Another titan of 20th century social science has passed away. Milton Friedman, the great libertarian economist and the father of the Chicago School of Economics which revolutionized 20th century economics and hastened the embrace of free-market policies around the world, has died. There are few social scientists who have shaped the world in such a decisive and profound way. Never has Keynes quote about the influence of academic scribblers been so apt as in the case of Friedman: "practical men, who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influences, are usually the slave of some defunct economist. Madmen in authority who hear voices in the air are distilling their frenzy from some academic scribbler of years back."
During my adolescence, the stage at which one is finding resonance in the writings of Ayn Rand and Herman Hesse, Friedman's PBS series, Free to Choose, had a profound impact on my thinking. And, though, there are many elements around which I disagree with Friedman, especially to the degree which markets are self-ordering, I recognize that most of us and lillputians when compared to this mental giant of the 20th century.
What do you think about Ayn Rand?
Posted by: MA | November 28, 2006 at 07:32 PM
I stumbled across one of your previous posts about the disenchantment of childhood, and the post aroused my curiousity. Do you have any tips as to how students can actually enjoy higher education today? Is it really any different today than it ever was?
Posted by: Anonymous | December 04, 2006 at 07:39 PM
Which was your favourite Herman Hesse book? Did you read all the book by Herman Hesse?
Posted by: Anonymous | May 22, 2009 at 02:18 PM