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Three Modes of Patriotism
October 23, 2024 According to Adam Smith, not all patriotism is bad but some kinds are. Matson names two forms that Smith disapproves of: the patriotism of national jealousy and the patriotism of radical opposition. "The true patriot, on Smith’s view, pursues partnership in commerce with the nations when possible... [Smith's vision of patriotism] balances the impulse to reform and improve with the need to preserve and protect the flower of civilization where it grows."
Adam Smith, Hugo Grotius, and International Law
The law of nations served as guide for the behavior of leaders of state by stating the basic rules of international conduct. Even when leaders did not comply, they were useful as a moral yardstick.
Samuel Gregg on National Security and Industrial Policy
Picture a policy conversation, perhaps in Washington, about national security. Who’s sitting around the table? It might be the President, national security advisors, military personnel, or generals, but not economists. And yet, national security is often used as a reason to intervene into the economy. At the mention of national security, it seems economists often shut their mouths and run away (or hide under a rock, or something). But why? How should economists think about and engage with concerns about national security?
Extras: Henry C. Clark on Growth
When economists talk about "growth" they often mean it in a specific and positive way but the idea of "growth" is much bigger than that and we can ask big questions worthy of the topic. Alice Temnick gets us started.