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Stephen Hicks
Stephen Hicks
Stephen Hicks
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Stephen Ronald Craig Hicks (born August 19, 1960) is a Canadian-American philosopher. He teaches at Rockford University, where he also directs the Center for Ethics and Entrepreneurship.[1]

Key Information

Career

[edit]

Hicks earned his Bachelor of Arts (Honours, 1981) and Master of Arts degrees from the University of Guelph, and his Doctor of Philosophy (1991) from Indiana University Bloomington. The title of his doctoral thesis was "Foundationalism and the Genesis of Justification".[2]

Hicks is the author of six books and a documentary. Explaining Postmodernism: Skepticism and Socialism from Rousseau to Foucault (Scholargy, 2004) argues that postmodernism is best understood as a rhetorical strategy of the academic left developed in reaction to the failure of socialism, communism and liberalism.[3]

Additionally, Hicks has published articles and essays on a range of subjects, including entrepreneurism,[4] free speech in academia,[5] the history and development of modern art,[6][7] Ayn Rand's Objectivism,[8] business ethics[9] and the philosophy of education, including a series of YouTube lectures.[10]

Hicks is also the co-editor, with David Kelley, of a critical thinking textbook, The Art of Reasoning: Readings for Logical Analysis (W. W. Norton & Co., second edition, 1998), Entrepreneurial Living with Jennifer Harrolle (CEEF, 2016), Liberalism Pro and Con (Connor Court, 2020), Art: Modern, Postmodern, and Beyond (with Michael Newberry, 2021) and Eight Philosophies of Education (with Andrew C. Colgan, forthcoming, 2023).

Explaining Postmodernism

[edit]

Hicks is known for his book, Explaining Postmodernism.[11] Hicks argues that postmodernism is

"anti-realist, holding that it is impossible to speak meaningfully about an independently existing reality. Postmodernism substitutes instead a social-linguistic, constructionist account of reality. Epistemologically, having rejected the notion of an independently existing reality, postmodernism denies that reason or any other method is a means of acquiring direct knowledge of that reality. . . . Postmodern accounts of human nature are consistently collectivist, holding that individuals’ identities are constructed largely by the social-linguistic groups they are a part of . . . postmodern themes in ethics and politics are characterized by an identification with and sympathy for the groups perceived to be oppressed in the conflicts, and a willingness to enter the fray on their behalf."[12]

Professor Max Hocutt explains that Hick's book addresses two important questions: "why does postmodernist rhetoric display blatant disregard for accuracy and obvious contempt for civility?" and "why have 'postmodernist' intellectuals of the kind you find in English departments and Women's Studies programs, but not the Chemistry department, rejected Enlightenment belief in reason while embracing epistemological relativism and metaphysical nihilism instead?"[13]

Steven M. Sanders, professor emeritus of Philosophy at Bridgewater State College, writes:

With clarity, concision, and an engaging style, Hicks exposes the historical roots and philosophical assumptions of the postmodernist phenomenon. More than that, he raises key questions about the legacy of postmodernism and its implications for our intellectual attitudes and cultural life.[14]

Author and lecturer Matt McManus criticised Explaining Postmodernism as misrepresenting much of Western philosophy and being "full of misreadings, suppositions, rhetorical hyperbole and even flat out factual errors."[15]

Nietzsche and the Nazis

[edit]

Hicks is also known for his documentary and book, Nietzsche and the Nazis, which is an examination of the ideological and philosophical roots of Nazism, particularly how Friedrich Nietzsche's ideas were used and misused by Adolf Hitler and the Nazis to justify their beliefs and practices.[16][17] This was released in 2006 as a video documentary[18] and then in 2010 as a book.[19]

Books

[edit]
  • Liberalism Pro and Con : A Primer (2024)
  • Explaining Postmodernism: Skepticism and Socialism from Rousseau to Foucault (2013)
  • What Business Ethics Can Learn From Entrepreneurship (2011)
  • Nietzsche and the Nazis: A Personal View (2010)
  • Free Speech & Postmodernism (2010)
[edit]

