Stephen R.C. Hicks's Blog, page 12

From the Office of the Reproducer-General [press release]

Bulletin: Sex and Economics — A Modest Proposal [pdf] Text by Stephen R.C. Hicks Graphics by Christopher Vaughan Permanent URL Fellow citizens: Our nation’s sex life is in peril. Surveys show widespread sexual discontent. Market failure is everywhere. Many males complain of not getting enough sex and many females object to constant male looks and […]

Egoism in Nietzsche and Rand

My “Egoism in Nietzsche and Rand” was published in The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies. Here is the abstract for my 43-page study: “Philosophers Friedrich Nietzsche and Ayn Rand are often identified as strong critics of altruism and arch advocates of egoism. In this essay, Stephen Hicks argues that Nietzsche and Rand have much in […]

Marxism and Education: Marx [Lecture 13 of Philosophy of Education course]

By Professor Stephen R.C. Hicks, Rockford University, USA. Lecture 13: What is Karl Marx’s philosophy, and how does it apply to education in a capitalist society and in preparing students for a revolutionary social change? Previous lectures in the series: Part One: Introduction: What is the purpose of education, and what is philosophy’s relevance? Part […]

How do political cultures change?

Strategy question: Does one plunge into political activism—or will political efforts not be effective until the broader culture is ready for it? A common response is to say “Politics is downstream from culture.” Here is one datum, from Philip Reiff: “[T]he first Christian culture revolution accommodated itself from the beginning to the ruling classes of […]

SUBJECTIVE RELATIVISM: AYER and BENEDICT. Lecture 7 of Philosophy of Ethics course [Peterson Academy]

‘“Judgements of value”, we contend, are simply expressions of emotion which can be neither true nor false.‘ Lecture Seven: Subjective Relativism Themes: Anthropology. Meaninglessness (semantic and prescriptive). So subjective leaps? So individual emotivism? So group conditioning? Texts: Ayer, “A Critique of Ethics.” Benedict, Patterns of Culture. About the Instructor Stephen R. C. Hicks, Ph.D. is […]

Cynical humor: reactionary university reform

On the COVID lockdowns—and costs to civil liberties, economic prosperity, psychological health [Interview excerpt]

From a 2020 interview: Jennifer Grossman [40:19]: A question from Phil [C.] on the lockdowns and the proposition that more lives and futures are going to be destroyed by the mandatory lockdowns and closings of businesses than could or will be by the virus itself? I know you’re not an epidemiologist, but you’re probably looking […]

Open College with Dr. Stephen R.C. Hicks | EP #55 | Jordan Peterson’s Religion [In Case You Missed It]

For more Open College Podcasts: YouTube. Also Jordan Peterson’s second interview of Stephen Hicks:

Objectivism and Education: Rand and Montessori [Lecture 12 of Philosophy of Education course]

By Professor Stephen R.C. Hicks, Rockford University, USA. Lecture 12: How do Objectivist philosophy and Ayn Rand’s thinking in particular apply to education, and how consistent is it with Maria Montessori’s principles and methods? Previous lectures in the series: Part One: Introduction: What is the purpose of education, and what is philosophy’s relevance? Part Two: […]

PREDATION & POWER: NIETZSCHE. Lecture 6 of Philosophy of Ethics course [Peterson Academy]

“Power gives the first right, and there is no right, which at bottom is not presumption, usurpation, violence.” Lecture Six: Predation and Power Themes: Gyges. Original Sin? Master and slave moralities. Slavery as natural and necessary? A new aristocracy. Texts: Nietzsche, “The Greek State,” Beyond Good and Evil, and The Will to Power About the […]