Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Thomas Sowell Rocks

Devin gave me a Thomas Sowell book for my birthday which I just finished reading. It is the second work of his I have read, and I really enjoyed it. I am almost finished reading "The Road to Serfdom" by Friedrich Hayek, who is much more methodical in making his arguments, but of course Hayek's writings were not produced with the general public in mind, where Sowell's editorials are definitely geared for wider readership.
One of Sowell's most potent points is that very little critical analysis and debate takes place in politics and higher education does not prepare people for such critical analysis. Once we attach ourselves to a view, we tend to hold it dear and not entertain other viewpoints.
I am pretty set in my conservative (19th century "liberal") ways and everything I have read lately tends to echo my own feelings. It is probably time to consider another viewpoint. Doing so may strengthen my convictions, but is bound to help me understand how others think, and I am always interested to learn about that. I appreciate Hayek's consistent refusal to ascribe bad motives to those of his acquaintances who believed differently. Sowell's impatience may have cooled a little with age, but I think he still has a rough time thinking well of otherwise intelligent people who continue to harbor what he views as destructive ideas.
Any suggestions as to what I should read next?