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Stephen Hicks

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Stephen R. C. Hicks is a Canadian-American philosopher and professor specializing in , , and the history of ideas. He holds the position of Professor of Philosophy at in , where he also serves as Executive Director of the Center for and . Hicks earned his Ph.D. and has taught as a visiting professor in at institutions including . His most influential work, Explaining Postmodernism: and Socialism from Rousseau to Foucault (2004), traces the intellectual origins of postmodern relativism to the crisis of socialist ideology following the Enlightenment's empirical successes in science and , arguing that about reason and objective truth persists as a strategy to sustain collectivist politics despite contradictory evidence. This analysis challenges prevailing academic narratives by linking postmodern directly to failed leftist projects, emphasizing causal connections between philosophical premises and political outcomes. Hicks further promotes the integration of with entrepreneurial practice, critiquing modern educational systems for undermining rational in favor of .

Early Life and Education

Formative Years and Influences

Stephen Ronald Craig Hicks was born in 1960 in . He pursued his undergraduate studies at the in , earning a B.A. with honours in 1981, followed by an M.A. from the same institution. These early academic experiences in laid the groundwork for his transition to advanced philosophical training in the United States. Hicks's intellectual development was profoundly shaped by Ayn Rand's , which emphasizes reason, , and as foundational to and . His engagement with Rand's ideas is evident in his analyses of her critiques of and her defense of on philosophical grounds, contrasting it with collectivist alternatives. Hicks has further explored intersections between Rand's and Friedrich Nietzsche's, highlighting shared themes of while noting Rand's explicit rejection of Nietzschean . This focus on and anti-collectivism reflects formative influences that prioritized empirical reasoning and individual agency over skeptical or relativistic philosophies.

Academic Training

Hicks received his in from the in Guelph, , , graduating in 1985 after pursuing a broad liberal curriculum. He continued his graduate studies at the same institution, earning a , with much of his early philosophical training focused there. Subsequently, Hicks pursued doctoral studies in at , completing his Ph.D. there, which marked the culmination of his formal academic training in the field. His dissertation examined aspects of and , aligning with his later scholarly interests in reason and Enlightenment values. While specific completion dates for the master's and Ph.D. are not publicly detailed in primary sources, his graduate work at preceded the Indiana program, positioning him for academic positions by the late .

Academic and Professional Career

Teaching Positions and Roles

Stephen Hicks began his academic teaching career following his Ph.D. in from in 1991, with early positions at and the University of Michigan-Dearborn. Hicks has served as Professor of at in , where he currently holds the position. He assumed the role of of the Philosophy Department in 2009. In addition to his professorial duties, Hicks directs for Ethics and Entrepreneurship at , a position he has held since 2003, through which he develops programs integrating with . He also oversees the Program in , Entrepreneurship, and Public Affairs at the institution.

Directorships and Affiliations

Hicks has held the position of Professor of at in since joining the faculty there. In addition, he serves as Director of for and Entrepreneurship at the same institution, a role focused on integrating philosophical with entrepreneurial principles through educational programs, lectures, and resources. Beyond Rockford University, Hicks is affiliated with The Atlas Society as a Senior Scholar, contributing to its promotion of Objectivist ideas derived from Ayn Rand's philosophy. He also serves on the Board of Advisors for the Liberty Fund, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing classical liberal thought via seminars and publications. Hicks maintains memberships in the Friedrich Nietzsche Society and the North American Nietzsche Society, reflecting his scholarly engagement with Nietzsche's works.

Philosophical Positions

Commitment to Reason and Objectivism

Stephen Hicks maintains that reason is the fundamental means by which humans acquire knowledge and navigate reality, positioning it as indispensable against skepticism and subjectivism. In critiquing postmodern philosophy, he argues that its rejection of objective truth and rational standards stems from a historical resentment toward Enlightenment rationalism, which he defends as the basis for progress in science, ethics, and politics. This stance aligns with Objectivism's axiom that reality is objective and knowable solely through logical integration of perceptual evidence, a principle Hicks endorses in his applications of philosophy to education and business. Hicks' engagement with Objectivism reflects a sympathetic yet developmental approach, viewing Ayn Rand's system as a robust framework centered on metaphysical realism, epistemological , ethical , and political individualism. He has contributed essays applying Objectivist ethics to business contexts, contending that rational self-interest and voluntary exchange underpin productive enterprise, contrasting sharply with collectivist alternatives. As a Senior Scholar at , an organization advocating an expansive interpretation of Objectivism, Hicks emphasizes its compatibility with ongoing intellectual inquiry rather than rigid orthodoxy. Central to Hicks' position is the advocacy for as an "open system," permitting rational elaboration and refinement of its principles without altering foundational tenets. In a 2023 debate with Craig Biddle, Hicks argued that treating as closed to new arguments risks intellectual stagnation, whereas openness fosters deeper validation through critical testing and evidence-based extension, provided consistency with core axioms like the primacy of and the efficacy of reason is preserved. This perspective, shared by , distinguishes Hicks from stricter interpreters who insist on fidelity limited to Rand's explicit formulations, enabling him to integrate Objectivist insights with broader analytic traditions while upholding reason's sovereignty.

