Students are taught about the free market from a libertarian point of view
By Megan Osborn
Students will hear it again and again from professors, parents and peers: Things are tough, 'in light of the financial crisis.'
With headline after headline about layoffs, people losing their homes and corrupt corporate executives, it is clear that the free market is not getting good press these days.
But in the newly-offered POL 307 Contemporary Political Thought class, the free market is getting another look.
Professor William Curtis has decided to hit the market meltdown head-on with a new class that explores the economy through the unconventional lens of libertarianism, as well as the views of its critics.
Libertarianism is a political philosophy that promotes the full flexing of personal liberty.
According to the official Web site of the Libertarian party, Libertarians "strongly oppose any government interfering in their personal, family and business decisions," and "all Americans should be free to live their lives and pursue their interests as they see fit as long as they do no harm to another."
Curtis who does not describe himself as a libertarian and wishes to keep his political affiliations private, said the goal of the new class "is to teach how the free market works and then question whether or not it's good."
Reactions from political science students were enthusiastic.
"I'm excited, it's an interesting subject," junior Mike Bastasch said.
Bastasch added that the class addresses one of the major questions in current politics. How many controls should be put on the market?
Senior Corinne Miller also praised the class' contemporary focus.
"I am interested and it's really relevant, many critics have been attacking market philosophies. It's important for people to know what it really means."
Curtis is well-liked and respected by students. Many of the students currently enrolled in the new class have taken other classes from Curtis and appreciate his approach to teaching.
"He is very accessible as a lecturer and very good at debate," senior Tiger Torelle said.
Junior Sam Harris also enjoys Curtis' argumentative style, which he says helps students defend their ideas.
"He tries his hardest to challenge your opinion no matter what it is."
Libertarianism has many roots in controversy because of its extremist branches, but professor Curtis seeks to explore the pragmatic side political philosophy especially focusing on economic ideas.
After just the first few days of the class, students are starting to gain a more comprehensive view of libertarianism.
"Sure it's limited government, free market and individual rights, but it's deeper than that," explains Bastasch. "It's every man takes responsibility for himself. It's a lot closer to the founders' ideas about the country."
Curtis asserts there are many misunderstandings about the libertarian free market view.
"Most libertarians are in favor of a safety net of some kind," he said. The notion that they do not "is a common misconception."
The promotion of individual freedom preached by libertarians is however, not always met with enthusiasm. Issues arise when personal freedoms conflict as in debates about physician-assisted suicide and abortion. Libertarianism has also been portrayed as a political philosophy of the wealthy, which is another point of tension.
"It's not very compassionate to anyone who is silly enough not to be born rich," Torelle said.
Curtis explains that the class will tackle contemporary issues such as the economy and political reactions to the financial crisis.
The students will be asked to question the prevailing and alternative ideological orientations about market influence, given the present situation.
"In an advanced liberal democracy most people agree on basic rights. A lot of politics comes down to questions about economic freedom," Curtis said.
Students have differing opinions about why Curtis chose to focus on libertarianism in particular.
"I think he's teaching what he's interested in," Harris said. "It's a current issue and one that gets glazed over by most academics."
Curtis explains that libertarianism is not a subject often tackled by economists or political scientists in the classroom, often because the professor must have considerable understanding about two complicated subjects. But he believes that he can successfully teach this subject given his background in economics as a minor and political science as his primary focus.
The reading material used in the class provides essential economic background while remaining contemporary. The book list includes "Spin-Free Economics" and "Nudge" both published in 2008.
"Personally I think it's about making people aware," said Torelle. "The real goal is to have his students see it as a legitimate position."
While the subject matter causes a great deal of debate, Professor Curtis is encouraged by the way students are engaged in the class discussion and lecture.
"I have been impressed with the sophistication of questions in just the second day," Curtis said.
