Closed

Crisis and Leviathan: COVID-19

more_vert
  • Apr 16, 2020
  • 04:00 Pacific Time (US & Canada)

Recordings

Description

Please join The Independent Institute's Senior Vice President, Mary Theroux, and Executive Director, Graham Walker, for a live conversation and Q&A as they discuss COVID-19, and the different ways it is shaping the world around us. During their conversation, they will draw on themes from Crisis and Leviathan, Robert Higgs' powerful and prophetic book published by the Independent Institute. 


Everyone knows the U.S. government has grown in size, scope, and power during the past century—but how did this breathtaking transformation happen? 


Crisis and Leviathan has the answers. 


By manipulating crises, both real and imagined, the state extends its remorseless control—to the great detriment of human liberty. We have suffered this growth in government in the past. And, unfortunately, during this Coronavirus pandemic, we appear to be witnessing one of the greatest expansions ever.


Using a novel analytical framework firmly grounded in historical evidence, Robert Higgs explains how, during critical episodes in the history of the United States, the political class uses everything from half-truths to outright deception to extend the reach of the state. But citizens can unbolt the thickening hood of steel suffocating their country. And Higgs tells us how.


Integrating economics, history, law, political philosophy, and the social sciences, Crisis and Leviathan makes compelling reading for all those seeking to understand the slow destruction of America’s political economy—and what may be done to restore liberty to her people.


Crisis and Leviathan is available for purchase on thinkspot, Independent.org, and Amazon.


Mary L. G. Theroux is Senior Vice President of the Independent Institute. Having received her A.B. in economics from Stanford University, Ms. Theroux is Managing Director of Lightning Ventures, L.P., a San Francisco Bay Area investment firm, and Vice President of the C.S. Lewis Society of California. She is former Chairman of the Advisory Board for the Alameda County Salvation Army; former Chairman and current member of the San Francisco Salvation Army Advisory Board, and also serves on the National Advisory Board of The Salvation Army.


Her articles have appeared in Forbes, Huffington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Examiner, Visión Hispana, Houston Business Journal, Washington Examiner, San Francisco Business Times, Providence Journal, Tallahassee Democrat, Gallipolis Daily Tribune, San Marcos Daily Record, Union Daily Times, Daily Sentinel, and Point Pleasant Register.


Graham H. Walker is Executive Director and Assistant Editor for The Independent Review: A Journal of Political Economy at the Independent Institute. He received his B.A. in history from Houghton College, Diplôme in political theory from the Institut Universitaire de Hautes Études Internationales in Geneva, and Ph.D. in public law and government from the University of Notre Dame.


Dr. Walker has served as Associate Professor of Politics at Catholic University of America, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania, Visiting Scholar in Social Science at the Institute for Advanced Study (Princeton, NJ), Senior Research Scholar at the Witherspoon Institute, Headmaster at Oaks Christian School, Vice President for Academic Affairs at Oklahoma Wesleyan University, Visiting Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, President at Patrick Henry College, Legislative Aide to former Congressman David Stockman, and Fellow at the Presidio Institute. 


He is the author of the books, Moral Foundations of Constitutional Thought and The Ethics of F.A. Hayek, plus numerous papers and articles in such publications as Public Discourse, The Resurgent, Nomos, and the Cardozo Journal of International and Comparative Law for which he was also Guest Editor.

Please login to read and post comments and questions
LOGIN