Thomas Woods
Encyclopedia
Thomas E. "Tom" Woods, Jr. (born August 1, 1972) is an American historian
, economist
, political analyst, and New York Times-bestselling author. He has written extensively on the subjects of American history, contemporary politics, and economic theory. Woods is considered a libertarian
and is a proponent of the Austrian school
of economics.
. However, in a desire to strengthen his ability to argue against students supporting communism switched to majoring in history. A key turning point for the development of Woods' views was his attendance of the 1992 Mises University conference, held by the Ludwig von Mises Institute
, and meeting Austro-libertarian economist Murray Rothbard
while there. He then headed to Columbia University
in 1994 to obtain a Ph.D.
in history. He served as a history department faculty member at Suffolk County Community College
in New York until 2006, and is now a scholar and senior faculty member of the Ludwig von Mises Institute
(LvMI) in Auburn, Alabama
, as well as a member of the editorial board for the institute's Journal of Libertarian Studies
and Libertarian Papers. He is also an associate scholar of the Abbeville Institute.
Woods was present at the founding of the League of the South
, and has contributed to its newsletter. His past membership in the group has generated criticism, but Woods asserts his involvement was limited.
He was an ISI
Richard M. Weaver Fellow in 1995–96. Woods was also the recipient of the 2004 O.P. Alford III Prize for Libertarian Scholarship and of an Olive W. Garvey Fellowship from the Independent Institute
in 2003. He has additionally been awarded two Humane Studies Fellowships and a Claude R. Lambe Fellowship from the Institute for Humane Studies
at George Mason University.
Woods is co-editor of Exploring American History: From Colonial Times to 1877, an eleven-volume encyclopedia.
Woods is a convert to the Roman Catholic Church
and author of The Church and the Market: A Catholic Defense of the Free Economy. He was associate editor of The Latin Mass Magazine
, which advocates traditional Catholicism, for eleven years. As a traditional Catholic, he advocates the Extraordinary Form
of the Mass and cultural conservatism
. His 2005 book, How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization, was the basis for The Catholic Church: Builder of Civilization, a thirteen-episode television which aired on EWTN in 2008. The series examined the Church's influence on law, morality, science, and scholarship.
Woods's writing has appeared in numerous popular and scholarly periodicals, including the American Historical Review
, the Christian Science Monitor, Investor's Business Daily
, Modern Age
, American Studies, Journal of Markets & Morality, New Oxford Review, The Freeman
, Independent Review
, Journal des Economistes et des Etudes Humaines, AD2000, Crisis, Human Rights Review, Catholic Historical Review, and the Catholic Social Science Review. He is a contributing editor of The American Conservative
.
His most popular book to date was the 2004 New York Times bestseller The Politically Incorrect Guide to American History
(Regnery Publishing
, 2004). He was also the author of the 2009 New York Times bestseller Meltdown
(Regnery Publishing
, 2009).
of Americans, Woods makes a sharp distinction between paleoconservative
thinkers with whom he sympathizes, and neoconservative thinkers. In articles, lectures and interviews Woods traces the intellectual and political distinction between the older conservative, or paleoconservative, school of thought and the neoconservative school of thought. Of the latter he writes:
, or preferably, the Articles of Confederation
.
He also hosted an eight-lecture seminar covering the material in his book, The Politically Incorrect Guide to American History, to the Auburn University
Academy for Lifelong Learners, hosted by the Mises Institute. On 14 February 2007, the Intercollegiate Studies Institute
announced that Woods' 2005 book, The Church and the Market, was the winner of the top prize in the books category of the 2006 Templeton Enterprise Awards.
Woods teaches online classes at the Mises Institute's Mises Academy.
He applied this law in an article that discussed tax refund anticipation loans
and efforts to halt such practices, which he argues are based on the assumption that such loans exploit the poor. Calcutta's daily, The Telegraph
cited Woods's Law in reference to the potential effects of the expansion of Wal-Mart
's ventures in India.
