Acton Institute Powerblog Archives

Post Tagged 'Thomas Hobbes'

August 13, 2025

Hail Corporate Britannia

One of the dominant memes of the 21st century is that of the Great Man (or Great Woman) theory of history. In this view, the 1500s was the century of (seemingly innumerable) great men and women, ranging from Sir Francis Drake, Elizabeth I, and Catherine de Medici to Philip II and many more. Continue Reading...
August 06, 2025

Hobbesian Horrors and Walmart Wonders

Have you ever felt like the fate of the world was riding on one assignment? In the 1989 comedy Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, high school students Bill S. Preston (Alex Winter) and Ted Logan (Keanu Reeves) didn’t know it, but the fate of the world was riding on their report. Continue Reading...
June 04, 2025

Liberalism All the Way Down

In 2009, the economist Tyler Cowen began a TEDx Talk in open subversion of the format, telling the audience: “I was told to come here and tell you all stories, but what I’d like to do is instead tell you why I’m suspicious of stories. Continue Reading...
October 29, 2012

Tracing the Logic of Liberalism

In the Western world there are conservative liberals, liberal liberals, and radical liberals, says David T. Koyzis, but all adhere to the basic principles of liberalism: The liberalism of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. Continue Reading...