’s website at this link. The Elgar Companian to the Chicago School of Economics can be purchased directly from the publishers here. Alex Aragona quotes this blogpost, How ‘Neoliberalism’ came to refer to Everything I reject from Digressions&Impressions.

Alex Aragona speaks with Lynne Kiesling as she explores the current structure of energy systems and delivery, and how they can be restructured in more market-oriented ways. References from Episode 59 with Lynne Kiesling You can buy Lynne Kiesling’s book, Deregulation, Innovation and Market Liberalization: Electricity Regulation in a Continually Evolving Environment, on Amazon Canada at this link. You can read more about Ben Franklin’s famous Kite-in-a-Thunderstorm Experiment that was briefly mentioned by Lynne here. Paul M. Sweezy’s analysis of Schumpeter’s Theory of Innovation may be accessed through an active account with the JSTOR database. Adam Smith’s law of mutually-beneficial commerce and exchange was introduced in his book, The Wealth of Nations, whose Second Part has been summarized in a module by the Cato Institute here. An in-depth explanation of Adam Smith’s benefits of free trade and commercial society may be read here. You can read Israel M. Kirzner’s article on Hayek and the Meaning of Subjectivism here.

Alex Aragona speaks with Matt Ridley as he explores the nature of innovation and the conditions that enable it to flourish. References 1. Mind & Matter Column, Wall Street Journal Link: https://www.wsj.com/news/types/mind-matter 2. “How Innovation Works: And Why It Flourishes in Freedom by Matt Ridley Link: https://www.amazon.ca/How-Innovation-Works-Flourishes-Freedom/dp/0062916599 3. “Northumberlandia” by The Gardens Trust Link: https://thegardenstrust.blog/2015/08/15/northumberlandia/ 4. “Thomas Newcomen” by Britannica Link: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Thomas-Newcomen 5. “George Stephenson” by Britannica Link: https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-Stephenson 6. “The Wright Brothers” by the National Air and Space Museum Link: https://airandspace.si.edu/explore/stories/wright-brothers 7. “How Mary Wortley Montagu’s bold experiment led to smallpox vaccine - 75 years before Jenner” by The Guardian Link: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/mar/28/how-mary-wortley-montagus-bold-experiment-led-to-smallpox-vaccine-75-years-before-jenner 8. “Charles Hard Townes” by Britannica Link: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Hard-Townes 9. “Steve Jobs and Bill Gates Historic Interview” Link: https://www.everythingsupplychain.com/steve-jobs-and-bill-gates-historic-interview-15-minutes-750k-views/#:~:text=Steve%20Jobs%20and%20Bill%20Gates%20appeared%20together%20for%20a%20rare,Walt%20Mossberg%20and%20Kara%20Swisher. 10. “Samuel F.B. Morse” by Britannica Link: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Samuel-F-B-Morse

Alex Aragona speaks with Terry Anderson as he explores the external forces that have restrained the wealth and well-being of Indigenous peoples in the West, and how that wealth can be unlocked. References 1. “Free Market Environmentalism for the Next Generation” by Terry L. Anderson and Donald R. Leal Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Market-Environmentalism-Generation-Anderson-Paperback/dp/B010CKSG1M 2. “Unlocking the Wealth of Indian Nations” by Terry Anderson Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Unlocking-Wealth-Indian-Nations-Anderson/dp/1498525679 3. Indigenous Econ Organization Website Link: https://indigenousecon.org/about 4. “American-Indian Wars” by History.com Link: https://www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/american-indian-wars 5. “Civil War” by the National Museum of the American Indian Link: https://americanindian.si.edu/static/why-we-serve/topics/civil-war/#:~:text=The%20war%20exacted%20a%20terrible,less%20secure%20after%20the%20war. 6. “The Cherokee Nation Cases” by the Supreme Court Historical Society Link: https://civics.supremecourthistory.org/article/the-cherokee-nation-cases/ 7. “Potlatch Ban” by Living Tradition Link: https://umistapotlatch.ca/potlatch_interdire-potlatch_ban-eng.php#:~:text=In%20the%20late%201800s%2C%20the,became%20law%20January%201%2C%201885 8. “Northern Cheyenne Tribe: Traditional Law and Constitutional Reform” by Sheldon Spotted Elk Link: https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1082&context=tlj 9. “Our Story: A History of Resilience and Perseverance” by Coushatta.org Link: https://www.coushatta.org/our-story/

