Albert Jay Nock
Albert Jay Nock
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Full Name and Common Aliases
Albert Jay Nock was born on October 13, 1870, in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He is often referred to by his middle name, Jay.
Birth and Death Dates
Born: October 13, 1870
Died: August 19, 1945
Nationality and Profession(s)
Nock was an American writer, educator, and philosopher. His work spanned various genres, including literature, philosophy, and history.
Early Life and Background
Albert Jay Nock grew up in a family of modest means. His father was a lawyer, and his mother came from a long line of Quakers. Nock's early life was marked by a strong emphasis on self-reliance and individualism, values that would later influence his writing.
Education
Nock attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied literature and philosophy. He went on to earn his Ph.D. in comparative literature from Harvard University.
Major Accomplishments
As a writer and philosopher, Nock made significant contributions to American intellectual life. Some of his notable achievements include:
Founding the magazine 'The Freeman': In 1920, Nock co-founded The Freeman with Albert Jay Nock, a bi-weekly journal that advocated for individualism and limited government.
Authorship of influential books: Nock wrote several books on topics such as economics, philosophy, and history. His most notable works include 'A Journey into Raghindranath Tagore's India' (1923), 'The Theory of Education in the United States' (1932), and 'Our Enemy, the State' (1943).
Criticism of government intervention: Nock was a vocal critic of government intervention in economic matters. He argued that excessive state regulation stifled individual freedom and creativity.Notable Works or Actions
In addition to his writing, Nock was also involved in various other projects:
Editorial work: Nock served as the editor of The Freeman from 1920 to 1924.
* Lectures and public speaking: He gave numerous lectures on topics such as economics, philosophy, and education.
Impact and Legacy
Nock's ideas had a lasting impact on American intellectual life. His critiques of government intervention and emphasis on individual freedom continue to influence contemporary debates about politics and economics.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Albert Jay Nock is widely quoted for his insightful commentary on politics, economics, and philosophy. His writings offer a unique perspective on the role of government in society and have been cited by scholars and policymakers alike.
Nock's legacy extends beyond his written works. As a founder of The Freeman magazine and a vocal advocate for individualism, he played a significant role in shaping American intellectual discourse.
Quotes by Albert Jay Nock
Albert Jay Nock's insights on:
It is unfortunately none to well understood that, just as the State has no money of its own, so it has no power of its own. All the power it has is what society gives it, plus what confiscates from time to time on one pretext or another. There is never, nor can there be, any strengthening of State power without a corresponding and roughly equivalent depletion of social power.
Any expectation of an essential change of regime through a change of party-administration is illusory.
State power has an unbroken record of inability to do anything efficiently, economically, disinterestedly or honestly; yet when the slightest dissatisfaction arises over any exercise of social power, the aid of the agent least qualified to give aid is immediately called for.
State power has not only been thus concentrated at Washington, but it has been so far concentrated into the hands of the Executive that the existing regime is a regime of personal government. It is nominally republican, but actually monocratic; a curious anomaly, but highly characteristic of a people little gifted with intellectual integrity.
Teaching English literature would have seemed to us like teaching a hungry man the way to his mouth when he had a feast before him. Almost.
Instead of recognizing the State as “the common enemy of all well-disposed, industrious and decent men,” the run of mankind, with rare exceptions, regards it not only as a final and indispensable entity, but also as, in the main, beneficent.
The most important extra-curricular lesson we learned, – and we learned it properly, – was summed up in Chief Justice Jay’s dictum that “justice is always the same, whether it be due from one man to a million, or from a million to one man.” We learned this, not by precept, but by example, which is the best way to learn such lessons. In.
As I understand the term, it is of the very essence of democracy that the individual citizen shall be invested with the inalienable and sovereign right to make an ass of himself; and furthermore, that he shall be invested with the sovereign right of publicity to tell all the world that he is doing so.
Passing from the tyranny of Charles I to the tyranny of Cromwell is like taking a turn in a revolving door; the exertion merely puts you back where you started. If every jobholder in Washington were driven into the Potomac tonight, their places would be taken tomorrow by others precisely like them.