Since the inadequacies of the Industrial Revolution remain a key factor in most critiques of capitalism and individual liberty, Education and the Industrial Revolution makes an important contribution to a better understanding of the period. West’s skills as a researcher, economist, and historian give breadth to his work. By taking on such issues as supposed educational deficiency, market provision, actual literacy rates, theories of educational reform in the nineteenth century, and the realities of educational intervention, West helps us come to a richer understanding of liberty—one that is little-known today but every bit as relevant as the day it was written.

Edwin G. West was Professor Emeritus of Economics at Carleton University, Ottawa.

The post Education and the Industrial Revolution appeared first on Liberty Fund.

West explores the views on education of the nineteenth-century British reformers and classical economists who argued the necessity of state education. He demonstrates that by the Foster Act of 1870 the state system of education was superimposed upon successful private efforts, thereby suppressing an emerging and increasingly robust structure of private, voluntary, and competitive education funded by families, churches, and philanthropies.

This new and expanded edition of Education and the State addresses the American situation in education, applying the lessons learned from the study of British institutions. It also broadens their application from education to the conduct of democracy as a political system.

Edwin G. West was Professor Emeritus of Economics at Carleton University, Ottawa.

The post Education and the State appeared first on Liberty Fund.

Anne Husted Burleigh is a writer and a contributing editor for Crisis.

The post Education in a Free Society appeared first on Liberty Fund.

Jacques Barzun is a renowned scholar, teacher, and author who lectures widely since his retirement in 1993.

The post Teacher in America appeared first on Liberty Fund.