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Alan E. Johnson

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Alan E. Johnson, an independent philosopher, historian, political scientist, and legal scholar, is the author of Reason and Human Ethics, Free Will and Human Life, The Electoral College: Failures of Original Intent and Proposed Constitutional and Statutory Changes for Direct Popular Vote, 2nd ed., The First American Founder: Roger Williams and Freedom of Conscience, and other publications in the fields of ethical and political philosophy, history, and constitutional law. He holds an A.B. (Political Science) and A.M. (Humanities) from the University of Chicago and a J.D. from Cleveland State University, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. He retired in 2012 from a long career as an attorney in which he focused mainly, though not exclusively, ...more

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Popular Answered Questions

I am interested to hear your take on Pinker's book "Enlightenment Now" as a whole, but I am even more interested in hearing your take on the ethics of economic inequality that he discusses in the book. Here is a link to an article that is an adaption of what he wrote in the book on the subject: http://bigthink.com/big-think-books/steven-pinker-enlightenment-now-inequality-happiness Do you agree with Pinker?

Alan E. Johnson Pinker's argument about inequality is standard libertarian doctrine with which I have been long familiar, having been a libertarian fellow traveler fr…morePinker's argument about inequality is standard libertarian doctrine with which I have been long familiar, having been a libertarian fellow traveler from about 1973 to about 2001. I would agree with his statement as a very abstract proposition. all other things being equal. But all other things are not (and have never been) equal—either in the United States or elsewhere. The very wealthy have rigged the economy, through laws (or the absence thereof), fraud, and other predatory practices, against everyone else such that we have the greatest economic inequality since the years before the Great Depression. And that economic inequality is deleterious to the economy as a whole, as the stock market crash of 2008 and ensuing Great Recession proved. See, for example, All the Devils Are Here: The Hidden History of the Financial Crisis by Bethany McLean and Joe Nocera. Now the libertarians will say that practices such as those leading to the 2008 crash were unlibertarian. For example, libertarian theory (except for anarchocapitalism) argues that the government should promulgate and enforce laws against fraud (see, for example, Ayn Rand, who eschewed, however, the "libertarian" label). In practice, however, the wealthy usually get away with it (hardly any individual was prosecuted for the fraudulent practices leading to the 2008 debacle). Why? Because the governing class has been bought off by the wealthy. We have a plutocracy, not a democracy. Among many other books, see also Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right's Stealth Plan for America, which I have reviewed here, and Tula A. Connell's Conservative Counterrevolution: Challenging Liberalism in 1950s Milwaukee, which I have reviewed here.

The utopian libertarian vision is very pretty, but it ignores political and economic reality. I started having serious doubts about it in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The clincher for me was the 2008 crash, which demonstrated that libertarianism was "just a theory" (to channel, ironically, a standard antievolution trope) that had no basis in historical reality. It just gives the extremely wealthy (the Kochs, for example) a figleaf to justify their predatory practices, legal and otherwise.(less)

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I'd like to post a comment about my upcoming book, "Death by Regulation: How We Were Robbed of a Golden Age of Health and How We Can Reclaim It," along with a link to get a pre-sale copy and $60 worth of free gifts under the Classical Liberalism; Libertarianism and Anarchocapitalism; Objectivism message board. It looks like I'm supposed to check in with you first. Any objection? mary@ruwart.com.

Alan E. Johnson Since you are a member of the "Political Philosophy and Ethics" group, you can post something in that topic if you explain how it is relevant to the t…moreSince you are a member of the "Political Philosophy and Ethics" group, you can post something in that topic if you explain how it is relevant to the topic. Although this seems evident from the book title, you might want to elaborate a bit.

Alan E. Johnson, Founding Moderator(less)

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Alan E. Johnson’s books

Average rating: 4.17 · 23 ratings · 16 reviews · 6 distinct works

	The First American Founder: Roger Williams and Freedom of Conscience 4.44 avg rating — 9 ratings — published 2015 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Electoral College: Failures of Original Intent and a Proposed Constitutional Amendment for Direct Popular Vote 3.83 avg rating — 6 ratings — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Free Will and Human Life it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	First Philosophy & Human Ethics: A Rational Inquiry really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2000 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Reason and Human Ethics liked it 3.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The First American Founder: Roger Williams and Freedom of Conscience by Alan E. Johnson (2015-07-07) by Alan E. Johnson (Goodreads Author), Unknown Author 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Alan E. Johnson's Blog

The First American Founder: Roger Williams and Freedom of Conscience

My book The First American Founder: Roger Williams and Freedom of Conscience is available in paperback and Kindle e-book editions at Amazon websites throughout the world. I have posted errata and supplemental comments here. On August 6, 2015, I was interviewed about Roger Williams and this book. A video of the interview is posted here. This video is part of my YouTube channel regarding Roger W Read more of this blog post »

