Comments on: Vote for your favourite public intellectuals http://andrewnorton.info/2008/04/vote-for-your-favourite-public-intellectuals/ Observations from Carlton's Lone Classical Liberal Mon, 01 Dec 2008 18:52:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Andrew Elder http://andrewnorton.info/2008/04/vote-for-your-favourite-public-intellectuals/#comment-13018 Andrew Elder Thu, 01 May 2008 12:16:03 +0000 http://andrewnorton.info/?p=465#comment-13018 These are people I agree with sometimes, disagree with at others - but they always get me thinking: Richard Nile Niall Ferguson Inga Clendinnen John Hirst Hernando de Soto Victor Davis Hanson I'd make the case for Paul Kelly with <i>The End of Certainty</i>, which had a thesis beyond a mere work of reportage, but not Michelle Grattan nor any other Australian journalist. Definitely not Bill Kristol, Dinesh d'Souza or Grover Norquist - each have bent over so far in defending Bush they are mere propagandists. Great claims are made for George Pell's intellect but I find him bombastic. These are people I agree with sometimes, disagree with at others - but they always get me thinking:

Richard Nile
Niall Ferguson
Inga Clendinnen
John Hirst
Hernando de Soto
Victor Davis Hanson

I’d make the case for Paul Kelly with The End of Certainty, which had a thesis beyond a mere work of reportage, but not Michelle Grattan nor any other Australian journalist. Definitely not Bill Kristol, Dinesh d’Souza or Grover Norquist - each have bent over so far in defending Bush they are mere propagandists. Great claims are made for George Pell’s intellect but I find him bombastic.

]]> By: simmo http://andrewnorton.info/2008/04/vote-for-your-favourite-public-intellectuals/#comment-12988 simmo Wed, 30 Apr 2008 03:40:05 +0000 http://andrewnorton.info/?p=465#comment-12988 Ok Stiglitz didn't make the list..... but, like mankiw, probably should have... still, i voted for him with my extra vote! I also forgot Amartya Sen... he will also figure prominently. Ok Stiglitz didn’t make the list….. but, like mankiw, probably should have… still, i voted for him with my extra vote!

I also forgot Amartya Sen… he will also figure prominently.

]]> By: simmo http://andrewnorton.info/2008/04/vote-for-your-favourite-public-intellectuals/#comment-12986 simmo Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:37:46 +0000 http://andrewnorton.info/?p=465#comment-12986 Krugman, for the sheer volume and influence of his work - both academic and his column for the times. Stiglitz, another economic heavyweight - nobel winner, prolific writer.... Levitt may go close.. Jeff Sachs will be in the mix too... I think Krugman will take it out for sure... Krugman, for the sheer volume and influence of his work - both academic and his column for the times.

Stiglitz, another economic heavyweight - nobel winner, prolific writer….

Levitt may go close..

Jeff Sachs will be in the mix too…

I think Krugman will take it out for sure…

]]> By: Winton Bates http://andrewnorton.info/2008/04/vote-for-your-favourite-public-intellectuals/#comment-12961 Winton Bates Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:21:23 +0000 http://andrewnorton.info/?p=465#comment-12961 I think Tim Harford (the undercover economist) and author of "The Logic of Life" is worth considering for the list. In my view in the "The Logic of Life" he does more to illustrate the broad relevance of economic thinking than anyone since Gary Becker started writing about the economics of everything in the 1960s. And why not add Gary Becker to the list? Doesn't he deserve to be on the list just as much as his blogging associate, Richard Posner? I think Tim Harford (the undercover economist) and author of “The Logic of Life” is worth considering for the list. In my view in the “The Logic of Life” he does more to illustrate the broad relevance of economic thinking than anyone since Gary Becker started writing about the economics of everything in the 1960s.
And why not add Gary Becker to the list? Doesn’t he deserve to be on the list just as much as his blogging associate, Richard Posner?

]]> By: Brendan http://andrewnorton.info/2008/04/vote-for-your-favourite-public-intellectuals/#comment-12957 Brendan Mon, 28 Apr 2008 13:25:08 +0000 http://andrewnorton.info/?p=465#comment-12957 <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0c185e3a-1478-11dd-a741-0000779fd2ac.html" rel="nofollow">Larry Summers makes the case for free trade</a>. Larry Summers makes the case for free trade.

