Jamie Whyte Livres

What is free speech? How is it under threat? And why should it be defended at all costs? In this succinct and insightful book, author Jamie Whyte contends that free speech brings fundamental benefits to society - it promotes the growth of knowledge and provides an essential bulwark against tyranny. He argues against new attempts to constrain free speech - particularly in social media - and critiques the rationale of politicians and activists who seek to limit it. And he proposes a key test - a limiting principle - which legislators and judges should apply against any proposed curtailment of free speech. Being offensive, for example, wouldn't pass this test - because important new ideas are often offensive to people whose worldview they challenge. Whyte also issues a rallying cry: Those who prize free speech must once again come to its defence - as he outlines exactly Why Free Speech Matters.

Uncover the truth under all the BS In the daily battle for our hearts and minds--not to mention our hard-earned cash--the truth is usually the first casualty. It's time we learned how to see through the rhetoric, faulty reasoning, and misinformation that we're subjected to from morning to night by talk-radio hosts, op-ed columnists, advertisers, self-help gurus, business "thinkers," and, of course, politicians. And no one is better equipped to show us how than award-winning philosopher Jamie Whyte. In Crimes Against Logic Whyte take us on a fast-paced, ruthlessly funny romp through the mulligan stew of can, folderol, and bogus logic served up in the media, at the office, and even in your own home. Applying his laserlike wit to dozens of timely examples, Whyte cuts through the haze of facts, figures, and double-talk and gets at the real truth behind what they're telling us. "An incisive philosopher."-- Sunday Telegraph

Noting that politicians and lobbyists who promote new regulations and taxes often claim that the case for increased government intervention is supported by scientific evidence, this work sets out to expose the deficiencies in such an approach by examining four areas of policy: minimum alcohol pricing, passive smoking, global warming, and happiness. In each case, the use of scientific evidence is shown to be deeply flawed and the policymaking process is characterized by basic methodological errors, as well as self-interested behavior by the experts involved. This study also makes note of academic and political elites who also use such policies to impose their own values on society as a whole, demonstrating contempt for the preferences of the general public. The author concludes that much evidence-based policy is grounded on poor scientific reasoning and very poor economics.

Oszuści, czy ignoranci to pozycja o tyle wyjątkowa, że dotyczy najgorętszych problemów gospodarczych współczesności, mianowicie tzw. przeregulowania gospodarki. Autor, Jamie Whyte, ekspert w dziedzinie teorii nauki, członek IEA oraz brytyjskiego Instytutu Adama Smitha, skupia się na kilku najmodniejszych tematach, mianowicie na „globalnym ociepleniu”, czy jak kto woli dokonanych przez człowieka „zmianach klimatycznych”; na walce z paleniem tytoniu oraz programach rządowych, które mają nas uszczęśliwić, czy tego chcemy czy nie chcemy. Teza autora brzmi tak: naukowcy, którzy nas raczą swymi receptami są nieprzygotowani, często w ogóle niekompetentni. Nadużywają swojego autorytetu, proponując rozwiązania, które im wydają się słuszne, mimo iż nie posiadają na to żadnego dowodu naukowego. Politycy skwapliwie z ich pomysłów korzystają, gdyż pozwalają one na zwiększenie opodatkowania i inne ustawowe środki powiększania domeny państwa, kosztem, swobód i poziomu życia obywateli.