The June issue of Liberty Fund’s Liberty Matters is dedicated to a symposium on the legacy of David Boaz, the longtime executive vice president of the Cato Institute who passed away in June of 2024.
In his contribution to the symposium, IHS fellow Andy Craig says, “I had the privilege of working with David Boaz for four years as his staff writer, the last of a dozen or so he brought into this role over the decades to help launch our careers. Working with David was not just a job, it was an education. It was also an opportunity to become a close friend as we spent the days discussing political philosophy, history, and the ideas to which he’d devoted his life.”
Boaz, the author of books including The Libertarian Mind and The Libertarian Reader, was an immense influence on the broader liberty movement over a career spanning five decades, and in developing the philosophy to address the most important issues in contemporary politics.
In his tribute, Craig explores how Boaz’s appreciation for the rule of law informs the liberal perspective on current events.
“Asked to define the greatest libertarian accomplishment—and to David, ‘libertarian’ was nothing more than a radical application of liberal principles—he would initially point to the abolition of slavery. Pressed further, he hit upon the true heart of the matter: ‘bringing power under the rule of law.’”
Read Andy’s piece here; the full issue includes initial essays from each participant and responses among them which will be published over the course of the month.
