The Curious Task

By Institute for Liberal Studies

Society & Culture Education Social Sciences

What's The Curious Task about?

Host Alex Aragona and a rotating cast of guests explore philosophy, politics, economics, and other ideas from a classical liberal perspective.

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The Curious Task episodes:

05.29.2024
Ep. 231: Ryan Bourne - Is There A War On Prices?
Alex speaks with Ryan Bourne as he explores the misconceptions around inflation and the dangers of price controls, emphasizing how prices act as signals to coordinate economic activity and promote growth. Ryan explains the adverse effects of government intervention in...
05.22.2024
Ep. 230: Kent Roach - Does Canada Have A Wrongful Conviction Problem?
Alex speaks with Donner prize nominee Kent Roach about a topic that many Canadians may overlook when thinking about issues that are recurring at home: wrongful convictions and its victims. Episode Notes: - Kent's award-winning book "Wrongfully Convicted: Guilty Pleas, Imagined Crimes,...
05.15.2024
Ep. 229: Ethan Nadelmann - Has Drug Decriminalization Failed?
Matt speaks with Ethan Nadelmann about drug decriminalization, legalization, and the slow end to the drug war in Canada and the United States, and how successes and failures in both countries compare to those abroad. Episode Notes: The Drug Policy Alliance website:...
05.08.2024
Ep. 228: Craig Biddle - What Is Objectivism?
Matt speaks with Craig Biddle about objectivism and the legacy of Ayn Rand, and how it all ties to classical liberalism, the American ideal, and post-modernism. Episode Notes: Craig's work for the Objective Standard: https://theobjectivestandard.com/author/cbiddle/ Craig on X: https://twitter.com/CraigBiddle Free Ayn Rand books courtesy of the...
05.01.2024
Ep. 227: Bryce Tingle - How Are Regulations Damaging Markets?
Alex speaks with Bryce Tingle about corporations, how these unique legal entities are governed, how changes we have made to corporate governance has discouraged companies from joining Canada’s public markets, and how the decline in our public market is hurting...
04.24.2024
Ep. 226: Eric Merkley - What Motivates NIMBYs?
Matt speaks with Eric Merkley about NIMBYism, the surprising touchpoints for unity between left and right on the subject of housing, and how uncovering the true motivations of NIMBYs has altered Eric's view of the housing crisis. Episode Notes: "Housing for Me,...
04.17.2024
Ep. 225: Ben Klutsey - How Do We Rebuild Trust?
Sabine speaks with Ben Klutsey about political polarization, commonalities between the United States and Canada, and his documentary on the subject entitled "Undivide Us" Episode Notes: The documentary's website with more information, a trailer and the option to request a screening: https://undivideusmovie.com/ Kevin...
04.10.2024
Ep. 224: Rachael LaRose - What Happened To Our Relationships During The Pandemic?
Alex speaks with Rachael LaRose about the hidden costs of the pandemic, especially as they effected our commercial relationships, loose ties with individuals that once provided much value to our lives, and orthodox communities who rallied to prioritize faith in...
04.03.2024
Ep. 223: Sam Bowman - Why Can't We Have Nice Things?
Matt speaks with Sam Bowman about the global housing crisis and why, in English-speaking countries in particular, a growing consensus across the political divide is pointing to problems with central planning, NIMBYism and a supply limit as the causes. Episode Notes: Sam...
03.27.2024
Ep. 222: Akshaya Kamalnath - Does Corporate Diversity Work?
Alex speaks with Akshaya Kamalnath about her work on Corporate Diversity, the social pressures and cultural trends that corporations are facing, as well as the jurisdictional realities of handling diversity, amongst other issues. Episode Notes: Akshaya's page at ANU: https://researchers.anu.edu.au/researchers/kamalnath-a Akshaya's blog: corporatelawacademic.wordpress.com "Legal and...
03.20.2024
Deirdre McCloskey - Why Does Liberalism Work?
In May 2022, Alex spoke with Deirdre McCloskey in a wide-ranging conversation that addresses the economic, philosophical, and political reasons why liberalism just works. We're reposting that important conversation today on The Curious Task.
03.13.2024
Ep. 221: Alex Nowrasteh - What's Wrong With Nationalism?
