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Books by Leslie Marsh

This collection, the first of its kind, brings together specially commissioned academic essays to... more This collection, the first of its kind, brings together specially commissioned academic essays to mark fifty years since the death of John Kennedy Toole.

Reclaiming Liberalism, 2020

This collection redresses the conceptual hubris and illiteracy that has come to obscure the centr... more This collection redresses the conceptual hubris and illiteracy that has come to obscure the central presuppositions of classical liberalism - that is, the wresting of epistemic independence from overwhelming concentrations of power, monopolies and capricious zealotries, whether they be statist, religious or corporate in character.

0. Preface — David F. Hardwick and Leslie Marsh

1. Reclaiming Democratic Classical Liberalism – David Ellerman

2. Democracy, Liberalism, and Discretion: The Political Puzzle of the Administrative State – Stephen Turner

3. Ordoliberalism as the Operationalisation of Liberal Politics – Mikayla Novak

4. Liberalism, Through a Glass Darkly – David F. Hardwick and Leslie Marsh

5. Liberalism and the Modern Quest for Freedom – David D. Corey

6. Liberalism for the 21st Century: From Markets to Civil Society, from Economics to Human Beings – Gus diZerega

7. The Origins of the Rule of Law – Andrew Irvine

8. Burke’s Liberalism: Prejudice, Habit, and Affections and the Remaking of the Social Contract – Lauren Hall

9. Democratic Peace Theory, Montesquieu, and Public Choice – Sarah Burns and Chad Van Schoelandt

10. ‘China’s Hayek’ and the Horrors of Totalitarianism: the Liberal Lessons in Gu Zhun’s Thought – Chor-yung Cheung

Though Walker Percy is best known as a novelist, he was first and foremost a philosopher. This co... more Though Walker Percy is best known as a novelist, he was first and foremost a philosopher. This collection offers a sustained examination of key aspects to his more technical philosophy (primarily semiotics and the philosophy of language) as well as some of his lesser known philosophical interests, including the philosophy of place and dislocation. Contributors expound upon Percy’s multifaceted philosophy, an invitation to literature and theology scholars as well as to philosophers who may not be familiar with the philosophical underpinnings of his work.

Papers by Leslie Marsh

The Anthem Companion to Raymond Aron, 2021

The central question that arises is whether or not one could draw a distinction between the two f... more The central question that arises is whether or not one could draw a distinction between the two faces of ideology—ideology as psychological attachment and ideology as an intellectually defensible body of belief—the former we take to be Aron’s referent.

Practical politics is plagued by an unabashed and unrelenting mutual demonization of a given ideo... more Practical politics is plagued by an unabashed and unrelenting mutual demonization of a given ideology, with each side classing each other’s cluster of ideas as pathological, i.e. “indicative of disease” and/or “extreme or excessive” or hopelessly irrational. This chapter specifically argues that the demonization, or the pathologization of conservatism as an ideology runs on a straw man fallacy—that is, detractors (and vulgar catechumen-like defenders) blithely assume that conservatism is coextensive with an ideology. This chapter argues for the view that not only is political conservatism not an ideological worldview, it is a cluster of epistemic virtues that should temper the rationalistic impulse regardless of ideological commitments—at least within the domain of sociality. Epistemic conservatism in its most generic form is the idea that a belief has some presumption of rationality merely because it is held. Cognitive closure, otherwise known pejoratively as “new mysterianism”, is...

Michael Wheeler is the latest in a new wave of philosophical theorists that fall within a loose c... more Michael Wheeler is the latest in a new wave of philosophical theorists that fall within a loose coalition of anti-representationalism (or anti-Cartesianism): Dynamical - Embodied - Extended - Distributed - and Situated - theories of cognition (DEEDS an apt acronym).

Philosophical liberalism leads a double life. On the one hand (analytically discursively), it is ... more Philosophical liberalism leads a double life. On the one hand (analytically discursively), it is a closely studied tradition of political thinking, extending from Locke to Hayek, of appreciable internal diversity and recognisable stages of development. On the other hand (rhetorically responsively), it is the hegemonic, all-purpose negative frame of reference. As the dominant First World ideology, or (if one prefers) political theory, it is the viewpoint in terms of which other ideologies define themselves. It is an important counterpoint to Marxism, to socialism, to conservatism, to libertarianism, and even to anarchism, despite the fact that each of these doctrines contains liberal elements to a greater or lesser degree. We examine the conceptual relationship between two key liberal values—justice and rights—especially in light of the rise of “social” justice and its now prominent driver, identitarianism. This is especially challenging to standard conceptions of liberalism and its ...

