Thomas Sowell

Until the Spring of 1972, Sowell was a registered Democrat, after which he then left the Democratic Party and resolved not to associate with any political party again, stating "I was so disgusted with both candidates that I didn't vote at all."[14] Though he is often described as a black conservative, Sowell said, "I prefer not to have labels, but I suspect that 'libertarian' would suit me better than many others, although I disagree with the libertarian movement on a number of things."[11] He has been described as one of the most prominent advocates of contemporary classical liberalism along with Friedrich Hayek and Larry Arnhart.[45] Sowell primarily writes on economic subjects, generally advocating a free market approach to capitalism.[46] Sowell opposes the Federal Reserve, arguing that it has been unsuccessful in preventing economic depressions and limiting inflation.[47] Sowell described his study of Karl Marx in his autobiography; as a former Marxist who early in his career became disillusioned with it, he emphatically opposes Marxism, providing a critique in his book Marxism: Philosophy and Economics (1985).

Sowell has also written a trilogy of books on ideologies and political positions, including A Conflict of Visions, in which he speaks on the origins of political strife; The Vision of the Anointed, in which he compares the conservative/libertarian and liberal/progressive worldviews; and The Quest for Cosmic Justice, in which, as in many of his other writings, he outlines his thesis of the need felt by intellectuals, politicians, and leaders to fix and perfect the world in utopian and ultimately, he posits, disastrous fashions. Separate from the trilogy, but also in discussion of the subject, he wrote Intellectuals and Society, building on his earlier work, in which he discusses what he argues to be the blind hubris and follies of intellectuals in a variety of areas.

His book Knowledge and Decisions, a winner of the 1980 Law and Economics Center Prize, was heralded as a "landmark work," selected for this prize "because of its cogent contribution to our understanding of the differences between the market process and the process of government." In announcing the award, the centre acclaimed Sowell, whose "contribution to our understanding of the process of regulation alone would make the book important, but in reemphasizing the diversity and efficiency that the market makes possible, [his] work goes deeper and becomes even more significant."[48] Friedrich Hayek wrote: "In a wholly original manner [Sowell] succeeds in translating abstract and theoretical argument into highly concrete and realistic discussion of the central problems of contemporary economic policy."[49]

Sowell opposes the imposition of minimum wages by governments, arguing in his book Basic Economics that "Unfortunately, the real minimum wage is always zero, regardless of the laws, and that is the wage that many workers receive in the wake of the creation or escalation of a government-mandated minimum wage, because they either lose their jobs or fail to find jobs when they enter the labor force."[50] He goes further to argue that minimum wages disproportionately affect "members of racial or ethnic minority groups" that have been discriminated against. He asserts that "Before federal minimum wage laws were instituted in the 1930s, the black unemployment rate was slightly lower than the white unemployment rate in 1930. But then followed the Davis-Bacon Act of 1931, the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA) of 1933 and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938 – all of which imposed government-mandated minimum wages, either on a particular sector or more broadly... By 1954, black unemployment rates were double those of whites and have continued to be at that level or higher. Those particularly hard hit by the resulting unemployment have been black teenage males."[51]

Sowell also favors decriminalization of all drugs.[52] He opposes gun control laws, arguing, "On net balance, they do not save lives, but cost lives."[39]

Sowell argues that systemic racism is an untested, questionable hypothesis that is a piece of propaganda pushed on the American people. Sowell has said that "it really has no meaning that can be specified and tested in the way that one tests hypotheses" and "it's one of many words that I don't think even the people who use it have any clear idea what they're saying". He has argued that it is a propaganda tactic akin to those used by Joseph Goebbels because it comes with an attitude that it must be "repeated long enough and loud enough" until it is believed and people "cave in" to it.[53][54]

In several of his works—including The Economics and Politics of Race (1983), Ethnic America (1981), Affirmative Action Around the World (2004), and other books—Sowell challenges the notion that black progress is due to progressive government programs or policies. He claims that many problems identified with blacks in modern society are not unique, neither in terms of American ethnic groups, nor in terms of a rural proletariat struggling with disruption as it became urbanized, as discussed in his Black Rednecks and White Liberals (2005).

