From: Technotranscendence (neptune@mars.superlink.net)
Date: Fri Mar 29 2002 - 21:10:54 MST
2002 Mont Pelerin Essay Contest -- Deadline May 31, 2002
http://www.montpelerin.org/essay.html
The topic for the 2002 contest is derived from the following quote from
Adam Smith used by Hayek as the heading for Chapter 5 of The Road to
Serfdom:
"The statesman who should attempt to direct private people in what
manner they ought to employ their capitals, would not only load himself
with a most unnecessary attention, but assume an authority which could
safely be trusted to no council and senate whatever, and which would
nowhere be so dangerous as in the hands of a man who had folly and
presumption enough to fancy himself to exercise it."
The question to be answered in your essay is:
"Hayek goes to some lengths at the end of Chapter 5 of The Road to
Serfdom to think about Democracy in terms of the "values which it
serves," making it clear that a parochial belief in Democracy
independent of the values that it promotes can be as devastating as a
belief in the "common good" or the "general welfare." Is the value of a
democracy, and in turn the value of any system of government, realized
by the extent to which it was structured with Smith's statesman in mind?
Is the system that has for its chief aim the limitation of political
action - be it positive or negative, freedom-restoring as well as
freedom-corrupting - the one most likely to succeed? Have any of the
modern systems of government succeeded in preventing either the gradual
or dramatic loss of freedom? If so, which one, and if not, what would
such a system have as its pillars and why?
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The deadline for all essay submissions is May 31, 2002, and the prizes
are as follows:
First prize: Hayek Fellow Award of $2,500 + travel grant to the 2002
General Meeting in London, England
October 5-10, 2002.
Second prize: Hayek Fellow Award of $1,500 + travel grant to the 2002
General Meeting in London, England
October 5-10, 2002.
Third prize: Hayek Fellow Award of $1,000 + travel grantto the 2002
General Meeting in London, England
October 5-10, 2002.
The essays are to be of 5,000 words or less and may be submitted by
anyone 35 years of age or younger. If you are aware of anyone who might
be interested in participating in this contest, please pass the word
along.We have included a flyer with the complete details for the
competition with this newsletter for you to hand out or post where
appropriate.
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