Walker Percy, Philosopher, 2018

Leslie Marsh provides an overview of the various ways that Percy has typically been understood. M... more Leslie Marsh provides an overview of the various ways that Percy has typically been understood. Marsh deems the golden thread across Percy’s corpus to be that of abstraction under whose aspect the ideas of alienation and complexity play a deeply distinctive role.

Austrian Economic Perspectives on Individualism and Society, 2014

In this chapter our aim is to rescue the meaning of liberty from the ministrations of its misguid... more In this chapter our aim is to rescue the meaning of liberty from the ministrations of its misguided friends and explore how it relates to human nature, culture, and economic order. Some Austrian economists have embraced liberty as the sole value. Despite the overriding “liberty talk” of “soft” libertarians, their position can be assimilated under the liberal-conservative axis, as a species of classical liberalism.1 Some self-avowed “conservatives” uncritically embrace the market seemingly unaware that its spontaneity and dynamism may well be incompatible with the social values they wish to preserve. However, our primary target is “hard” libertarianism, which, by one prominent theorist’s own admission, is thoroughly illiberal (Block, 2011). We argue that such a position amounts to a species of absolutism and an extreme case of rationalism, offering at best a vapid account of freedom.

Reclaiming Liberalism, 2020

0. Preface — David F. Hardwick and Leslie Marsh

1. Reclaiming Democratic Classical Liberalism – David Ellerman

2. Democracy, Liberalism, and Discretion: The Political Puzzle of the Administrative State – Stephen Turner

3. Ordoliberalism as the Operationalisation of Liberal Politics – Mikayla Novak

4. Liberalism, Through a Glass Darkly – David F. Hardwick and Leslie Marsh

5. Liberalism and the Modern Quest for Freedom – David D. Corey

6. Liberalism for the 21st Century: From Markets to Civil Society, from Economics to Human Beings – Gus diZerega

7. The Origins of the Rule of Law – Andrew Irvine

8. Burke’s Liberalism: Prejudice, Habit, and Affections and the Remaking of the Social Contract – Lauren Hall

9. Democratic Peace Theory, Montesquieu, and Public Choice – Sarah Burns and Chad Van Schoelandt

10. ‘China’s Hayek’ and the Horrors of Totalitarianism: the Liberal Lessons in Gu Zhun’s Thought – Chor-yung Cheung

The Anthem Companion to Raymond Aron, 2021

Walker Percy, Philosopher, 2018

Austrian Economic Perspectives on Individualism and Society, 2014

Minds, Models and Milieux, 2016

If as Archilochus’ famous fragment goes ‘The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one bi... more If as Archilochus’ famous fragment goes ‘The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing’ then Herbert Simon is, at face value, a star example of a fox. Popularized by Isaiah Berlin (1978), the fox-hedgehog distinction has been interpreted (overly simplistically as Berlin acknowledged) in terms of mutually exclusive or ideal types. Hedgehog-type intelligences are motivated by an overarching grand idea or scheme that they then apply to — or through which they filter — everything else. By contrast, fox-type intelligences are highly adaptive and come up with new ideas more suited to a specific situation or context. We are of the view that the supposed hedgehog-fox dichotomy is way too trite and one-dimensional an assessment of Simon. If there were a golden thread to Simon’s work it would be the development of a more adequate theory of human problem-solving and derivatively (but no less deeply) his interest in the computer simulation of human cognition — all in the service of the former (Frantz and Marsh, 2014). The upshot is that Simon made significant contributions to economics, political science, epistemology, sociology, cognitive science, philosophy, public administration, organization theory, and complexity studies (and more besides); and while ascriptions of ‘polymath’ and ‘Renaissance man’ are not without merit, they gloss over the distinctive quality of such a mind.

This, the first themed issue of COSMOS + TAXIS, is dedicated to the memory of Kenneth Minogue (19... more This, the first themed issue of COSMOS + TAXIS, is dedicated to the memory of Kenneth Minogue (1930-2013). Ken, as most will be aware, was a longtime colleague and friend of Michael Oakeshott and was the first President of the Michael Oakeshott Association. Moreover, following in the footsteps of Friedrich Hayek (the first President of the Mont Pelerin Society), Ken served as the Society's 27 th President. Hayek, of course, is very much part of the conceptual dna of this journal. Ken will be remembered as a most generous and congenial person both professionally and privately. He had a twinkle in his eye and a quick and cultured wit. He was never pompous and always showed a genuine interest in things beyond his (pardon the pun) ken. Much of what John O'Sullivan (2013) observed, namely Ken's intellectual honesty and modesty, was borne out by many others' experience. O'Sullivan recalls that: [H]e would delight in having his arguments caught, turned around, and sent whirling back by an opponent. Hearing this mix of logic and wit was rather like listening to a Platonic dialogue rewritten by Noel Coward or Tom Stoppard. Moreover, as O'Sullivan puts it: [Ken] knew that being a good teacher meant being a good learner. He was always ready to listen to other views, however out of the way, and to debate them "politely. " On one occasion he accepted an invitation from Arianna Huffington to the Café Royal to meet her guru of the moment. In the formal informal manner of such events the guests had to introduce themselves. Ken's opening gambit was "My name is Ken. I am a teacher. But I am here to learn rather than to teach. " Ken was always responsive to the many requests that came his way-indeed, in retirement he seemed to be busier than he ever was while at the LSE. Ken had time for students

