Are Libertarians More Rational Than Others? No, Just More Aware of the *Limits* to Reason

Matt Welch and I will be appearing on Thursday's episode of John Stossel's eponymous show on Fox Business. During our segment, Stossel talks about how encountering Reason magazine over 20 years ago gave him a new way of thinking not just about economics but life and politics more generally. In the preview clip above, he asks us whether we think libertarians are more rational than most people. Not at all, not at all, but we're rational enough to realize none of us has all the answers. To paraphrase Dirty Harry, politicians and planners and control freaks gotta know their own limitations.

The career of John Stossel is just one way that Reason seeks to influence debates over politics, culture, and ideas. As he explained in his 2004 book Give Me a Break, reading Reason

…was a revelation…Here were writers who analyzed the benefits of free markets that I witnessed as a reporter. They called themselves libertarians, and their slogan was 'Free Minds and Free Markets.' I wasn't exactly sure what that meant, but what they wrote sure made sense."

Stossel airs on Thursday night at 9PM ET. Go here for more details.

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