Socialists have since the mid-19th century claimed the ethical high ground against conservatives and (19th-century) liberals. Let us help the poor, the socialists say. And so we all should. But the claim to virtue is faulty, both as theory and as practice. In a free society a bourgeois ethic should rule, not top-down direction by the great and good.

For a complete list of speakers, topics, and dates of the Free Markets: The Ethical Economic Choice speaker series visit heritage.org/free-markets.