Alex speaks with Alex Nowrasteh about nationalism as more of an innate tendency towards ethnic tribalism than anything resembling patriotism, and how this tendency may never disappear, but is worth resisting nonetheless. Episode Notes: Alex's page at the Cato Insitute: https://www.cato.org/people/alex-nowrasteh Alex on X: https://twitter.com/alexnowrasteh?lang=en Alex's...
03.06.2024
Ep. 220: Oyebade Oyerinde - Has Federalism Hurt Nigeria?
Alex speaks with Oyebade Oyerinde about the state of federalism in Nigeria, and how western ideas of democracy, liberalism and centralization of powers have influenced the current state of politics in the African nation. Episode Notes: "Polycentric Interstate Federalism Among The Yoruba...
02.28.2024
Ep. 219: Jason Kuznicki - What Does Technology Have To Do With Gender?
Sabine speaks with Jason Kuznicki about the present, past, and future influence of technology on gender and why he questions the uproar made about a choice made by individuals in the market about their own self-expression and identity. Episode Notes: Jason's article...
02.21.2024
Ep. 218: Marian Tupy - Are We Better Off Than Before?
Alex speaks with Marian Tupy about the notion that human progress has increased quality of life worldwide for centuries, making today the greatest time to be alive in the history of human life (in spite of what you may have...
02.14.2024
Ep. 217: Aeon Skoble - How Is Limiting Access to Information Harmful?
Sabine speaks with Aeon Skoble about the harms of limiting access to information, including book bans and why a better understanding of ideas we disagree with often strengthens rather than weakens our arguments in support of the ideas we endorse.Episode...
02.07.2024
Ep. 216: Eric Schliesser - Is Post-Liberalism Already Here?
Alex speaks with Eric Schliesser about the growing declarations of the end of liberalism and what this means for the socio-political future in general. Episode Notes: Eric Schliesser’s page at the University of Amsterdam https://www.uva.nl/en/profile/s/c/e.s.schliesser/e.s.schliesser.html#Publications Kevin Vallier’s episode of this podcast discussing religious...
01.31.2024
Ep. 215: Akiva Malamet and Mikayla Novak - How Do Markets Influence Gender?
Sabine speaks with Akiva Malamet and Mikayla Novak about the effects of market forces on gender as a social construct, the unlikely pairing of free markets and gender in an age of socialist feminist theory, and their recent co-authored article...
01.24.2024
Ep. 214: Ryan Thorpe - Is Journalism In Trouble?
Sabine Speaks with Ryan Thorpe about the state of Journalism in Canada and about how bills C-18, C-11 and government subsidies for journalism are compromising an industry necessary for democratic participation in an age when accountability is more important than...
01.17.2024
Ep. 213: Tyler Cowen - Who Is The Greatest Economist Of All Time?
Matt speaks with Tyler Cowen about his recent book "GOAT:Who is the Greatest Economist of all Time and Why Does it Matter?", as they discuss the case for and against each of the top finalists, and the interactive AI features...
01.10.2024
Ep. 212: Matthew Mitchell and Peter Boettke - What Can We Learn From Estonia?
Alex speaks with Peter Boettke and Matthew Mitchell about their recent book co-authored with Konstantin Zhukov about the unusual rise of Estonia from the ashes of Stalinism to their current status as one of the freest nations on earth. Episode Notes: The...
01.03.2024
Ep. 211: Nick Cowen - Is Public Ignorance A Problem?
Alex speaks with Nick Cowen about democracy, markets, and his forthcoming article "Include The Ignorant" Episode Notes: - Jason Brennan "Against Democracy" https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691178493/against-democracy - On the Compatibility of Epistocracy and Public Reasonby Thomas Mulligan https://www.jstor.org/stable/24575740 - Hayek on Limited Democracy, Dictatorships, and the ‘Free’...
12.27.2023
Ep. 210: Mike Munger - Can Classical Liberalism Be Saved?
Alex speaks with Mike Munger about the state of classical liberalism in an era in which conservatism seems intent on wielding the tools of central planning and the left prefers the term "progressive" to "liberal". Episode Notes: The Classical Liberal Diaspora by...
12.20.2023
Ep. 209: Lauren Hall - Is Gender An Emergent Order?
Sabine speaks with Lauren K Hall, who defends the notion that feminism is an emergent order, and speaks about her recent special edition of Cosmos+Taxis. Episode Notes: All articles in the most recent edition of Cosmos+Taxis are linked here: https://cosmosandtaxis.org/current-issue/ Sarah Blaffer Hrdy "The...
12.13.2023
Ep. 208: Clara Piano - Does Greater Economic Freedom Lead To More Babies?
