What is the difference between propriety and virtue, and how does this relate to the constant abuse of free speech we see today? According to economist and philosopher, Adam Smith, propriety is the extent to which our actions accord with social expectations; which themselves are subjective and you could say are relationally determined. Virtue, on the other hand, is the extent to which an action is well-intended and the extent to which it produces that intended result. 

Acton Line brings you a conversation with Acton Institute’s Dylan Pahman, research fellow, and Eric Kohn, director of communications.  Pahman is also the managing editor of the Journal of Markets and Morality, a peer reviewed academic journal published by The Acton Institute, that promotes intellectual exploration of the relationship between economics and morality from both a social science and theological perspective. 

In this episode, they discuss free speech, the cancel culture, and the difference between propriety and virtue.

Journal of Markets & Morality 

Clobbering free speech with the Constitution 

The constitutional way to defeat cancel culture 

The solution to ‘cancel culture’ is true community

Why do we embrace ‘cancel culture’?

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