In October 2010, Woods coined "Woods' Law #2", which states that,
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
, economist
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
, political analyst, and New York Times-bestselling author. He has written extensively on the subjects of American history, contemporary politics, and economic theory. Woods is considered a libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
and is a proponent of the Austrian school
Austrian School
The Austrian School of economics is a heterodox school of economic thought. It advocates methodological individualism in interpreting economic developments , the theory that money is non-neutral, the theory that the capital structure of economies consists of heterogeneous goods that have...
of economics.
Education and affiliations
Woods graduated high school in 1990 and intended to major in math entering Harvard UniversityHarvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. However, in a desire to strengthen his ability to argue against students supporting communism switched to majoring in history. A key turning point for the development of Woods' views was his attendance of the 1992 Mises University conference, held by the Ludwig von Mises Institute
Ludwig von Mises Institute
The Ludwig von Mises Institute , based in Auburn, Alabama, is a libertarian academic organization engaged in research and scholarship in the fields of economics, philosophy and political economy. Its scholarship is inspired by the work of Austrian School economist Ludwig von Mises...
, and meeting Austro-libertarian economist Murray Rothbard
Murray Rothbard
Murray Newton Rothbard was an American author and economist of the Austrian School who helped define capitalist libertarianism and popularized a form of free-market anarchism he termed "anarcho-capitalism." Rothbard wrote over twenty books and is considered a centrally important figure in the...
while there. He then headed to Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in 1994 to obtain a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in history. He served as a history department faculty member at Suffolk County Community College
Suffolk County Community College
Suffolk County Community College is a two-year public college on Long Island, NY sponsored by SUNY and Suffolk County, New York in the USA....
in New York until 2006, and is now a scholar and senior faculty member of the Ludwig von Mises Institute
Ludwig von Mises Institute
The Ludwig von Mises Institute , based in Auburn, Alabama, is a libertarian academic organization engaged in research and scholarship in the fields of economics, philosophy and political economy. Its scholarship is inspired by the work of Austrian School economist Ludwig von Mises...
(LvMI) in Auburn, Alabama
Auburn, Alabama
Auburn is a city in Lee County, Alabama, United States. It is the largest city in eastern Alabama with a 2010 population of 53,380. It is a principal city of the Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan Area...
, as well as a member of the editorial board for the institute's Journal of Libertarian Studies
Journal of Libertarian Studies
The Journal of Libertarian Studies is a scholarly journal published annually by the Ludwig von Mises Institute and Lew Rockwell. It was established in the spring of 1977 by Murray Rothbard who also served as its editor until his death in 1995...
and Libertarian Papers. He is also an associate scholar of the Abbeville Institute.
Woods was present at the founding of the League of the South
League of the South
The League of the South is a Southern nationalist organization, headquartered in Killen, Alabama, which states that its ultimate goal is "a free and independent Southern republic." The group defines the Southern United States as the states that made up the former Confederacy...
, and has contributed to its newsletter. His past membership in the group has generated criticism, but Woods asserts his involvement was limited.
He was an ISI
Intercollegiate Studies Institute
The Intercollegiate Studies Institute, Inc., or ', is a non-profit educational organization founded in 1953 as the Intercollegiate Society of Individualists...
Richard M. Weaver Fellow in 1995–96. Woods was also the recipient of the 2004 O.P. Alford III Prize for Libertarian Scholarship and of an Olive W. Garvey Fellowship from the Independent Institute
Independent Institute
The Independent Institute is a libertarian think tank based in Oakland, California. Founded in 1986 byDavid J. Theroux , the Institute sponsors studies of major political, social, economic, legal, environmental and foreign policy issues. It has more than 140 research fellows. The Institute was...
in 2003. He has additionally been awarded two Humane Studies Fellowships and a Claude R. Lambe Fellowship from the Institute for Humane Studies
Institute for Humane Studies
The Institute for Humane Studies is a classical liberal non-profit organization whose stated mission is “to support the achievement of a freer society by discovering and facilitating the development of talented students, scholars, and other intellectuals who share an interest in liberty and in...
at George Mason University.