Matt speaks with Clara Piano about the relationship between economic freedom, fertility, and the roles that modernization and increasing well-being for women have on the number of babies that are born in countries around the world. Episode Notes: "The Fertility Gap and...
12.06.2023
Ep. 207: Sarah Skwire - Why Should Liberals Read Shakespeare?
Sabine speaks with Sarah Skwire about the fascinating world of Shakespeare and why there are so many lessons we can learn from a pre-enlightenment playwright about markets, politics, and the human condition. Episode Notes: - Mike Huemer's Post on Shakespeare: https://fakenous.substack.com/p/why-i-hate-shakespeare - "The...
11.29.2023
Ep. 206: David Friedman - What Is Anarcho-Capitalism?
Alex speaks with David Friedman about defenses, definitions and critiques of Anarcho-Capitalism in David's work and in others'. Episode Notes: - Summary of David's book "The Machinery of Freedom" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Machinery_of_Freedom - Some of Ayn Rand's views on Libertarianism and Anarcho-Capitalism: http://aynrandlexicon.com/ayn-rand-ideas/ayn-rand-q-on-a-on-libertarianism.html - Some of...
11.22.2023
Ep. 205: Iain Murray - What Has Happened to Conservatism?
Matt speaks with Iain Murray about the estrangement of conservative liberalism from identitarian forms of conservative nationalism and the intriguing alliances that may arise in the future between freedom-loving libertarians and some unlikely allies. Episode Notes: Iain's book "The Socialist Temptation" https://a.co/d/5AUQHQp One...
11.15.2023
Ep. 204: Brad Lips - Is The Liberty Movement In Trouble?
Sabine speaks with Atlas Network's Brad Lips about what's in store for the liberty movement all over the world. Episode Notes: - The Atlas Network https://www.atlasnetwork.org/who-we-are - Brad's book "Liberalism and the Free Society in 2021" https://a.co/d/0Bcor8q - The Free Market Foundation https://freemarketfoundation.com/ - Article...
11.08.2023
Ep. 203: Mark Mercer - What’s Wrong With Universities?
Matt speaks with Mark Mercer about academic freedom, the changing mission of universities themselves, and what role faculty, administrators, and students should play in shaping the future of the institution. References: Mark’s Interview in C2C Journal: https://c2cjournal.ca/2023/05/confronting-the-post-academic-university-in-conversation-with-mark-mercer/ Peter March at St. Mary’s:...
11.01.2023
Ep. 202: Cory Massimino - How Do We Abolish Prisons?
Alex speaks with Cory Massimino about the concept of prison abolition and how this position corresponds with natural rights theory and recent movements demanding the end of prisons as we know them. Read some of Cory’s published and unpublished pieces on...
10.25.2023
Ep. 201: Seth Kaplan - Why Are Neighbourhoods Important?
Matt speaks with Seth Kaplan about his book Fragile Neighborhoods, and why a decision as simple as where we choose to live can often make the difference between lives of prosperity and lives of uncertainty and strife. Seth's book can be...
10.18.2023
Noah Schwartz - Does Canada Have A Gun Problem?
In March of 2023, Alex speaks with Noah Schwartz about gun control in Canada and how recent attempts to review firearms policy have failed to address root issues and the causes of violence and crime.
10.11.2023
Monica Guzman - How Can Curiosity Fix Polarization?
In April of 2023, Alex speaks with Monica Guzman about the need for curiosity as a remedy for the increasing polarization in American discourse and her recent book on the subject "I Never Thought of It That Way: How to...
10.04.2023
Kevin Vallier - Must Politics Be War?
In this conversation from January 2020, Alex Aragona speaks with Kevin Vallier about conflicts in politics and how ideology aggravates them, and whether liberal institutions can help us trust each other more.
09.27.2023
Jayme Lemke - Who Was Elinor Ostrom?
Alex speaks with Jayme Lemke about the life, work, and legacy of American Nobel Prize-winning political economist Elinor Ostrom.
09.20.2023
Ep. 200: Alex Aragona - 200th Episode Celebration
Sabine interviews our regular host Alex Aragona as they discuss the first 200 episodes of the Curious Task.
09.13.2023
Ep. 199: Nathan Goodman - What Does Immigration Have To Do With Climate Change
Alex speaks with Nathan Goodman about the implications of Climate Change for immigration policy and how coercion and polycentricity factor into that conversation. References: - Adapting to Climate Change through Migration: Justus Enninga and Nathan Goodman https://www.thecgo.org/research/adapting-to-climate-change-through-migration/ - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change...
