Classical Liberalism A Lecture Series with Prof. Thomas Patrick Burke True, original or “classical” liberalism is the philosophy of the free society with free markets.  In these lectures my intention is to explore the foundations of these ideas. At times some of the explorations that follow may seem initially to …(Read More)

Classical Liberalism A Lecture Series with Prof. Thomas Patrick Burke We saw in the first lecture that every human being is a distinct center of action;  that this center is located in the individual’s will, his power of deciding  or choosing to do certain actions rather than others; that the …(Read More)

Classical Liberalism A Lecture Series with Prof. Thomas Patrick Burke Is there such a thing as freedom of the will? “All theory is against it; all experience for it.”  This was the verdict of Dr. Samuel Johnson according to his biographer James Boswell. It was well said. We must choose between the theory …(Read More)

Classical Liberalism A Lecture Series with Prof. Thomas Patrick Burke We have seen so far in these lectures that every human being is a distinct center of action, and that that center is located especially in his will, which individualizes him; that the freedom of the human will creates the …(Read More)

Classical Liberalism A Lecture Series with Prof. Thomas Patrick Burke In the last lecture I argued that the first and most basic of moral demands is to respect the freedom of the will, since this freedom is the source and foundation of the moral order.  And we have seen that …(Read More)

Classical Liberalism A Lecture Series with Prof. Thomas Patrick Burke In the last lecture I argued that justice is a quality of actions in virtue of which they are compatible with the freedom of will of other people.  An essential quality of just actions is traditionally considered to be that …(Read More)

Classical Liberalism A Lecture Series with Prof. Thomas Patrick Burke “If justice does not exist in nature, it does not exist at all. If it is constituted by utility, it is destroyed by utility.” (Cicero, De Legibus, I, xv.) 1. Nature The universe we live in is not chaotic, but ordered. …(Read More)

Classical Liberalism A Lecture Series with Prof. Thomas Patrick Burke The Moral Basis of Government We saw in the second lecture that the interior freedom of the will is the foundation of the moral order.  For everyone recognizes that an action done under predetermining force cannot be either moral or …(Read More)

Classical Liberalism A Lecture Series with Prof. Thomas Patrick Burke Ordinary Justice In previous chapters we saw that justice and injustice are concepts of ethical evaluation, and that all ethical evaluations or judgements are judgements about the quality of a will.  I argued that what is distinctive about justice in …(Read More)

Classical Liberalism A Lecture Series with Prof. Thomas Patrick Burke The Problem The Civil Rights Act of 1964 created the crime of “discrimination,” a crime which did not previously exist.   Since that date the effects of this new crime have made themselves felt in every corner of American society, in our schools, our churches, our businesses, …(Read More)