Alex Aragona speaks with Diana Thomas as she explores the factors that play into increasing childcare costs, and some potential solutions to the problem. References 1. “Regulation and the Cost of Childcare” by Diana Thomas and Devon Gorry Link: https://www.mercatus.org/students/research/working-papers/regulation-and-cost-child-care 2. Child Care Aware of America Link: https://www.childcareaware.org/

Alex Aragona speaks with Vincent Geloso as he explores anarcho-capitalist economic concepts and whether there are real life examples to back them up. References 1. Vincent’s Previous Episode “Should We Care About Equality” on The Curious Task Podcast Link: https://thecurioustask.podbean.com/e/ep-28-vincent-geloso-%e2%80%94-should-we-care-about-inequality/ 2. “Private Creation and Enforcement of Law: A Historical Case” by David Friedman Link: https://www.jstor.org/stable/724116?seq=1 3. “Are Anarcho-Capitalists Insane? Living Standards under Medieval Icelandic Conflict Institutions” by Vincent Geloso Link: https://vincentgeloso.com/2020/04/06/are-anarcho-capitalists-insane-medieval-icelandic-living-standards-in-comparative-perspective/ 4. “Trade or Raid: Acadian Settlers and Native Indians Before 1755” by Vincent Geloso Link: https://vincentgeloso.com/2017/08/28/trade-or-raid-acadian-settlers-and-native-indians-before-1755/ 5. “Dynamics of Interventionism and Economic Development in Quebec before 1854” by Vincent Geloso Link: https://ebhsoc.org/journal/index.php/ebhs/article/view/313 6. “State Capacity and Economic Development: Causal Mechanism or Correlative Filter?” by Vincent Geloso and Alexander Salter Link: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3294086

Alex Aragona speaks with Dan Griswold as he explores the benefits of open markets and free trade, and whether you can "win" a trade war. References 1. “Mad About Trade: Why Main Street America Should Embrace Globalization” by Daniel Griswold Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Mad-About-Trade-America-Globalization/dp/193530819X 2. “Section 232 Investigation on the Effect of Imports of Steel on U.S. National Security” by U.S Department of Commerce Link: https://www.commerce.gov/issues/trade-enforcement/section-232-steel 3. “China Section 301-Tariff Actions and Exclusions Process” by Office of the United States Trade Representative Link: https://ustr.gov/issue-areas/enforcement/section-301-investigations/tariff-actions 4. “Only Congress can end the China trade war quagmire” by Daniel Griswold Link: https://www.mercatus.org/economic-insights/expert-commentary/only-congress-can-end-china-trade-war-quagmire 5. “The Coronavirus Should Not Prompt Us to Rethink Globalization” by Daniel Griswold Link: https://www.discoursemagazine.com/p/the-coronavirus-should-not-prompt-us-to-rethink-globalization 6. “Daniel Griswold: Curbing globalization would compound coronavirus damage” by Daniel Griswold Link: https://www.twincities.com/2020/03/13/daniel-griswold-curbing-globalization-would-compound-coronavirus-damage/ 7. “Daniel Griswold on US Demographic Decline and the Case for Expanding Immigration” by Daniel Griswold Link: https://www.mercatus.org/macro-musings/daniel-griswold-us-demographic-decline-and-case-expanding-immigration 8. “Clashing Over Commerce: A History of US Trade Policy” by Douglas Irwin Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Clashing-over-Commerce-History-Policy/dp/022639896X 9. “Death by China: Confronting the Dragon - A Global Call to Action” by Peter Navarro and Greg Autry Link: https://www.amazon.com/Death-China-Confronting-Dragon-paperback/dp/0134319036 10. “United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement” by Office of the United States Trade Representative Link: https://ustr.gov/trade-agreements/free-trade-agreements/united-states-mexico-canada-agreement