09.06.2023
Special Episode 17: Paige MacPherson - What Does School Choice Look Like?
In August of 2022, Alex spoke with Paige MacPherson about school choice - and the lack thereof - in each of Canada's provinces.
08.30.2023
Special Episode 16: Peter Jaworski - What Is Libertarianism?
Alex Aragona speaks with Peter Jaworski as he explores his definition of libertarianism, and how different kinds of morality can lead to certain conclusions about libertarian institutions.
08.23.2023
Ep. 198: Tony Gill - Why Do We Tip?
Alex speaks with Tony Gill about the curious practice of tipping and why despite all our groaning, it may just be a habit worth defending. Further Reading (some more of Tony Gill's writings on the subject): https://www.polisci.washington.edu/news/2019/03/18/tony-gill-tipping http://journal.apee.org/index.php/2018_Journal_of_Private_Enterprise_Vol_33_No_1_Spring_parte6 https://www.aier.org/article/in-defense-of-tipping-part-ii-price-discrimination/ https://www.econtalk.org/anthony-gill-on-tipping/
08.16.2023
Ep. 197: Kevin Vallier - What Are The New Religious Threats To Liberalism?
Alex speaks with Kevin Vallier about his new book "All The Kingdoms Of The World", in which he takes a global view of anti-liberal integralist strands in political thought and warns of the consequences of following them toward a rejection...
08.09.2023
Ep. 196: Stefanie Haeffele - Can We Live Better Together?
Alex speaks with Stefanie Haeffele about her recent book Living Better Together, which explores the work of Elinor Ostrom and Viviana Zelizer. Episode Notes: "Living Better Together" by Stefanie Haeffele and Virgil Henry Storr: https://a.co/d/hJNCxw6 Viviana Zelizer's homepage at Princeton: https://sociology.princeton.edu/people/viviana-zelizer Elinor Ostrom's bio and short...
08.02.2023
Ep. 195: Scott Scheall - How Are Carl and Karl Menger Important For Liberalism?
Alex speaks with Scott Scheall about Carl and Karl Menger and their influence on the history of economics, liberal theory, and - yes - mathematics. Further Reading: "Karl Menger as Son of Carl Menger" - Scott Scheall & Reinhard Schumacher https://philarchive.org/rec/SCHKMA-4 Econlib Biography of...
07.26.2023
Special Episode 15: Jason Lee Byas - How Should We Deal With Historic Injustice?
Alex speaks with Jason Lee Byas about the complexities of responding to questions of historic injustice, reparations, and compensation within a libertarian framework. Originally Aired as Episode 140 on Wednesday May 04, 2022
07.19.2023
Ep. 194: Nigel Ashford - Can We Change The World For Liberty?
Alex speaks with Nigel Ashford about the prospects for a freer world and how the memory of history, the hope of younger persons, and the teaching of ideas can shape the future of classical liberalism. Further Reading:https://libertarianism.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/socin003.pdf Chapter 2 of this book:...
07.12.2023
Ep. 193: Jake Monaghan - Is Just Policing Possible?
Alex speaks with Jake Monaghan about ideal vs. ideal theory approaches to policing, the history and function of the police as an institution, and how to respond to police abolitionists. Episode Notes Jake's book - the subject of the conversation - can...
07.05.2023
Ep. 192: Trevor Burrus - What Is The Statrix?
Alex speaks with Trevour Burrus about his concept of the Statrix and why the solution to every problem should not be more government programs, intervention and restriction. Episode Notes: Introductory YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eavx1ZVVyzM Seeing the Statrix: Invisible and Omnipresent by Trevor Burrus: https://www.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/articles/burrus-cap-research-center-10-18-2018.pdf The Boris Yeltsin Grocery...
06.28.2023
Ep. 191: Camden Hutchison - Why Restrict Freedom of Expression?
Alex speaks with Camden Hutchison about the nuances of freedom of expression laws in Canada and the United States, and the ways in which immature understandings of free speech can obfuscate the public discourse surrounding this fundamental right in North...
06.21.2023
Ep. 190: Pete Boettke - Is Hayek Still Relevant?
Alex speaks with Pete Boettke about the relevancy of Friedrich Hayek in the contemporary context, what it means to be a "Hayekian" and the curious tale of how Hayek came to be the focus of his latest book "F. A....

