Monthly Archives: October 2020

My next “Advanced Topics in Law” class is devoted to illicit promises, such as the informal agreement between Don Corleone and the undertaker in the opening scene of The Godfather (Part 1) or the illegal partnership agreements so memorably depicted … Continue reading →

Here is yet another extended excerpt from my work-in-progress “Adam Smith in Love” (update: this excerpt was revised on 10/31): Ian Simpson Ross, who has written the definitive biography of Adam Smith’s life, provides the most comprehensive picture to date … Continue reading →

Following up on my previous post in praise of Juan R. Torruella, the first federal appellate judge from the Island of Puerto Rico who died on Monday, Oct. 26 at the age of 87, I forgot to mention that Judge … Continue reading →

Originally posted on prior probability:
Update (10/28): I made significant revisions to this part of my “Adam Smith in Love” paper. Previously, I described three pieces of evidence regarding Adam Smith’s love life: (i) an obscure but intriguing footnote in…

My beloved and enchanted Island of Puerto Rico, where I taught Roman Law and Constitutional Theory from 1998 to 2009, has lost another larger-than-life legend: Judge Juan Torruella (pictured below), who died at the age of 87 on Monday, October … Continue reading →

Originally posted on prior probability:
As you may or may not recall, Peter Thiel–the crypto-libertarian tech billionaire who made his massive fortune via PayPal, Facebook, and other startup ventures–publicly supported candidate Donald J. Trump during the previous presidential election cycle.…

Update (10/28): I made significant revisions to this part of my “Adam Smith in Love” paper. Previously, I described three pieces of evidence regarding Adam Smith’s love life: (i) an obscure but intriguing footnote in Dugald Stewart’s 1793 biography of … Continue reading →

Here is another extended excerpt from my forthcoming research article “Adam Smith in Love“:

Why did Adam Smith remain a bachelor his entire life? Did he at least have any love affairs? Here is a catalogue of my three most recent “Adam Smith in Love” blog posts: Love and Liberty Adam Smith “on” Love … Continue reading →