Episodes
Wednesday Feb 02, 2022
Ep. 127: Chandran Kukathas - What’s Wrong With Immigration Control?
Wednesday Feb 02, 2022
Wednesday Feb 02, 2022
Alex speaks with Chandran Kukathas about the costs of limiting immigration and what effects there may be on policy if the question of who counts as an immigrant is itself unclear.
Wednesday Jan 26, 2022
Ep. 126: Stephen Davies - What Is Global Catastrophic Risk?
Wednesday Jan 26, 2022
Wednesday Jan 26, 2022
Alex speaks with Steve Davies about the meaning of "Global Catastrophic Risk", and what it can reveal about how restructuring our understanding of big gambles can help us combat the threats of pandemics, climate change, and even technological singularity.
Wednesday Jan 19, 2022
Ep. 125: Dan Shahar - Is It Okay To Eat Meat?
Wednesday Jan 19, 2022
Wednesday Jan 19, 2022
Alex speaks with Dan Shahar about the ethical implications of meat-eating, activism in relation to problematic markets, and a tricky thought experiment involving aliens and cows.
Wednesday Jan 12, 2022
Ep. 124: Will Clare Roberts - What Was Marx’s Relation To Liberalism?
Wednesday Jan 12, 2022
Wednesday Jan 12, 2022
Alex speaks with Professor Will Clare Roberts about Marx's life, his liberal past, and the relationship between the Marxist and liberal conceptions of freedom.
Wednesday Jan 05, 2022
Ep. 123: James Harrigan - What Does Pop Culture Say About A Society?
Wednesday Jan 05, 2022
Wednesday Jan 05, 2022
Alex speaks with James Harrigan about popular culture as a source of social change and the many ways in which the export of American pop culture has shaped the world.
Wednesday Dec 29, 2021
Ep. 122: Year in Review with Matt Bufton and Sabine El-Chidiac
Wednesday Dec 29, 2021
Wednesday Dec 29, 2021
Alex speaks with Curious Task Executive Producer Matt Bufton and Producer Sabine El-Chidiac about topics related to freedom from 2021, and reflect on their favourite moments and accomplishments from the past year of The Curious Task.
Wednesday Dec 22, 2021
Ep. 121: Tony Gill - Why Do We Give Gifts?
Wednesday Dec 22, 2021
Wednesday Dec 22, 2021
Alex speaks with Tony Gill about the pros and cons of gift-giving from an economist's perspective - just in time for the holiday season!
Wednesday Dec 15, 2021
Ep. 120: Lotta Stern - Is Classical Liberalism Important for Sociology?
Wednesday Dec 15, 2021
Wednesday Dec 15, 2021
Alex speaks with Lotta Stern about the tendency in sociology to overlook voluntary actions and associations as a means of addressing some of the largest social challenges of our day, and about the importance of avoiding absolutism in sociological thinking.
Wednesday Dec 08, 2021
Ep. 119: Bill Glod - Is It Okay To Make Bad Choices?
Wednesday Dec 08, 2021
Wednesday Dec 08, 2021
Alex speaks with Bill Glod about bad choices, coercion, and paternalism in order to flesh out the ideas from his 2020 book "Why It's Okay To Make Bad Choices".
Wednesday Dec 01, 2021
Ep. 118: Gary Chartier - Do Markets Need Capitalism?
Wednesday Dec 01, 2021
Wednesday Dec 01, 2021
Alex speaks with Gary Chartier about the varied ways in which the term "capitalism" is used today, the distinction between left-libertarianism and anarchism, and the future of market-based approaches to rooting out injustice from today's complex world.
Wednesday Nov 24, 2021
Ep. 117: Ben Klutsey - How Do We Bridge Divides?
Wednesday Nov 24, 2021
Wednesday Nov 24, 2021
Alex speaks with Ben Klutsey about the political polarization that is endemic to American society today, and how novel attempts to bridge the divide are being made by both individuals and organizations.
Wednesday Nov 17, 2021
Ep. 116: Jacob Levy - Why Is Montesquieu Important For Liberalism?
Wednesday Nov 17, 2021
Wednesday Nov 17, 2021
Alex speaks with Jacob Levy about Montesquieu's role in shaping contemporary political science, the American revolutionary project, and the role of the separation of powers as a bulwark against despotism.
Wednesday Nov 10, 2021
Ep. 115: Geoff Kellow - Do Markets Promote Virtue?
Wednesday Nov 10, 2021
Wednesday Nov 10, 2021
Alex speaks with Geoff Kellow about the life and writings of Benjamin Franklin and whether they can help us better understand the connection between markets and virtue.
Wednesday Nov 03, 2021
Ep. 114: Dan Smith - Can The Rule of Law Fix Monetary Problems?
Wednesday Nov 03, 2021
Wednesday Nov 03, 2021
Alex speaks with Dan Smith about the lack of accountability in the contemporary world of monetary policy and why greater discretion may not be the answer.
Wednesday Oct 27, 2021
Ep. 113: Bruce Caldwell - How Did The Mont Pelerin Society Begin?
Wednesday Oct 27, 2021
Wednesday Oct 27, 2021
Alex speaks with Bruce Caldwell on the history of one of the world's most exclusive intellectual societies.
Wednesday Oct 20, 2021
Ep. 112: Victor M. Muniz-Fraticelli - Is Monarchy Absurd?
Wednesday Oct 20, 2021
Wednesday Oct 20, 2021
Alex Aragona speaks with Victor M. Muniz-Fraticelli about whether the monarchy might seem absurd, and whether a little absurdity can be a good thing.
Wednesday Oct 13, 2021
Ep. 111: Maria Pia Paganelli - Why Read The Wealth of Nations?
Wednesday Oct 13, 2021
Wednesday Oct 13, 2021
Alex Aragona speaks with Maria Pia Paganelli as she sheds light on the historical context of Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations, and some of the surprising insights within it that make it more relevant than ever today.
Wednesday Oct 06, 2021
Ep. 110: Emily Nacol — Is Politics Risky Business?
Wednesday Oct 06, 2021
Wednesday Oct 06, 2021
Alex Aragona speaks with Emily Nacol as she breaks down both the origins and contemporary puzzles of the concept of risk.
Wednesday Sep 29, 2021
Ep. 109: Andrew Sabl — What Is Realist Liberalism?
Wednesday Sep 29, 2021
Wednesday Sep 29, 2021
Alex Aragona speaks with Andrew Sabl as he explores what he means by "realist liberalism" and how it works to curb some of the misguided tendencies of other liberalisms.
Wednesday Sep 22, 2021
Ep. 108: Michelle Schwarze — Should We Sympathize With Resentment?
Wednesday Sep 22, 2021
Wednesday Sep 22, 2021
Alex Aragona speaks with Michelle Schwarze as she presents what she means by resentment, and whether there is a place for it in politics.