What's The Curious Task about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Curious Task episodes:

Ep. 231: Ryan Bourne - Is There A War On Prices?

Ep. 230: Kent Roach - Does Canada Have A Wrongful Conviction Problem?

Ep. 229: Ethan Nadelmann - Has Drug Decriminalization Failed?

Ep. 228: Craig Biddle - What Is Objectivism?

Ep. 227: Bryce Tingle - How Are Regulations Damaging Markets?

Ep. 226: Eric Merkley - What Motivates NIMBYs?

Ep. 225: Ben Klutsey - How Do We Rebuild Trust?

Ep. 224: Rachael LaRose - What Happened To Our Relationships During The Pandemic?

Ep. 223: Sam Bowman - Why Can't We Have Nice Things?

Ep. 222: Akshaya Kamalnath - Does Corporate Diversity Work?

Deirdre McCloskey - Why Does Liberalism Work?

Ep. 221: Alex Nowrasteh - What's Wrong With Nationalism?

Ep. 220: Oyebade Oyerinde - Has Federalism Hurt Nigeria?

Ep. 219: Jason Kuznicki - What Does Technology Have To Do With Gender?

Ep. 218: Marian Tupy - Are We Better Off Than Before?

Ep. 217: Aeon Skoble - How Is Limiting Access to Information Harmful?

Ep. 216: Eric Schliesser - Is Post-Liberalism Already Here?

Ep. 215: Akiva Malamet and Mikayla Novak - How Do Markets Influence Gender?

Ep. 214: Ryan Thorpe - Is Journalism In Trouble?

Ep. 213: Tyler Cowen - Who Is The Greatest Economist Of All Time?

Ep. 212: Matthew Mitchell and Peter Boettke - What Can We Learn From Estonia?

Ep. 211: Nick Cowen - Is Public Ignorance A Problem?

Ep. 210: Mike Munger - Can Classical Liberalism Be Saved?

Ep. 209: Lauren Hall - Is Gender An Emergent Order?

Ep. 208: Clara Piano - Does Greater Economic Freedom Lead To More Babies?

Ep. 207: Sarah Skwire - Why Should Liberals Read Shakespeare?

Ep. 206: David Friedman - What Is Anarcho-Capitalism?

Ep. 205: Iain Murray - What Has Happened to Conservatism?

Ep. 204: Brad Lips - Is The Liberty Movement In Trouble?

Ep. 203: Mark Mercer - What’s Wrong With Universities?

Ep. 202: Cory Massimino - How Do We Abolish Prisons?

Ep. 201: Seth Kaplan - Why Are Neighbourhoods Important?

Noah Schwartz - Does Canada Have A Gun Problem?

Monica Guzman - How Can Curiosity Fix Polarization?

Kevin Vallier - Must Politics Be War?

Jayme Lemke - Who Was Elinor Ostrom?

Ep. 200: Alex Aragona - 200th Episode Celebration

Ep. 199: Nathan Goodman - What Does Immigration Have To Do With Climate Change

Special Episode 17: Paige MacPherson - What Does School Choice Look Like?

Special Episode 16: Peter Jaworski - What Is Libertarianism?

Ep. 198: Tony Gill - Why Do We Tip?

Ep. 197: Kevin Vallier - What Are The New Religious Threats To Liberalism?

Ep. 196: Stefanie Haeffele - Can We Live Better Together?

Ep. 195: Scott Scheall - How Are Carl and Karl Menger Important For Liberalism?

Special Episode 15: Jason Lee Byas - How Should We Deal With Historic Injustice?

Ep. 194: Nigel Ashford - Can We Change The World For Liberty?

Ep. 193: Jake Monaghan - Is Just Policing Possible?

Ep. 192: Trevor Burrus - What Is The Statrix?

Ep. 191: Camden Hutchison - Why Restrict Freedom of Expression?

Ep. 190: Pete Boettke - Is Hayek Still Relevant?

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