Sowell_2006_Ever_Wonder_Why_And_Other_Controversial_Essays

《Sowell_2006_Ever_Wonder_Why_And_Other_Controversial_Essays》由会员上传分享，免费在线阅读，更多相关内容在学术论文-天天文库。

1、HooverPress:Sowell/EverWonderWhy?hsowewfmMp_13rev0pagexiiiPrefaceManyexplanationsaregivenfortheeventsofourtimeandtheeventsinhistory.Oneofthemostcommonexplanationsisthatvariousexternalcircumstancesledorforcedpeopletodothisorthat,andoneofthemostoverlookedexpl

2、anationsisthatvariousinternaldrivesledthemtodothethingstheydid,includingthingsthatmadenosenseintermsoftheexternalcircumstances.Oneoftheseinternaldrives—especiallythedesire“tofeelimportant,”inT.S.Eliot’swords—fitsmanynotionsandactionsthatwouldbehardtoexplaino

3、therwise.Thedesireofindividualsandgroupstopuffthemselvesupbyimposingtheirvisiononotherpeopleisarecurringthemeintheculturewarsdiscussedinthefirstsectionoftheessaysthatfollow.Suchattemptsatself-aggrandizementinthenameofnoble-soundingcrusadesaretoooftencalled“i

4、dealism”ratherthanthenarrowegotripthatitis.Rightafterthesectioncontainingessaysonculturewarissuescomesthelargestsectioninthisbook,oneconomicissues.Thereasonforsomanyessaysoneconomicsisnotjusttheimportanceofthesubjectitselfbutalsotheutterconfusionthatreignsa

5、mongthegeneralpublic,andevenamongtheintelligentsia,oververybasicprinciplesofeconomics—andevenverybasicwords,like“wages,”“taxes,”orthe“nationaldebt.”ThegreatSupremeCourtJusticeOliverWendellHolmessaidthatweneededucationintheobviousmorethanexplorationoftheobsc

6、ure.ItisespeciallyimportanttoHooverPress:Sowell/EverWonderWhy?hsowewfmMp_14rev0pagexivxivPrefaceexplaineconomicssoplainlythatitbecomesobviousbecausesomanyinpoliticsandthemediahavecreatedsomuchconfusionintheprocessofspinningissuestofittheirownagendas.Thosewho

7、wantacompleteintroductiontothesubjectcanreadmyBasicEconomicsbuttheessaysheresimplytrytoclarifyparticularmisconceptionsonparticularissues.Awiderangeoflegal,social,racial,andeducationalissuesaredealtwithintheothersectionsofthisbook.Alloftheseessaysfirstappeare

8、dassyndicatedcolumnscarriedinnewspapersacrossthecountry.Assuch,theyhadtobereadableandconcise,andtheyoftendealtwithissuesthatwereinthenews.However,fromthelargenumberofthesecolumnswrittenoverthepastfewye