Of Course I Like Harry Potter
I'm a libertarian.
This heavily-footnoted Michigan Law Review article by Benjamin Barton (I found it at Instapundit) convinces me that Harry Potter is a libertarian. Of course, I'm inclined to believe that anyway, as I'd like to think that I have something in common with a smart, brave wizard. I don't think it's all my self-involvement, though.
Barton's article is well-researched: not only did he reread all the HP books with an eye Rowling's depiction of government, his argument is solidly backed by texts about libertarianism. His conclusion, "that Rowling may do more for libertarianism than anyone since John Stuart Mill," seems overwhelmingly logical, considering the strength of his argument...and the strength of her market share.
As a side note, my admiration for JK Rowling knows pretty much no bounds at this point. Not only has she written an interesting, engaging story, she's elevated the level of complexity in kids books (the fact that she respects kids as readers is fantastic) and she's created a world and a story that serves as a seemingly endless source of analysis. I've read numerous articles discussing the social and political characteristics of the wizarding world, exploring connections to our world, looking for answers, reasons, clues. I can imagine future dissertations on the subject: comparing HP to the current geopolitical situation in two years, ten, or fifty.
Truly, truly amazing.
This heavily-footnoted Michigan Law Review article by Benjamin Barton (I found it at Instapundit) convinces me that Harry Potter is a libertarian. Of course, I'm inclined to believe that anyway, as I'd like to think that I have something in common with a smart, brave wizard. I don't think it's all my self-involvement, though.
Barton's article is well-researched: not only did he reread all the HP books with an eye Rowling's depiction of government, his argument is solidly backed by texts about libertarianism. His conclusion, "that Rowling may do more for libertarianism than anyone since John Stuart Mill," seems overwhelmingly logical, considering the strength of his argument...and the strength of her market share.
As a side note, my admiration for JK Rowling knows pretty much no bounds at this point. Not only has she written an interesting, engaging story, she's elevated the level of complexity in kids books (the fact that she respects kids as readers is fantastic) and she's created a world and a story that serves as a seemingly endless source of analysis. I've read numerous articles discussing the social and political characteristics of the wizarding world, exploring connections to our world, looking for answers, reasons, clues. I can imagine future dissertations on the subject: comparing HP to the current geopolitical situation in two years, ten, or fifty.
Truly, truly amazing.
posted by Kit Pollard at
12:50 PM
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