Woods is co-editor of Exploring American History: From Colonial Times to 1877, an eleven-volume encyclopedia.
Catholicism, history, and political incorrectness
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
and author of The Church and the Market: A Catholic Defense of the Free Economy. He was associate editor of The Latin Mass Magazine
Latin Mass Magazine
The Latin Mass: A Journal of Catholic Culture, commonly referred to as Latin Mass Magazine, is an American Catholic magazine published quarterly, with a traditionalist Catholic viewpoint....
, which advocates traditional Catholicism, for eleven years. As a traditional Catholic, he advocates the Extraordinary Form
Tridentine Mass
The Tridentine Mass is the form of the Roman Rite Mass contained in the typical editions of the Roman Missal that were published from 1570 to 1962. It was the most widely celebrated Mass liturgy in the world until the introduction of the Mass of Paul VI in December 1969...
of the Mass and cultural conservatism
Cultural conservatism
Cultural conservatism is described as the preservation of the heritage of one nation, or of a shared culture that is not defined by national boundaries. Other variants of cultural conservatism are concerned with culture attached to a given language such as Arabic.The shared culture may be as...
. His 2005 book, How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization, was the basis for The Catholic Church: Builder of Civilization, a thirteen-episode television which aired on EWTN in 2008. The series examined the Church's influence on law, morality, science, and scholarship.
Woods's writing has appeared in numerous popular and scholarly periodicals, including the American Historical Review
American Historical Review
The American Historical Review is the official publication of the American Historical Association, established in 1895 "for the promotion of historical studies, the collection and preservation of historical documents and artifacts, and the dissemination of historical research." It targets readers...
, the Christian Science Monitor, Investor's Business Daily
Investor's Business Daily
Investor's Business Daily is a national newspaper in the United States, published Monday through Friday, that covers international business, finance, and the global economy...
, Modern Age
Modern Age
Modern Age is an American conservative academic quarterly journal, founded in 1957 by Russell Kirk in close collaboration with Henry Regnery...
, American Studies, Journal of Markets & Morality, New Oxford Review, The Freeman
The Freeman
The Freeman: Ideas on Liberty is one of the oldest and most respected libertarian journals in the United States. It is published by the Foundation for Economic Education . It started as a digest sized monthly study journal; it currently appears 10 times per year and is a larger-sized magazine. FEE...
, Independent Review
Independent Review
Several magazines, journals, and newspapers have used this title, some of which are:*Independent Review , a now defunct progressive English journal founded, in part, by the historian G.M. Trevelyan in London. Edward Jenks was editor, and members of its editorial board included Trevelyan, G. Lowes...
, Journal des Economistes et des Etudes Humaines, AD2000, Crisis, Human Rights Review, Catholic Historical Review, and the Catholic Social Science Review. He is a contributing editor of The American Conservative
The American Conservative
The American Conservative is a monthly U.S. opinion magazine published by Ron Unz. Its first editor was Scott McConnell, his successors being Kara Hopkins and the present incumbent, Daniel McCarthy....
.
His most popular book to date was the 2004 New York Times bestseller The Politically Incorrect Guide to American History
The Politically Incorrect Guide to American History
The Politically Incorrect Guide to American History, by Thomas Woods, was published in December 2004. This book was the first in the Politically Incorrect Guide series published by Regnery Publishing, who view the series as covering topics without consideration for political correctness. The book...
(Regnery Publishing
Regnery Publishing
Regnery Publishing in Washington, D.C., is a publisher which specializes in conservative books characterized on their website as "contrary to those of 'mainstream' publishers in New York." Since 1993, Regnery Publishing has been a division of Eagle Publishing, which also owns the weekly magazine...
