During the break this afternoon in the conference I have been attending on the thought of Francisco de Vitoria (a very important figure in the development of international law and of the theory of individual rights) I managed to run over to the University of Toronto and give a talk at the Institute for Liberal Studies Toronto Liberty Seminar. The ILS is run by my old friend and former intern/colleague Peter Jaworski and puts on really first rate programs for young people in Canada (or “Greater Canada,” which includes Michigan and other border states). Other participants I knew included two other former Cato intern/colleagues Jonathan Slemrod (who came up from Michigan) and Seyitbek Usmanov (who is studying here at the University of Toronto), and faculty members Pierre Desrochers of the University of Toronto and Jan Narveson of the University of Waterloo.
It was great fun. I strongly endorse the good work that the ILS is doing.
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Tom – It was an absolute treat for us to have you show up out of the blue like that, and to give a fantastic talk.
I’m glad I–with my Institute hat on–can strongly endorse the good work that you do as well…
It was great that Tom could parachute in and produce an excellent concluding address from his back pocket.He skilfully traced the historical antecedents of Locke’s theory of property,e.g. reminding us of the important role of the medieval cities in being bastions of freedom and civil society:Stadtluft macht frei.At his prompting I shall take another look at De Jasay’s, Social Contract, Free Ride, as well as Sugden’s,Economics of Rights Cooperation and Welfare.Might I also suggest, Pipes, Property and Freedom,as a possible follow-up to aspects of Tom’s address.
I wish I could have made it. Vancouver is too far!
Sounds like a kickass event. Sorry I missed it.
Thank you Tom for taking the time to spread liberty in Canada