Critiques of Irrationalism and Collectivism

Hicks maintains that constitutes a deliberate rejection of reason as the primary tool for acquiring knowledge about reality, substituting subjective or non-cognitive faculties such as , emotion, or arbitrary will in its place. Drawing on the Objectivist emphasis on reason's efficacy, he traces this tradition's origins to Immanuel Kant's epistemological skepticism, which confined human cognition to subjective phenomena and denied direct access to objective reality, thereby necessitating a "" to sustain moral and political commitments. This Kantian foundation, Hicks argues, paved the way for subsequent developments, including Søren Kierkegaard's assertion that " requires the crucifixion of reason," Friedrich Nietzsche's prioritization of instinct and over logical inquiry, and Martin Heidegger's characterization of reason as "the most stiff-necked adversary of thought." In Hicks's view, these positions erode the Enlightenment's rational by promoting an anti-objective that privileges personal authenticity or power assertions, ultimately fostering cultural and political instability as evidenced by the 20th-century rise of totalitarian regimes. Central to Hicks's critique is the interconnection between irrationalism and collectivism, where the former provides the epistemological justification for the latter's ethical demand that individuals subordinate their lives to group entities such as the state, class, or nation. He identifies early manifestations in Jean-Jacques Rousseau's concept of the "general will," which elevates collective sentiment above individual judgment, and in Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel's dialectical , which posits the state as the realization of absolute spirit and declares that "all the worth which the human being possesses… [derives] only through the State." Kant further exemplifies this linkage by endorsing collectivist imperatives, including perpetual peace through enforced moral duty and the acceptance of individual "destruction" for historical progress under nature's providential design. Hicks contends that such philosophies reject the Enlightenment's defense of individual rights and , instead rationalizing socialism's coercive redistribution and suppression of dissent as moral necessities, with empirical failures—like Marxism's unfulfilled predictions of —prompting further retreats into skepticism to evade rational refutation. In Explaining Postmodernism (2004), Hicks synthesizes these critiques to explain postmodernism as an amalgam of skepticism and socialism, wherein irrationalist epistemology—manifest in Jacques Derrida's deconstruction, Michel Foucault's power-knowledge nexus, and Richard Rorty's anti-foundationalism—serves to undermine objective standards that bolster liberal individualism, thereby sustaining collectivist agendas through identity politics and cultural relativism. He argues that this strategic irrationalism emerged prominently after socialism's mid-20th-century crises, such as the Soviet Union's economic stagnations documented in the 1950s and 1960s, compelling intellectuals to abandon universalist arguments for fragmented, group-based egalitarianism. Similarly, in Nietzsche and the Nazis (2000), Hicks examines how Nietzsche's anti-rational vitalism and implicit tribal collectivism—emphasizing hierarchical group dynamics and the "will to power" over egalitarian norms—influenced Nazi ideology's fusion of socialism, nationalism, and racial hierarchy, though he distinguishes Nietzsche's aristocratic elitism from the regime's explicit anti-Semitism. These works underscore Hicks's broader contention that irrationalism and collectivism thrive in tandem by evading causal analysis of individual agency, contrasting with reason's capacity to support free markets and personal autonomy as empirically validated by post-Enlightenment advancements in science and prosperity from 1750 to 1900.