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Published on August 10, 2015 00:00 • Tags: liberty-of-conscience, providence-rhode-island, rhode-island, roger-williams, separation-of-church-and-state

Alan is Currently Reading

Alan Johnson is currently reading

Autocrats vs. Democrats: China, Russia, America, and the New Global Disorder

by Michael McFaul

bookshelves: a-rhg-reference, authoritarianism-totalitarianism, history-russia-post-soviet, international-foreign-policy, political-science-and-politics, reason-and-critical-thinking, history-china, currently-reading

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Nov 22, 2025 11:46AM

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Russia's Unfinished Revolution: Political Change from Gorbachev to Putin

by Michael McFaul

bookshelves: currently-reading, a-rhg-reference, authoritarianism-totalitarianism, history-russia-post-soviet, history-ussr, political-science-and-politics

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Nov 22, 2025 11:39AM

Alan Johnson is currently reading

From Cold War To Hot Peace: An American Ambassador in Putin's Russia

by Michael McFaul

bookshelves: history-russia-post-soviet, international-foreign-policy, currently-reading, a-rhg-reference, history-ussr

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Nov 22, 2025 11:48AM

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Alan Johnson made a comment in the group Political Philosophy and Ethics — New Member Introductions topic " A. wrote: "I am a political theorist and independent scholar dedicated to analyzing the origins of fascism. My background is philosophy and political ...more "
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Alan Johnson marked as back-burner-reading Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy by Katherine Stewart	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Alan Johnson wants to read Hegel's Lectures on the Philosophy of World History: The Essentials (Agora Editions) by Thomas L. Pangle	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nov 29, 2025 09:38PM · 1 like · like
Alan Johnson wants to read The Presidential Recordings: John F. Kennedy Volumes IV-VI: The Winds of Change: October 29, 1962 - February 7, 1963 by David Coleman	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Alan Johnson started reading From Cold War To Hot Peace: An American Ambassador in Putin's Russia by Michael McFaul	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nov 22, 2025 11:48AM · 1 like · like
Alan Johnson started reading Autocrats vs. Democrats: China, Russia, America, and the New Global Disorder by Michael McFaul	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nov 22, 2025 11:46AM · 1 like · like
Alan Johnson is currently reading Russia's Unfinished Revolution: Political Change from Gorbachev to Putin by Michael McFaul	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Alan Johnson started reading From Cold War To Hot Peace: An American Ambassador in Putin's Russia by Michael McFaul	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Alan Johnson is now following Michael McFaul Author of From Cold War To Hot Peace: An American Ambassa...
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Quotes by Alan E. Johnson (?)

“Roger Williams died sometime during the early months of 1683. Some of what he said and wrote during his lifetime belongs to the seventeenth century. But much of his historical and philosophical record speaks to us across the centuries.”
― Alan E. Johnson

tags: freedom-of-conscience, liberty-of-conscience, religious-freedom, roger-williams, separation-of-church-and-state

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“The first questions naturally raised by a person emerging from the fog of childhood are the same questions that led Aristotle and other great philosophers to think and write deeply on the subjects of first philosophy and ethics.”
― Alan E. Johnson, First Philosophy & Human Ethics: A Rational Inquiry

tags: reason, reasoning

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“During the nineteenth, twentieth, and early twenty-first centuries, certain politically active religious movements sought to have the United States declared—officially, if possible, but at least unofficially—a "Christian nation." This was an attempt to reverse the church-state separation principles and achievements of such great Founders as Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Roger Williams, who was more religiously devout than just about anyone living in later centuries, opposed all attempts to call a particular nation "Christian," just as he opposed the terms "Christendom" and "Christian world." His arguments included a profound analysis of the importance of separation of church and state as well as a deep religious understanding of what Christianity is.”
― Alan E. Johnson, The First American Founder: Roger Williams and Freedom of Conscience

tags: christendom, christian-nation, church-state-separation, roger-williams

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Alan’s Quotes

“What I do not know, I do not think I know.”
― Socrates

14 likes

“It's what you learn after you know it all that counts.”
― Earl Weaver, It's What You Learn After You Know It All That Counts : The Autobiography of Earl Weaver.

tags: dogmatism, learning, opinionated, skepticism

4 likes

“It is always more easy to discover and proclaim general principles than to apply them.”
― Winston Churchill, The Gathering Storm

tags: application, principles, reason, reasoning

11 likes

“Passion has helped us; but can do so no more. It will in future be our enemy. Reason, cold, calculating, unimpassioned reason, must furnish all the materials for our future support and defence.”
― Abraham Lincoln, Speeches and Writings 1832–1858

tags: emotion, fallacies, logic-reason, logical-thinking, reason, reasoning

15 likes

“Too often we hold fast to the clichés of our forebears. We subject all facts to a prefabricated set of interpretations. We enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.

[Commencement Address at Yale University, June 11 1962]”
― John F. Kennedy