, 2004). He was also the author of the 2009 New York Times bestseller Meltdown
Meltdown (book)
Meltdown is a 2009 book on the global financial crisis of 2007–2010 by historian Thomas Woods, with a foreword by Rep. Ron Paul. Woods is a follower of the Austrian School of economics and believes in allowing the market to freely compete in currency, which he believes would lead to mostly...
(Regnery Publishing
Regnery Publishing
Regnery Publishing in Washington, D.C., is a publisher which specializes in conservative books characterized on their website as "contrary to those of 'mainstream' publishers in New York." Since 1993, Regnery Publishing has been a division of Eagle Publishing, which also owns the weekly magazine...
, 2009).
Views on conservatism
In articles he has written dealing with the political spectrumPolitical spectrum
A political spectrum is a way of modeling different political positions by placing them upon one or more geometric axes symbolizing independent political dimensions....
of Americans, Woods makes a sharp distinction between paleoconservative
Paleoconservatism
Paleoconservatism is a term for a conservative political philosophy found primarily in the United States stressing tradition, limited government, civil society, anti-colonialism, anti-corporatism and anti-federalism, along with religious, regional, national and Western identity. Chilton...
thinkers with whom he sympathizes, and neoconservative thinkers. In articles, lectures and interviews Woods traces the intellectual and political distinction between the older conservative, or paleoconservative, school of thought and the neoconservative school of thought. Of the latter he writes:
- The conservative’s traditional sympathy for the American South and its people and heritage, evident in the works of such great American conservatives as Richard M. WeaverRichard M. WeaverRichard Malcolm Weaver, Jr was an American scholar who taught English at the University of Chicago. He is primarily known as a shaper of mid- 20th century conservatism and as an authority on modern rhetoric...
and Russell KirkRussell KirkRussell Kirk was an American political theorist, moralist, historian, social critic, literary critic, and fiction author known for his influence on 20th century American conservatism. His 1953 book, The Conservative Mind, gave shape to the amorphous post–World War II conservative movement...
, began to disappear.... [T]he neocons are heavily influenced by Woodrow WilsonWoodrow WilsonThomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
, with perhaps a hint of Theodore RooseveltTheodore RooseveltTheodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
.... They believe in an aggressive U.S. presence practically everywhere, and in the spread of democracyDemocracyDemocracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
around the world, by force if necessary.... Neoconservatives tend to want more efficient government agencies; paleoconservatives want fewer government agencies. They generally admire President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his heavily interventionist New DealNew DealThe New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
policies. Neoconservatives have not exactly been known for their budget consciousness, and you won’t hear them talking about making any serious inroads into the federal apparatus.
Reception of Woods' work in academia
In June 2005 Thomas Woods gave a series of ten lectures at the Ludwig von Mises Institute entitled "The Truth About American History: An Austro-Jeffersonian Perspective" as part of a seminar devoted entirely to Woods and his own areas of interest in American history. Woods has called for a strict interpretation of the United States ConstitutionUnited States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
, or preferably, the Articles of Confederation
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation, formally the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, was an agreement among the 13 founding states that legally established the United States of America as a confederation of sovereign states and served as its first constitution...
.
He also hosted an eight-lecture seminar covering the material in his book, The Politically Incorrect Guide to American History, to the Auburn University
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
Academy for Lifelong Learners, hosted by the Mises Institute. On 14 February 2007, the Intercollegiate Studies Institute
Intercollegiate Studies Institute
The Intercollegiate Studies Institute, Inc., or ', is a non-profit educational organization founded in 1953 as the Intercollegiate Society of Individualists...
announced that Woods' 2005 book, The Church and the Market, was the winner of the top prize in the books category of the 2006 Templeton Enterprise Awards.
Woods teaches online classes at the Mises Institute's Mises Academy.