Author of 'Unschooled' Kerry McDonald joins Alex Aragona to talk about how choice in education can allow children to lead happier and more fulfilled lives, and the positive impacts of taking education outside the conventional classroom. References from Episode 53 with Kerry McDonald: You can buy Kerry McDonald’s book, Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom, on Amazon Canada at this link. You can buy Noam Chomsky’s book, Chomsky on Mis-Education, which Alex references in the podcast, on Amazon Canada at this link. You can read more about Timothy Layton’s Harvard study on the mental effects of younger children starting school on the Harvard Gazette here. You can read more about the Vanderbilt study on the correlation between youth suicide attempts and the academic year at this link. You can read more about the Yale research study on the dissatisfaction of children in high school here. You can read Kerry McDonald’s Fee.org article on parents favouring homeschooling in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic here.

Alex Aragona speaks with Nimish Adhia as he explores how Bollywood films traced cultural changes in India, and how the films themselves directly affect social attitudes. References from Episode 52 with Nimish Adhia: You can read Nimish Adhia’s paper “The role of ideological change in India’s economic liberalization”, which is referenced throughout the podcast, at this link You can read more about the Hindi film Mother India (1957) here You can read the Eastern Eye op-ed “Did Bollywood write the script for the Indian economic miracle?” by Raj Persaud at this link Nimish’s Bollywood film recommendations: Upkar (1967), directed by Manoj Kumar Guru (2007), directed and written by Mani Ratnam

Alex Aragona speaks with Malcolm Lavoie about the importance of property rights to decentralization and the use of resources, and discusses how FA Hayek's work plays a part in understanding this connection. References from Episode 51 with Malcolm Lavoie: You can read Malcolm Lavoie’s paper “Property and Local Knowledge”, which is referenced throughout the podcast, at this link. You can read FA Hayek’s essay “The Use of Knowledge in Society” on EconLib here You can purchase FA Hayek’s book, Law, Legislation, and Liberty, on Amazon Canada at this link.

Alex Aragona speaks with Linda Kavuka as she explores why it's so important to rediscover Africa's free-market past, and how the ideas surrounding free markets can help remedy the problems facing many African countries. References from Episode 50 with Linda Kavuka: You can read Linda Kavuka’s Telegraph article on Africa and access to the free market referenced in the podcast here You can watch Linda Kavuka’s talk on the impact of colonialism on property rights in Africa, referenced in the podcast here

Alex Aragona speaks with Fabio Rojas as he traces the history of the post 9/11 anti-war movement and what caused it to lose momentum. References from Episode 49 with Fabio Rojas: You can purchase Fabio Rojas’ book, From Black Power to Black Studies: How a Radical Social Movement Became an Academic Discipline, on Amazon Canada at this link. You can buy Fabio Rojas’ book, Party in the Street: The Antiwar Movement and the Democratic Party After 9/11, on Amazon Canada at this link. You can purchase Fabio Rojas’ book, Theory for the Working Sociologist, on Amazon Canada here. You can read the transcript of Barack Obama’s 2002 speech against the Iraq War, which Fabio refers to in the podcast, here

Alex Aragona nerds out with Travis Smith as they discuss his book 'Superhero Ethics', why superheroes are so popular, and the ten ways superheros save the world. References from Episode 48 with Travis Smith: You can purchase Travis Smith’s book Superhero Ethics: 10 Comic Book Heroes; 10 Ways to Save the World; Which One Do We Need Most Now? on Amazon Canada at this link You can watch the trailer for Watchmen, the American superhero drama limited television series Alex mentions in the podcast here.

