Liberty Fund author Henry C. Clark, Professor of History at Canisius College, Buffalo, New York, talks to David Hart, the Director of Liberty Fund’s Online Library of Liberty, about his book Commerce, Culture, and Liberty: Readings on Capitalism before Adam Smith (2003). He discusses the rich intellectual history of capitalism in the 17th and 18th centuries, the contributions of some lesser known French writers as well as the better known English, the impact that commerce had on traditional European societies, the concept of “luxury”, the effect these economic changes had on the lives of women and children, and the links between commerce and individual liberty.

A collection of 25 of Cobden’s speeches on free trade given between 1841-1853. It was a cheap reprint from the larger two volume collection of his speeches and was part of Macmillan’s Sixpenny Series of cheap books.

The Koran is the holy book of one of the three major religions of the world. The founder of Islam, Mohammed, had a divinely inspired vision. According to the Koran, the angel Gabriel informed Mohammed at this time that he was the messenger of God. More revelations followed. These were written down by Mohammed’s followers and became the basis for the Koran. Mohammed preached against the quarrels between the wealthy families of Mecca and ordered them to take greater responsibility in the care of the poor. He also instructed them to put away their idols and the worship of other deities and recognize Allah as the one true God rather than just the leader of the traditional Arab pantheon.

An edition from 1821. It was written in 1795 when Britain was leading the Coalition of monarchies in a war against the French Revolution, this is Knox’s warning that war against a foreign enemy helps create despotic government at home.

A late 19th century colletcion of his Works with a long introductory essay. It contains Boétie’s best known work, the “Discourse of Voluntary Servitude” where he explores why the majority too often willingly capitulates to the demands of a tiny ruling minority, some translations of Xenophon and Plutarch, his own poems in French and Latin, and some letters by his friend Montaigne.

Mill took up the cause of women’s rights in the face of much opposition from his colleagues in Parliament. In addition to his parliamentary speeches on the matter his most extended defense of the right of women to own property and to participate in political life was The Subjection of Women.

The 1874 edition of this work. Impugning John Stuart Mill’s famous treatise, On Liberty, Stephen criticized Mill for turning abstract doctrines of the French Revolution into “the creed of a religion.” Only the constraints of morality and law make liberty possible, warned Stephen, and attempts to impose unlimited freedom, material equality, and an indiscriminate love of humanity will lead inevitably to coercion and tyranny.

A radical individualist appeals to the workmen of Tyneside in 1885 to give up demands for government intervention in the name of both morality and economic efficiency. The Liberty Fund edition includes this and other essays in the 1978 edition.

A parallel version of the Old Testament with the King James Version in one column and the revised Version in another column.

This file contains the following extracts from the Jeffersonian Cyclopedia: the editor’s Preface, the illustrations of Jefferson, a chronology of his life and work, the appendix of key documents, and the Topical Index.