Woods' Laws
In August 2006, Woods coined "Woods' Law," which states that,- Whenever the private sector introduces an innovation that makes the poor better off than they would have been without it, or that offers benefits or terms that no one else is prepared to offer them, someone—in the name of helping the poor—will call for curbing or abolishing it.
He applied this law in an article that discussed tax refund anticipation loans
Refund Anticipation Loan
A refund anticipation loan is a short-term consumer loan secured by a taxpayer’s expected tax refund, and designed to offer customers quicker access to funds than waiting for their tax refund...
and efforts to halt such practices, which he argues are based on the assumption that such loans exploit the poor. Calcutta's daily, The Telegraph
The Telegraph (Kolkata)
The Telegraph is an Indian daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Kolkata since 1982. It is published by the ABP Group and the newspaper vies with the Times of India for the position of having the widest widest circulation of any newspaper in Eastern India.According to the Audit...
cited Woods's Law in reference to the potential effects of the expansion of Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
's ventures in India.
In October 2010, Woods coined "Woods' Law #2", which states that,
- The "progressive" Left always prefers a neoconservative to an antiwar libertarian.
As author
- The Great Façade: Vatican II and the Regime of Novelty in the Catholic Church (co-authored with Christopher FerraraChristopher FerraraChristopher A. Ferrara is a Catholic attorney, pro-life activist, and journalist. He is the founder and current president and Chief Council of the American Catholic Lawyers Association. He is also a regular columnist of The Remnant, a traditionalist Catholic newspaper.- Legal career :Ferrara...
; 2002) ISBN 1-890740-10-1 - The Church Confronts Modernity: Catholic Intellectuals and the Progressive Era (2004) ISBN 0-231-13186-0
- The Politically Incorrect Guide to American HistoryThe Politically Incorrect Guide to American HistoryThe Politically Incorrect Guide to American History, by Thomas Woods, was published in December 2004. This book was the first in the Politically Incorrect Guide series published by Regnery Publishing, who view the series as covering topics without consideration for political correctness. The book...
(2004) ISBN 0-89526-047-6 - The Church and the Market: A Catholic Defense of the Free Economy (2005) ISBN 0-7391-1036-5
- How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization (2005) ISBN 0-89526-038-7
- 33 Questions About American History You're Not Supposed to Ask (2007) ISBN 0307346684
- Sacred Then and Sacred Now: The Return of the Old Latin Mass (2007) ISBN 9780979354021
- W obronie zdrowego rozsadku (2007)
- Who Killed the Constitution?: The Fate of American Liberty from World War I to George W. Bush (co-authored with Kevin GutzmanKevin GutzmanKevin R. Constantine Gutzman is an American historian, Constitutional scholar notable for having written The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Constitution. He is a professor of the Department of History and Non-Western Cultures at Western Connecticut State University. He is an outspoken critic of...
; 2008) ISBN 978-0307405753) - Beyond Distributism (2008)
- MeltdownMeltdown (book)Meltdown is a 2009 book on the global financial crisis of 2007–2010 by historian Thomas Woods, with a foreword by Rep. Ron Paul. Woods is a follower of the Austrian School of economics and believes in allowing the market to freely compete in currency, which he believes would lead to mostly...
: A Free-Market Look at Why the Stock Market Collapsed, the Economy Tanked, and Government Bailouts Will Make Things Worse (February 2009) (ISBN 1-5969-8587-9) & (ISBN 978-1-5969-8587-2) - Nullification: How to Resist Federal Tyranny in the 21st Century (2010) ISBN 1596981490
- Rollback: Repealing Big Government Before the Coming Fiscal Collapse (2011) ISBN 1596981415
External links
- Thomas Woods Official web site (with appearances schedule)
- Thomas Woods archive at LewRockwell.com
- Thomas Woods media archive at Mises.org
- Thomas Woods archive at TakiMag.com
- Thomas Woods archive at HumanEvents.com
- Thomas Woods archive at Independent.org
- Thomas Woods archive at ISI.org
- The Catholic Church: Builder of Civilization