Alex Aragona speaks with Ilya Somin as he explores how you can vote with your feet and if it is effective. References from Episode 47 with Ilya Somin: You can purchase Illya Somin’s book, Democracy and Political Ignorance: Why Smaller Government Is Smarter, on Amazon Canada at this link You can purchase Illya Somin’s book, The Grasping Hand: “Kelo V. City of New London” and the Limits of Eminent Domain, on Amazon Canada at this link You can purchase Illya Somin’s book, Free to Move: Foot Voting, Migration, and Political Freedom, on Amazon Canada at this link

Alex Aragona speaks with Dennis Rasmussen as he traces the friendship between Adam Smith and David Hume, and how it helped shaped modern thought. References from Episode 46 with Dennis Rasmussen: You can purchase Dennis Rasmussen’s book, The Infidel and the Professor: David Hume, Adam Smith, and the Friendship That Shaped Modern Thought, on Amazon Canada at this link. You can purchase David Hume’s book, A Treatise of Human Nature, on Amazon Canada at this link You can read Adam Smith’s book, A Theory on Moral Sentiments, for free on the Online Library of Liberty at this link. You can purchase David Hume’s book, Dialogue Concerning Natural Religion, on Amazon Canada at this link You can read Adam Smith’s book, The Wealth of Nations, for free on The Library of Economics and Liberty here. You can read David Hume’s essay, Of Refinement in the Arts, for free on The Liberty of Economics and Liberty at this link. You can read Adam Smith’s publication of Letter from Adam Smith, L.L.D. to William Strahan for free on The Liberty of Economics and Liberty here.

Alex Aragona speaks with Steve Davies as he explores what he thinks life after the pandemic will look like, including our relationship with the welfare state. References from Episode 45 with Steve Davies: You can purchase Steve Davies’ book, Empiricism and History, at Amazon at this link You can purchase Steve Davies’ book, The Wealth Explosion: The Nature and Origins of Modernity, at Amazon at this link You can purchase Steve Davies’ book, The Economics and Politics of Brexit: The Realignment of British Public Life, at Amazon at this link You can read Steve Davies’ article on What History Teaches Us About the Coronavirus Pandemic here You can read more about Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s argument on news sensationalization that Steve Davies mentions at this link. Steve Davies talks about the Bathtub Fallacy here You can read Steve Davie’s briefing paper on C-19: Redefining the State of Welfare here

Alex Aragona talks with Shikha Sood Dalmia as she explores the story of a Sikh-Canadian broadcaster's rise to fame, and what stories like these mean for the broader immigrant community when it comes to joining, and changing, the world around them. References from Episode 44 with Shikha Dalmia: You can read Shikha Dalmia’s original Reason article about this topic at this link

Alex Aragona speaks with Ben Perrin as he explores the causes of, and solutions to, the opioid crisis in Canada and the United States. References from Episode 43 with Ben Perrin: You can purchase Ben Perrin’s new book Overdose: Heartbreak and Hope in Canada’s Opioid Crisis at Amazon Canada at this link You can listen to the episode of The Curious Task that Alex mentioned that features Trevor Burrus at this link

Everyone should care about economic freedom. But why is economic freedom especially relevant for women? Alex Aragona chats with Sarah Skwire as she explores why economic freedom has been, and is, important for women to cherish and defend. References from Episode 42 with Sarah Skwire: You can check out Adam Smith Works here You can purchase Sarah’s article on Margaret Fell here You can read Sarah Skwire’s article on How the State Became the American Woman’s Real Enemy here Sarah Skwire talks about Round About a Pound a Week here Sarah Skwire talks about Roast Beef, Medium here

Alex Aragona speaks with Russ Roberts as he talks about the ways in which the ideas of Adam Smith can change your life, even so many years later. References from Episode 41 with Russ Roberts You can purchase Russ Roberts’ book How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life at Amazon Canada here You can read the Theory of Moral Sentiments for free on the Online Library of Liberty here

