Andrew Koppelman 'Burning Down the House: how libertarian philosophy was corrupted by delusion and greed'

Series Four

In this episode of #TheNewAbnormal podcast,  I interview Andrew Koppelman, who is the John Paul Stevens Professor of Law, Professor of Political Science, and Philosophy Department Affiliated Faculty at Northwestern University. 

Andrew's scholarship focuses on issues at the intersection of law and political philosophy. He's been published and quoted across an array of leading newspapers and has appeared on numerous TV channels. He's also written more than 100 scholarly articles and seven books. 

In this episode, we discuss his latest book 'Burning Down the House' which explains how modern libertarianism began with Hayek’s admirable corrective to the Depression-era vogue for central economic planning. It resisted oppressive state power and showed how capitalism could improve life for everyone. Yet today, it's a toxic blend of anarchism, disdain for the weak, and rationalisation for environmental catastrophe. 

Andrew’s book therefore traces libertarianism's evolution from moderate pro-market ideas to 'romantic fabulism' and the promotion of climate change denial.  His book is the definitive history of an ideological movement that has reshaped American politics - I found his viewpoints to be fascinating, and hope you do too!