Prof. Lauren Hall on Classical Liberalism, Gender Wage Gap, Abortion and so much more!

MarcMadness Fri, 01/08/2016 - 15:47
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In the latest Lions of Liberty Podcast, host Marc Clair welcomes in Professor Lauren K. Hall, associate professor of political science at the Rochester Institute of Technology! Lauren has done extensive work on classical liberalism and the relationship between classical liberal theory and the family. Lauren explains just what classical liberalism is and where it falls among all the terms we often here discussed in the liberty movement, from minarchy to anarchy to simply “libertarianism.” Marc and Lauren discuss the gender wage gap, whether there is any legitimacy to the claims made regarding differences between the sexes in the business world, and the calls for government regulations to address it. They go on to touch on topics such as the age of consent, mandated family leave, abortion, and more!

For full show notes head on over to LionsOfLiberty.com/173

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MarcMadness's picture
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Page of Cups's picture

Lauren's really got it goin' on philosophically. I can see why you chose her as your first guest with whom you've raised the topic of abortion. She sounds level-headed to the degree that no topic would throw the discussion off-beam. Such is a true classical liberal.

I hope to make it back for a second comment to pick things apart more or even reply to BaneMaler, but I don't currently have the time. As such I'll simply add a video that I think Lauren would particularly enjoy...

 

Do not seek the truth; merely cease to cherish opinion.
BaneMaler's picture

Had a hard time with the easily debunked arguments in this podcast:

You start off explaining that liberty is compatible with an evolutionary world view based on a number of theories held by champions of libertarian thought.

Then you proceed to dismantle this original statement talking about how the family needs to model morality.  So basically you are saying that moraility doesn't arise through evolutionary process.  They appear to be "arbitrary".  Well of course they do when you have the presuposition about where morality is derived.  If morality is universal and they are divinely given as many founders believed then it would make sense that there would be a road map for morality in place and people choose to follow or reject truth.  Morality can not be explained through evolutionary process as again you demonstrated.  It is modeled and it is something that is taught.  The question becomes whose morality will be taught.

Women are not the same as men.  Think of a car, not all are created equal.  Sports cars are faster than mini-vans for instance but can't carry as many people across the finish line.  To say that women and men should be the same is actually an argument against diversity which I'm sure is important for your evolutionary world view.

On wage gap I would add that it is not governments responsibility to guarantee outcomes but rather ensure that outcomes are possible.  Coercion doesn't work.

Viability, OK this is a slippery slope.  What is the viability of a grandmother with cancer, or a child?  I think defining people as viable or not does not preserve any moral ground on the issue.  I think the role of libertarians is to be moral people no?  I saw a grandmother carry her daughters child to term this week.  So the evictionism theory would imply from conception the child is viable then.  Technology is winning this argument or at least the one that we choose to claim.  Unfortunately as technology progresses the real issue of people not taking personal responsibility in most cases becomes more evident.   I think Ron Paul is right when he says that we must define life which shouldn't be hard.  My wife is carrying a child that this week has a beating heart and a developed spinal cord.  To deny science and yet at the same time claim that science is the source of all answersc is madness.

Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Never Be Defeated! https://youtu.be/XmTmTMcdxOs

MarcMadness's picture

"

Women are not the same as men.  Think of a car, not all are created equal.  Sports cars are faster than mini-vans for instance but can't carry as many people across the finish line.  To say that women and men should be the same is actually an argument against diversity which I'm sure is important for your evolutionary world view.

On wage gap I would add that it is not governments responsibility to guarantee outcomes but rather ensure that outcomes are possible.  Coercion doesn't work."

 

is this meant as a counter to anything said in the show? Because I believe both Professor Hall and myself would agree with all of this.

Live long...and live free

Lionsofliberty.com

BaneMaler's picture

I agree with the wage gap assessment overall but thought many more strong arguments could be made to counter the media narrative on the subject.  I also think that world views matter and that shifting here and there makes for inconsistent arguments so I made my comments from a consistent point which was contrary to your guest and presumably the host.  I explained this more in the other points on morality.

Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Never Be Defeated! https://youtu.be/XmTmTMcdxOs

MarcMadness's picture

Is not a great habit ;).

if you're not familiar with the show I encourage you to tune back in or check out some past episodes, because philosophical consistency is exactly what a strive for. Strive is a key word because I think all hold contradictory positions from time to time without realizing it.

What's important is how one responds when those contradictions are pointed out; if one takes action to reconcile them they should be commended.

Its those who stomp heir feet and refuse to recognize them who should be chastised and shunned from intellectual discourse.

Hopefully you'll find I'm more of the former than the latter. 

You make a lot of great points and I hope to hear more from you down the road - thanks!

 

Live long...and live free

Lionsofliberty.com

MarcMadness's picture

*I* don't say one of those things;my guest does. My intent is to,provide new perspectives and get people thinking on some of these issues - it doesn't mean that I or my guest have all the right answers.

 

Thanks for listening thoroughly and for your insights!

 

Live long...and live free

Lionsofliberty.com

VR's picture

is starting the new year with a bang. 

 

Great show

 

Great to see Marc among us.

 

Live Long & Live Free

 

 

All our knowledge begins with the senses, proceeds then to the understanding, and ends with reason. There is nothing higher than reason.
Immanuel Kant

Brian McWilliams's picture

Always interesting to hear a female perspective on the "wage gap" (or fabricated myth of the gap) 

@BrianMcWilliams
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