Alex Aragona chats with Pete Boettke as he dives into what the curious task of economics is and relates it back to the work of Friedrich Hayek. References from Episode 40 with Pete Boettke You can purchase Pete Boettke’s book on F.A. Hayek on Amazon Canada here Check out Pete Boettke’s economics blog here

Alex Aragona speaks with Mike Munger as he explores what's truly happening when we see rapid price changes during a crisis, and whether suppliers raising their prices in a time of crisis is wrong. References 1. “Is Capitalism Sustainable?” by Michael Munger Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Capitalism-Sustainable-Michael-Munger/dp/1630691739 2. “Three Undeniable Problems with Anti-Gouging Laws” by Michael Munger Link: https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/three-undeniable-problems-with-anti-gouging-laws/

Alex speaks with the Consumer Choice Centre's David Clement about why Canada's marijuana legalization regulations missed the mark, and what government could have done to make legalization work. References from Episode 38 with David Clement: Here are a few articles by David Clement on marijuana legalization Globe and Mail: Ottawa is baking a bitter taste into its rules around edibles Globe and Mail: Minor changes could have a major positive impact on Ontario’s cannabis plan Globe and Mail: Health Canada shows again that it can’t properly regulate cannabis Globe and Mail: Consumers are paying for government’s failure to understand cannabis Globe and Mail: Are excise taxes killing the cannabis industry? Globe and Mail: Quick and smart fixes for Canada’s cannabis mess Globe and Mail: Ontario Cannabis Lottery was a disaster. It should be the last National Post: Ontario delivers yet another cannabis decision that hurts retailers and helps illegal dealers National Post: Ottawa’s latest rules risk ruining cannabis-infused beverages before they’re even legal National Post: Liberals are blowing smoke with claim that they’ve wiped out half of the illicit market Toronto Star: Banning cannabis at local level is bad policy

Alex Aragona chats with Cardus' Ray Pennings as he explores the benefits of more school choice to both students and society, and look at some data to see if, and how, it works. References from Episode 37 with Ray Pennings: You can check out the Canadian Cardus Survey here You can read the U.S. Cardus Education Survey 2018 here You can read the Cardus survey on Who Chooses Ontario Independent Schools and Why here

Alex Aragona chats with Jason Brennan's about his response to G.A. Cohen's book and question "Why Not Socialism?" and his thoughts on ideal capitalism. References from Episode 36 with Jason Brennan: You can purchase Jason Brennan’s book Why Not Capitalism on Amazon Canada here

Alex Aragona speaks with Jesse Walker as they explore whether a human being truly set foot on the moon. References 1. “Rebels on the Air: An Alternative History of Radio in America” by Jesse Walker Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Rebels-Air-Alternative-History-America/dp/0814793827 2. “The United States of Paranoia: A Conspiracy Theory” by Jesse Walker Link: https://www.amazon.ca/United-States-Paranoia-Conspiracy-Theory/dp/0062135562

Matt Bufton talks with Alex Aragona about the effects the response to COVID-19 will have on freedom, the proper government response to a pandemic, how lifting certain regulations can help, and more. References from Episode 34 with Matt Bufton: You can read the Atlantic article referenced in the podcast here You can read more about hand sanitizer regulations being relaxed here Check out more information on the Mercatus COVID-19 Innovation Prizes here

Alex Aragona speaks with Scott Beyer as he explores the basic tenets of market urbanism and the ideas behind market driven solutions to problems in our communities. References from Episode 33 with Scott Beyer: You can check out Scott’s website The Market Urbanism Report here You can check out the popular Market Urbanism Report Facebook page here

Alex Aragona speaks with Jason Sorens as he explores what it takes for a group to secede or gain independence from a state, and whether Alberta could leave Canada. References from Episode 32 with Jason Sorens: You can purchase Jason Sorens’ book on Secessionism on Amazon Canada here You can listen to Jason Sorens’ appearance on the Danielle Smith show in Alberta here