Sowell also writes on racial topics, typically critical of affirmative action and race-based quotas.[55][56] He takes strong issue with the notion of government as a helper or savior of minorities, arguing that the historical record shows quite the opposite. In Affirmative Action Around the World,[57] Sowell holds that affirmative action affects more groups than is commonly understood, though its impacts occur through different mechanisms, and has long since ceased to favor blacks.

One of the few policies that can be said to harm virtually every group in a different way. … Obviously, whites and Asians lose out when you have preferential admission for black students or Hispanic students—but blacks and Hispanics lose out because what typically happens is the students who have all the credentials to succeed in college are admitted to colleges where the standards are so much higher that they fail.[58]

In Intellectuals and Race (2013), Sowell argues that intelligence quotient (IQ) gaps are hardly startling or unusual between, or within, ethnic groups. He notes that the roughly 15-point gap in contemporary black–white IQ scores is similar to that between the national average and the scores of certain ethnic white groups in years past, in periods when the nation was absorbing new immigrants.[59]

Sowell wrote The Einstein Syndrome: Bright Children Who Talk Late, a follow-up to his Late-Talking Children, discussing a condition he termed the Einstein syndrome. This book investigates the phenomenon of late-talking children, frequently misdiagnosed with autism or pervasive developmental disorder. He includes the research of Stephen Camarata and Steven Pinker, among others, in this overview of a poorly understood developmental trait. It is a trait which he says affected many historical figures who developed prominent careers, such as physicists Albert Einstein,[60] Edward Teller, and Richard Feynman; mathematician Julia Robinson; and musicians Arthur Rubinstein and Clara Schumann. He makes the case for the theory that some children develop unevenly (asynchronous development) for a period in childhood due to rapid and extraordinary development in the analytical functions of the brain. This may temporarily "rob resources" from neighboring functions such as language development. Sowell disagrees with Simon Baron-Cohen's speculation that Einstein may have had Asperger syndrome.[61]

In a 2009 column titled "The Bush Legacy", Sowell assessed President George W. Bush as "a mixed bag" but "an honorable man."[62] Sowell was strongly critical of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and begrudgingly endorsed Ted Cruz in the 2016 Republican presidential primaries, criticizing him as well, and stating that "we can only make our choices among those actually available".[63] Sowell indicated that he would vote in the general election against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, due to fears about the appointments Clinton would possibly make to the Supreme Court.

In 2018, he named George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Reagan, and Calvin Coolidge as presidents he liked.[64]

In 2020, Sowell wrote that if the Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election, it could signal a point of no return for the United States, a tipping point akin to the fall of the Roman Empire. In an interview in July 2020, he stated that "the Roman Empire overcame many problems in its long history but eventually it reached a point where it could no longer continue, and much of that was from within, not just the barbarians attacking from outside." Sowell wrote that if Biden became president, the Democratic Party would have an enormous amount of control over the nation, and if this happened, they could twin with the "radical left" and ideas such as defunding the police could come to fruition.[54][65]

During the Republican primary of the 2016 presidential election, Sowell criticized Donald Trump, questioning whether Trump had "any principles at all, other than promoting Donald Trump?"[66] Two weeks before the 2016 presidential election, Sowell recommended voters to vote for Trump over Hillary Clinton. In 2018, when asked on his thoughts of Trump's presidency, Sowell replied, "I think he's better than the previous president."[5]

During interviews in 2019, Sowell defended Trump against charges of racism.[67][68]

Sowell has written about education throughout his career. He has argued for the need for reform of the school system in the United States. In his latest book, Charter Schools and Their Enemies (2020), Sowell compares the educational outcomes of school children educated at charter schools with those at conventional public schools. In his research, Sowell first explains the need and his methodology for choosing comparable students—both ethnically and socioeconomically—before listing his findings. He presents the case that charter schools on the whole do significantly better in terms of educational outcomes than conventional schools.[69][70][71]

