The Fallacy of Essentialist Theory

Brothers Hyrum Lewis (BYU – Idaho) and Verlan Lewis (Utah Valley University)’s new *The Myth of Left and Right* attacks the “essentialist” view that “left” and “right” are coherent political philosophies in favor of a “social” view that “left” and “right” are incoherent bundles of issue positions.  In this interview, Bryan Caplan and Robin Hanson find much common ground with the Lewis brothers, but still find some residual merit in the essentialist view.  Hanson analogizes ideology to gender identity: Some features of gender are social, but are all of them?!  Caplan maintains that the social theory is 85% true, but the authors stick with 100%.  

Also: Should there be affirmative action for right-wing academics?