]]> By: Andrew Norton http://andrewnorton.info/2008/04/vote-for-your-favourite-public-intellectuals/#comment-12925 Andrew Norton Sun, 27 Apr 2008 00:09:27 +0000 http://andrewnorton.info/?p=465#comment-12925 Russell - Because we have no clear definition of public intellectual or criteria by which to rank them it is hard to know what to do with people like Klein (or for that matter Chomsky, outside of linguistics). On the one hand, it is hard to take them seriously as intellectuals, but on the other they do articulate the sentiments of a large sub-culture within Western societies. Given that there are numerous other people saying similar things to Klein or Chomsky it is some credit to their skill as 'public intellectuals' that they have come out on top in a competitive niche market. Russell - Because we have no clear definition of public intellectual or criteria by which to rank them it is hard to know what to do with people like Klein (or for that matter Chomsky, outside of linguistics). On the one hand, it is hard to take them seriously as intellectuals, but on the other they do articulate the sentiments of a large sub-culture within Western societies. Given that there are numerous other people saying similar things to Klein or Chomsky it is some credit to their skill as ‘public intellectuals’ that they have come out on top in a competitive niche market.

]]> By: Brendan http://andrewnorton.info/2008/04/vote-for-your-favourite-public-intellectuals/#comment-12920 Brendan Sat, 26 Apr 2008 15:01:35 +0000 http://andrewnorton.info/?p=465#comment-12920 Oh no, Greg Mankiw, doesn't seem to be on the list =[ In that case I would pick: Lawrence Summers Steven Levitt Hernando De Soto Richard Posner Steven Pinker Oh no, Greg Mankiw, doesn’t seem to be on the list =[

In that case I would pick:

Lawrence Summers
Steven Levitt
Hernando De Soto
Richard Posner
Steven Pinker

]]> By: Brendan http://andrewnorton.info/2008/04/vote-for-your-favourite-public-intellectuals/#comment-12919 Brendan Sat, 26 Apr 2008 14:39:12 +0000 http://andrewnorton.info/?p=465#comment-12919 <a href="http://gregmankiw.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Greg Mankiw</a> Greg Mankiw

]]> By: Russell http://andrewnorton.info/2008/04/vote-for-your-favourite-public-intellectuals/#comment-12917 Russell Sat, 26 Apr 2008 12:33:38 +0000 http://andrewnorton.info/?p=465#comment-12917 From that list, number one should be Daniel Barenboim - heard his Reith Lectures on Radio National (what would we do without it?) - electrifying and important. You can hear them at http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/reith2006/lectures.shtml Too early to gloat about Naomi Klein - she's young and may be on the list again in future! Probably too late for Susan George though ... Here's a little quote from Susan: "Recently, the [World] Bank to its credit commissioned an assessment of its research output and, as we all know, the Bank’s research has been hugely influential. The report was amazingly negative, showing that the Bank’s research is shoddy and a poor basis for policy. Let me quote just one passage concerning the Bank’s claim that trade liberalisation leads to poverty reduction. The report says, “Much of this line of research appears to have such deep flaws that, at present, the results cannot be regarded as remotely reliable”. Professor Robin Broad of American University has also shown in detail how the Bank’s research is designed to provide “paradigm maintenance”, that is, support for policies the Bank plans to apply anyway, for ideological reasons. " http://www.tni.org/detail_page.phtml?&act_id=16751 From that list, number one should be Daniel Barenboim - heard his Reith Lectures on Radio National (what would we do without it?) - electrifying and important. You can hear them at

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/reith2006/lectures.shtml

Too early to gloat about Naomi Klein - she’s young and may be on the list again in future! Probably too late for Susan George though …

Here’s a little quote from Susan:
“Recently, the [World] Bank to its credit commissioned an assessment of its research output and, as we all know, the Bank’s research has been hugely influential. The report was amazingly negative, showing that the Bank’s research is shoddy and a poor basis for policy. Let me quote just one passage concerning the Bank’s claim that trade liberalisation leads to poverty reduction. The report says, “Much of this line of research appears to have such deep flaws that, at present, the results cannot be regarded as remotely reliable”. Professor Robin Broad of American University has also shown in detail how the Bank’s research is designed to provide “paradigm maintenance”, that is, support for policies the Bank plans to apply anyway, for ideological reasons. ”

http://www.tni.org/detail_page.phtml?&act_id=16751

]]> By: Sinclair Davidson http://andrewnorton.info/2008/04/vote-for-your-favourite-public-intellectuals/#comment-12913 Sinclair Davidson Sat, 26 Apr 2008 06:26:46 +0000 http://andrewnorton.info/?p=465#comment-12913 Thomas Sowell and Walter Williams seem to be missing from the list (or is it my poor eyesight?). I suffer from the same problem Rafe has, I don't many of the names on the list. I like Easterly, but is he really a public intellectual? Thomas Sowell and Walter Williams seem to be missing from the list (or is it my poor eyesight?). I suffer from the same problem Rafe has, I don’t many of the names on the list. I like Easterly, but is he really a public intellectual?

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