Libertarian commentator Charles Murray spoke last night to an audience in McCosh 46 on why he thinks social welfare programs prevent poor people from escaping poverty.
The lecture was sponsored by the Whig-Cliosophic Society and was entitled 'Why Strictly Limited Government Offers the Best Chance for those on the Bottom of Society to Live Satisfying Lives.'
"Modernity in general and the way that a lot of nation-states are governed are draining the ways in which people have access to a satisfying life," Murray said. He defined happiness as justified satisfaction with family, vocation, and community.
Murray said in the example of a dock worker making nine dollars, he might be satisfied with his work, as long as it provides meaningful benefits for his family.
"Is [the work] important? Yes, if it makes his family better off than if he stopped working," he said.
A welfare program that is comparable in benefits to low-wage jobs is therefore a disincentive to work and an attack on the role of the man as a supporter of the family, he said.
"In most human communities, for many centuries to be a man was defined in terms of being a father and a spouse," Murray said. Safety nets, he said, have eroded the male sense of responsibility in poor communities.
Murray said the breakdown of the family is a characteristic of the underclass, irrespective of race. "When you have a generation of men raised without fathers, you raise a class of barbarians," he said.
Too much emphasis is placed on providing equal opportunities for an unequal population, he said. "Fifty percent of people are below average in any quality– IQ, charm, beauty," he said.
Regardless of efforts to level the field, there will still be an element of the population that lacks talent and will not be successful, he said. "That does not mean they are unequal in human dignity," he said.
Murray responded to many questions from the audience about the fate of the needy if the government's safety net were removed.
He cited the example of hunger and poverty rates in the United States before large-scale social programs.
"With few exceptions, that number was going down in the '30s, '40s, and '50s," he said. "Social problems did not start going the right way when money arrived."
Murray is widely known for his books 'Losing Ground,' on the failure of social programs, and 'The Bell Curve,' on race and intelligence, which made the controversial claim that IQ is tied to race.
He is a senior fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C.
Read More
Students weigh in on changes to hours at Murray-Dodge Café
Eojin ParkMurray-Dodge’s hours have been cut nearly in half. Previously, Murray-Dodge was open from 3 p.m. to midnight every day. Amid other closures of campus cafes, its hours have been reduced to 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily.
Murray-Dodge’s hours have been cut nearly in half. Previously, Murray-Dodge was open from 3 p.m. to midnight every day. Amid other closures of campus cafes, its hours have been reduced to 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson reflects on path to the Supreme Court in campus lecture
Isaac Bernstein and Justus WilhoitAt Princeton’s Harlan Lecture, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson discussed her journey to the Supreme Court, the power of dissenting opinions, and the importance of inspiring future generations.
At Princeton’s Harlan Lecture, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson discussed her journey to the Supreme Court, the power of dissenting opinions, and the importance of inspiring future generations.
Student employment in flux as University navigates budget cuts
Kian PetlinThe future of student employment remains uncertain amid budget cuts, with impacts ranging from reduced hours to staffing shortages.
The future of student employment remains uncertain amid budget cuts, with impacts ranging from reduced hours to staffing shortages.