Sowell argues that many U.S. schools are failing children; contends that "indoctrination" has taken the place of proper education; and argues that teachers' unions have promoted harmful education policies. Sowell contends that many schools have become monopolies for educational bureaucracies.[72]

In his book Education: Assumptions Versus History (1986), Sowell analyzes the state of education in U.S. schools and universities. In particular, he examines the experiences of blacks and other ethnic groups in the American education system and identifies the factors and patterns behind both success and failure.[73]

• 1971. Economics: Analysis and Issues. Scott Foresman & Co.
• 1972. Black Education: Myths and Tragedies. David McKay Co. . ISBN 0-679-30015-5 .
• 1972. Say's Law: An Historical Analysis. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-04166-7.
• 1974. Classical Economics Reconsidered. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-00358-0.
• 1975. Race and Economics. David McKay Co. ISBN 978-0-679-30262-9.
• 1980. Knowledge and Decisions. Basic Books. ISBN 978-0-465-03736-0.
• 1981. Ethnic America: A History . Basic Books. ISBN 0-465-02074-7 .
  • Chapter 1, "The American Mosaic ."
• 1981. Markets and Minorities. Basic Books. ISBN 0-465-04399-2 .
• 1981. Pink and Brown People: and Other Controversial Essays . Hoover Press . ISBN 0-8179-7532-2.
• 1983. The Economics and Politics of Race. William Morrow. ISBN 0-688-01891-2.
• 1984. Civil Rights: Rhetoric or Reality? William Morrow. ISBN 0-688-03113-7.
• 1985. Marxism: Philosophy and Economics. Quill. ISBN 0-688-06426-4.
• 1986. Education: Assumptions Versus History. Hoover Press. ISBN 0-8179-8112-8.
• 1987. A Conflict of Visions: Ideological Origins of Political Struggles . William Morrow. ISBN 0-688-06912-6 .
• 1987. Compassion Versus Guilt and Other Essays. William Morrow. ISBN 0-688-07114-7.
• 1990. Preferential Policies: An International Perspective. ISBN 0-688-08599-7
• 1993. Inside American Education. New York: The Free Press. ISBN 0-7432-5408-2.
• 1993. Is Reality Optional?: and Other Essays. Hoover. ISBN 978-0-8179-9262-0.
• 1995. Race and Culture: A World View. ISBN 0-465-06796-4.
• 1995. The Vision of the Anointed: Self-Congratulation As a Basis for Social Policy. Basic Books. ISBN 0-465-08995-X.
• 1996. Migrations and Cultures: A World View. ISBN 0-465-04589-8. OCLC 41748039.
• 1998. Conquests and Cultures: An International History. ISBN 0-465-01400-3.
• 1998. Late-Talking Children. ISBN 0-465-03835-2.
• 1999. The Quest for Cosmic Justice . ISBN 0-684-86463-0.
• 2000. A Personal Odyssey. ISBN 0-684-86465-7.
• 2000. Basic Economics: A Citizen's Guide to the Economy (1st ed.) . Basic Books. ISBN 0-465-08145-2.
• 2002. Controversial Essays. Hoover. ISBN 0-8179-2992-4.
• 2002. The Einstein Syndrome: Bright Children Who Talk Late. ISBN 0-465-08141-X.
• 2003. Applied Economics: Thinking Beyond Stage One. ISBN 0-465-08143-6.
• 2004. Affirmative Action Around the World: An Empirical Study . New Haven, CT: Yale University Press . ISBN 978-0-300-10775-3 .
• 2004. Basic Economics: A Citizen's Guide to the Economy (revised and expanded ed.). New York: Basic Books.
• 2005. Black Rednecks and White Liberals. San Francisco: Encounter Books. ISBN 978-1-59403-086-4.
• 2006. Ever Wonder Why?: and Other Controversial Essays . Stanford, CA: Hoover Institution Press. ISBN 978-0-8179-4752-1. OCLC 253604328. ASIN 0817947523 .
• 2006. On Classical Economics. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-12606-8.[107]
• 2007. A Man of Letters. San Francisco, CA: Encounter Books. ISBN 978-1-59403-196-0.
• 2007. Basic Economics: A Common Sense Guide to the Economy (3rd ed.). Cambridge, MA: Perseus Books. ISBN 978-0-465-00260-3. OCLC 76897806.
• 2008. Applied Economics: Thinking Beyond Stage One (2nd ed.). Basic Books. ISBN 978-0-465-00345-7 . OCLC 260206351 .
• 2008. Economic Facts and Fallacies . Basic Books. ISBN 978-0-465-00349-5. OCLC 1033591370. ASIN 0465003494.
• 2009. The Housing Boom and Bust. Basic Books. ISBN 978-0-465-01880-2.
  • Chapter 5, "The Past and the Future."
• 2010. Basic Economics: A Common Sense Guide to the Economy (4th ed.). Cambridge, MA: Perseus Books. ISBN 978-0-465-02252-6.
• 2010. Dismantling America: and Other Controversial Essays. Basic Books. ISBN 978-0-465-02251-9 . OCLC 688505777 .
• 2010. Intellectuals and Society . Basic Books. ISBN 978-0-465-01948-9 . Lay summary .
• 2011. The Thomas Sowell Reader. Basic Books. ISBN 978-0-465-02250-2.
• 2011. Economic Facts and Fallacies, 2nd edition. Basic Books. ISBN 978-0465022038
• 2013. Intellectuals and Race. Basic Books. ISBN 978-0-465-05872-3.
• 2014. Basic Economics: A Common Sense Guide to the Economy (5th ed.). New York: Basic Books. ISBN 978-0-465-06073-3.
• 2015. Wealth, Poverty and Politics: An International Perspective.[108]
• 2016. Wealth, Poverty and Politics: An International Perspective (2nd ed.). ISBN 978-0-465-09676-3.
• 2018. Discrimination and Disparities. ISBN 978-1-541-64560-8.
• 2019. Discrimination and Disparities (revised, enlarged ed.) ISBN 978-1-541-64563-9.
• 2020. Charter Schools and Their Enemies. ISBN 978-1-541-67513-1.

