The Importance of Political Liberalism

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There's not much evidence that human beings somehow evolve into very liberal political entities. And the periods that promote political and economic liberalism tend to be short-lived historically. What's interesting about the last two or fifty years is how relatively stable political liberalism has been. But I think the assumption that political liberalism as we've seen that foments both increased individual freedoms plus economic growth is either stable or sustainable is not clear cut to me. If you think about this in terms of an abstract model, what exactly happened and was it inevitable? I don't think it was inevitable at all.

Is John Nye the finest polymath in the George Mason economics department?

Raised in the Philippines and taught to be a well-rounded Catholic gentleman, John Nye learned the importance of a rigorous education from a young age. Indeed, according to Tyler he may very well be the best educated among his colleagues, having studied physics and literature as an undergraduate before earning a master’s and PhD in economics. And his education continues, as he’s now hard at work mastering his fourth language.

On this episode of Conversations with Tyler, Nye explains why it took longer for the French to urbanize than the British, the origins of the myth of free-trade Britain, why Vertigo is one of the greatest movies of all time, why John Stuart Mill is overrated, raising kids in a bilingual household, and much more.

Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links.

Recorded October 30th, 2018 Other ways to connect

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