Hayek and Behavioral Economics, 2013

Philosophical Psychology, 2006

Phillips, J. (1988). Latency and the unconscious in Merleau-Ponty. In Phenomenology and psychoana... more Phillips, J. (1988). Latency and the unconscious in Merleau-Ponty. In Phenomenology and psychoanalysis: The sixth annual Symposium of the Simon Silverman Phenomenology Center (pp. 331364). Pittsburgh, PA: Duquesne University Press. Phillips, J. (1996). Lacan and ...

Trends in Cognitive Science, 2006

Ghost-busting Ghost-busting, or less colloquially, anti-Cartesianism or non-representa-tionalism,... more Ghost-busting Ghost-busting, or less colloquially, anti-Cartesianism or non-representa-tionalism, is a loose and internally fluid coalition (philosophical and empirical) comprising Dynamical, Embodied, Extended, Distributed, and Situated (DEEDS) theories of ...

Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences, 2008

Chapter 10 is dedicated to the frame problem and chapter 11 is a brief epilogue. The Descartes th... more Chapter 10 is dedicated to the frame problem and chapter 11 is a brief epilogue. The Descartes that Wheeler presents is what he terms a generic Cartesianism. The intention here is twofold, one a primary reason, the other a derivative reason. First, Wheeler wants to see ...

In a recent paper (Hardwick & Marsh, in press) we examine the recent tensions between the two bro... more In a recent paper (Hardwick & Marsh, in press) we examine the recent tensions between the two broadly successful spontaneous orders, namely the Market and Science. We argued for an epistemic pluralism, the view that freedom and liberty (indeed the very concept of liberalism and civil society) exists at the nexus of a manifold of spontaneous forces, and that no single epistemic system should dominate. We also briefly introduced the concept of “iterative” knowledge to characterize the essentially dynamic nature of scientific knowledge. Herein lies a tension. The Market (and perhaps the prevailing culture at large) sees scientific knowledge in cumulative terms, that is, progressing to a conclusion in a linear fashion. This relatively static understanding of medical science as it relates to pharmaceutical studies can have a corrosive effect on the practice of medicine and ultimately, we believe, on the proper functioning of the market itself. In this paper we examine this tension in much closer detail by focusing upon the demands of the market, specifically the pharmaceutical industry, and the science upon which it is based. In other words, we expound upon a clash of epistemic value - one (science) that sees knowledge as essentially iterative (dynamic yet tentative) and the other (the Market) that harvests conclusive scientific knowledge (ostensibly as a fixed and firm commodity) functional to its own interests. Clinical Trials that are sharply focused with precisely determined deliverables often manifest this tension in the sharpest of relief. As a means of recovering drug development and testing costs, conclusive assessment is required to avoid creating serious financial problems for the companies themselves not to mention issues in the public interest.

In his essay “On Being Conservative” (Rationalism in Politics) Oakeshott famously articulated his... more In his essay “On Being Conservative” (Rationalism in Politics) Oakeshott famously articulated his self-ascribed conservatism, not as a creed nor as a doctrine, but as a disposition. This talk is an attempt to (a) explicate Oakeshott’s conception of so called dispositional conservatism, (b) examine its relationship (if any) to practical politics and (c) locate Oakeshott’s supposed conservatism along the conservative-liberal ideological axis.

This article introduces the work of philosopher-novelist Walker Percy to the Zygon: Journal of Re... more This article introduces the work of philosopher-novelist Walker Percy to the Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science readership. After some biographical and contextual preliminaries, I suggest that the conceptual collecting feature to Percy's work is his critique of abstractionism manifest in a tripartite congruence of Cartesianism, derivatively misapplied science, and social atomism.

Special Issue of Cognitive Systems Research

Cognitive Systems Research, Dec 2014

Southern Literary Review, 2019

https://cosmosandtaxis.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/marsh\_ct4\_2\_3.pdf