• Sowell, Thomas (May 1973). "Arthur Jensen and His Critics: The Great IQ Controversy". Change. 5 (4): 33–37. doi:10.1080/00091383.1973.10568506. JSTOR 40161749.
• 1975. "Affirmative Action Reconsidered. Was It Necessary in Academia?" (Evaluation Studies 27). Washington, DC: American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research. ISBN 0-8447-3199-4. LCC 75-42779.
• 1979. "Status versus Behavior." Washington University Law Review 1979(1):179–188.
• 1982. "Weber and Bakke, and the Presuppositions of 'Affirmative Action'." pp. 37–63 in Discrimination, Affirmative Action, and Equal Opportunity: An Economic and Social Perspective, edited by W. E. Block and M. A. Walker. Fraser Institute. CiteSeer^x: 10.1.1.456.9623.
• 2002. "The Education of Minority Children." pp. 79–92 in Education in the Twenty-First Century, edited by E. P. Lazear. Stanford, CA: Hoover Institution Press. Available via eText.
• 2002. "Discrimination, Economics, and Culture." pp. 167–180 in Beyond the Color Line: New Perspectives on Race and Ethnicity in America, edited by A. Thernstrom and S. Thernstrom. Hoover Institution Press.
• 2012. "'Trickle Down' Theory and 'Tax Cuts for the Rich'" (Hoover Institution Press Publication 635) Stanford, CA: Hoover Institution Press. ISBN 978-0-8179-1615-2. Google Books: EY3prsH-5bwC.