Alex Aragona speaks with Christopher Freiman as he explores why you might be happier, and ultimately contribute more to society, if you choose to ignore politics. References from Episode 31 with Chris Freiman: You can purchase Chris Freiman’s book when it’s out here You can check out the Bleeding Heart Libertarians blog here You can purchase Bryan Caplan’s book ‘The Myth of the Rational Voter’ on Amazon Canada here

Alex Aragona and Adam Bartha discuss whether populism is a threat to liberalism and what political landscapes look like after political realignment. References from Episode 30 with Adam Bartha: You can read Adam’s article referenced in this episode here You can read Dr. Steven Davies’ article on The Great Realignment here

Jacob Levy speaks with Alex about how liberals should approach the ideas of freedom of association and civil society, and what that means for the way groups interact with other groups and the state. References from Episode 29 with Jacob Levy: You can purchase Jacob Levy’s book Rationalism, Pluralism, and Freedom on Amazon Canada here You can purchase the book Seeing Like a State by James C. Scott, which was mentioned by Jacob on the podcast, at Amazon Canada here

Alex Aragona speaks with economist Vincent Geloso about whether we should care about inequality, and how we should approach measuring and understanding it. References from Episode 28 with Vincent Geloso: For further reading, you can check out this paper written by Vincent Geloso and Steve Horwitz, one of our other previous podcast guests, here

Alex Aragona speaks with Trevor Burrus as he explores the many ways the drug war has failed drug addicts and society. References from Episode 27 with Trevor Burrus: You can read the article ‘Locked Up and Loaded’ that Alex refers to in this episode that was written by Trevor here

Alex Aragona speaks with Kevin Vallier about conflicts in politics and how ideology aggravates them, and whether liberal institutions can help us trust each other more. References from Episode 26 with Kevin Vallier: You can purchase Kevin Vallier’s book Must Politics be War here You can purchase the book Polarization: What Everyone Needs to Know here You can purchase From Politics to the Pews here

Alex Aragona speaks with Glenn fox as he explores whether environmentalism from a free market perspective creates a contradiction. References from Episode 25 with Glenn Fox: If you have Sage journal subscription, you can read Glenn Fox’s research on this subject in an article here You can read more about Carl Menger on The Library of Economics and Liberty here

Alex Aragona talks with Sandy Ikeda as he explores why a city can't be thought of, and specifically designed as, a work of art. References from Episode 24 with Sandy Ikeda You can read an article from Sandy Ikeda entitled What is a city? on the Market Urbanism website here Alain Bertaud’s book Order without Design that Sandy mentioned on the podcast can be purchased on Amazon Canada here Sandy appears in the documentary Citizen Jane: Battle for the City, you can find it on all online rental platforms, but Canadian who subscribe to Crave can find it here You can purchase a copy of Jane Jacob’s popular book Death and Life of Great American Cities on Amazon Canada here

Alex Aragona talks with Mike Munger as he explores his views on the sustainability of capitalism and the factors that contribute to it. References from Episode 23 with Michael Munger You can order Michael Munger’s book Is Capitalism Sustainable on Amazon Canada here You can order his book Tomorrow 3.0 on Amazon Canada here

Alex Aragona talks with Matt Bufton about the future of liberalism (and why it's not as bad as you might think!). References from Episode 22 with Matt Bufton Fear the Boom and the Bust: Keynes vs. Hayek Rap Battle Fight of the Century: Keynes vs. Hayek Rap Battle Round Two You can purchase a copy of F.A. Hayek’s The Fatal Conceit at Amazon Canada here You can read F.A. Hayek’s essay The Intellectuals and Socialism here

Alex Aragona chats with Alex Tabarrok on this very special Christmas episode of The Curious Task as he explores whether gift giving is inefficient, and if there are better ways to give to others. References from Episode 21 with Alex Tabbarok You can watch a video of Alex Tabbarok and Tyler Cowen discuss gift giving here Giving to my Wild Self article can be found here