Libertarian Literary and Media Criticism: Essays in Memory of Paul A. Cantor
This collection of essays by experts in diverse fields applies libertarian philosophy and free-market economic theory to literature and media. The volume proceeds largely according to the chronological order of the works under consideration, moving from sixteenth-century literary texts and drama to comic books to contemporary cinema and television series. Several chapters bring to bear the contrast between capitalism and statism, mostly focusing on the workings of the market economy versus central planning but with some attention also devoted to the theme of freedom versus government coercion. Some of the more specific economic concepts used in the analyses—such as the principle of marginal utility, scarcity, division of labor and autarky, private property, and entrepreneurism—not only provide insights into the economic and political premises embedded in creative works but can help clear up common misconceptions related to capitalism as well.
As the subtitle suggests, the project was inspired by the achievement of Paul A. Cantor (1945–2022), Clifton Waller Barrett Professor at the University of Virginia. One of the most adventurous culture critics of our time, Cantor was edgy and iconoclastic while always deeply grounded in historical research. He achieved a large scholarly and popular following in part because he was interested in everything—from Shakespeare to South Park, from H. G. Wells to Gilligan’s Island. His scholarship was so prolific and all-embracing that it led some to question whether the same person could have authored such a breadth of work. “Yes,” replies Peter Hufnagel, creator of the website prof.Cantor, “the Paul A. Cantor who writes about Averroism in Dante’s Divine Comedy is the same Paul A. Cantor who writes about Walter White as a tragic hero in Breaking Bad” (“The Nature of the Website”). As John Rodden has put it, “Cantor was not just an eminent scholar of the European Renaissance but a Renaissance man himself in the sphere of arts and letters” (“Paul Cantor: Renaissance Scholar as Renaissance Man”).
Yet it is not only the stunning range of Cantor’s interests that motivated this volume, but also, and especially, his pioneering interdisciplinary methodology which brought libertarian philosophy and sound economic theory to bear on matters of culture. Working against the grain, Cantor turned specifica
Article from LewRockwell
LewRockwell.com is a libertarian website that publishes articles, essays, and blog posts advocating for minimal government, free markets, and individual liberty. The site was founded by Lew Rockwell, an American libertarian political commentator, activist, and former congressional staffer. The website often features content that is critical of mainstream politics, state intervention, and foreign policy, among other topics. It is a platform frequently used to disseminate Austrian economics, a school of economic thought that is popular among some libertarians.
