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Welcome to the Fall 2017 issue of The Objective Standard.
While leftist and conservative media continue their descent into moral subjectivism and epistemological chaos, TOS continues raising the bar in the other direction.
First up in this issue is “Thomas Jefferson: Word and Deed,” by Jon Hersey. This may be the most concise and objective assessment ever penned about this complex Founder. And it comes at a time when understanding how to assess mixed men of the past is more important than ever.
Next is a classic by Norman Podhoretz, “In Defense of Editing,” which examines the importance of journalistic standards and the role of editors in establishing and maintaining them. If you write or edit, or even if you simply appreciate the power of the written word, I think you’ll find this essay profoundly illuminating.
In “Altruism Smothers a Republican Revolution—Again,” Harry Binswanger explains that “the failure of Republicans to repeal Obamacare . . . marks yet another large-scale demonstration of how morality, not lobbying or machinations or economic arguments, controls government policy.” No causal connection is more important to make today than this, and Binswanger makes it concisely.
In my interview with Alex Epstein, author of The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels, Epstein discusses Al Gore’s new “documentary,” An Inconvenient Sequel, and Gore’s methods of deception, which Epstein condenses into a few easily retainable and explainable fallacies. Pick up these tools—you need them in the battle for human flourishing.
Next up is Isaac Morehouse, founder and CEO of Praxis, discussing his company’s apprenticeship programs and the art of teaching young people how to think entrepreneurially, create value, and market themselves. If you’ve not yet heard of Praxis, you’re in for a treat, and if you’re already familiar with the company, your appreciation for its mission will expand dramatically when you hear Morehouse’s plans for the future.
Last year, after writing about and sharing a video of Robin Field’s Reason in Rhyme: A Philosophic Oratorio, I received numerous requests for a transcript of the masterpiece. So I asked Mr. Field whether we could publish it in the journal, and, to my delight, he said yes. Perhaps the only way that listening to this work of art could be made more enjoyable is by singing along. Now you can.
Speaking of powerful art, if you devoured “Seven Great Poems on Independence” (TOS Summer 2017), you’ll love our latest installment in the series, “Seven Poems on Living Large and Loving Life.” Comprising works by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, John James Ingalls, Andrew Marvell, Edward Rowland Sill, Gaius Valerius Catullus, Charlotte Brontë, and Berton Braley, this is yet another pallet of high-octane fuel for the soul.
The books reviewed in this issue are A Companion to Ayn Rand, edited by Allan Gotthelf and Greg Salmieri (reviewed by Richard M. Salsman); and The Political Economy of Public Debt: Three Centuries of Theory and Evidence, by Richard M. Salsman (reviewed by Raymond C. Niles).
Finally, our section From TOS Blog includes “Otto Warmbier and the Travesty of Negotiating with Tyranny,” by Conrad Lagowski; “Richard Dawkins, KPFA, and the Illiberal, Un-American Left,” by Peter Seferian; and “A Note to the Right regarding the ‘Alt-Right,’” by me.
If you’ve not yet subscribed to the journal for people of reason, or if you need to renew your subscription, check out our new options, including our Digital subscription, which combines the website, ebook, and audio editions into a single, all-digital package. (Click on “Subscribe” in the menu bar of our website for details.)
Enjoy the Fall issue. And let us know what you think. We’re always looking to improve.
—Craig Biddle