Major Publications

Explaining Postmodernism

Explaining Postmodernism: Skepticism and Socialism from Rousseau to Foucault is a 2004 book by Stephen R. C. Hicks, published by Scholargy Publishing, with an expanded edition released in 2011 by Ockham's Razor Publishing that includes additional essays on free speech and the transition from modern to . The work seeks to provide a philosophical and historical explanation for the rise of , arguing that it represents not merely intellectual relativism but a politically motivated rejection of Enlightenment principles. Hicks' central thesis posits postmodernism as the culmination of two intertwined developments: a skeptical epistemology originating in the Counter-Enlightenment and a commitment to socialism hardened by the empirical failures of socialist regimes in the twentieth century. He defines postmodernism metaphysically as anti-realist, denying an objective reality independent of human construction; epistemologically as skeptical-relativist, rejecting reason's capacity to attain certain knowledge; and politically as oriented toward collective power and egalitarian redistribution, often through identity-based group advocacy. According to Hicks, after socialism's catastrophic outcomes—including the deaths of approximately 100 million people under communist regimes and widespread economic stagnation—postmodern thinkers, predominantly from leftist traditions, retreated from rational argumentation to undermine the successful liberal capitalist order that had exposed socialism's flaws. The book traces postmodernism's intellectual lineage beginning with Immanuel Kant's , which Hicks views as initiating by limiting reason's scope to phenomena while deeming noumena unknowable, thus prioritizing subjective experience over objective reality. This is amplified by Jean-Jacques Rousseau's anti-rationalism and collectivism, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel's , and Friedrich Nietzsche's , which collectively form the assault on reason, individualism, and free markets. In the twentieth century, Hicks highlights Martin Heidegger's phenomenology and anti-logical stance as pivotal, influencing key postmodern figures such as , , , and , who advanced , critiques, and grand narrative rejections. Politically, Hicks contends that postmodernism functions as a rhetorical strategy for advancing socialist goals under the guise of , allowing proponents to evade empirical refutation while attacking Enlightenment-derived institutions like , , and . He illustrates this through analyses of how postmodernists deploy selectively—against Western achievements but not against their own egalitarian presuppositions—revealing an underlying absolutism masked as pluralism. The expanded edition extends this framework to cultural domains, arguing that postmodern art's embrace of ugliness and mirrors the philosophical shift from objective standards to subjective power dynamics.

Nietzsche and the Nazis

Nietzsche and the Nazis is a documentary and accompanying by Stephen Hicks, published in by Ockham's Razor Publishing in 2010, examining the philosophical connections between Friedrich Nietzsche's ideas and National Socialist ideology. Hicks, a professor of , argues that Nazi drew substantive intellectual support from Nietzsche's critique of modernity and emphasis on power dynamics, rather than mere superficial appropriation or forgery by figures like Nietzsche's sister . The work originated as a 2-hour-45-minute video presentation tracing Nazism's ideological foundations to pre-World War I German intellectual currents, including Nietzsche's influence on thinkers who shaped Nazi doctrine. Hicks critiques standard historical explanations for Nazism's rise—such as the , economic depression, or personal pathologies of leaders like —as insufficient, arguing they fail to account for the movement's broad appeal among educated Germans and its coherent worldview. Instead, he emphasizes philosophical preconditions: a rejection of Enlightenment , , and in favor of , collectivism, and power worship, which Nietzsche exemplified through concepts like the and the dichotomy between "herd" morality and aristocratic values. This framework, Hicks contends, provided Nazis with an intellectually respectable basis for their , explaining why figures like and other academics endorsed the regime. Central to Hicks' analysis is Nietzsche's anti-egalitarian stance, which dismissed democratic equality as a symptom of decadence and advocated a hierarchical order where exceptional individuals or groups impose their will. Nazis adapted this into racial collectivism, viewing the volk as a superior "master race" destined to dominate through strength and conquest, aligning with Nietzsche's praise for ancient tribal societies over modern liberal states. The , interpreted politically by Nazis as the fundamental drive for expansion and subjugation, justified and as expressions of vital life forces against "weak" universalist . Hicks notes that while Nietzsche critiqued modernity's and Christianity-derived morality, Nazis extended this to a tribal that echoed Nietzsche's romanticization of pre-modern cultures. Hicks acknowledges points of divergence, asserting Nietzsche opposed biological racism and anti-Semitism, viewing Jews as culturally assimilable and criticizing racial theories as crude. He argues Nazis selectively interpreted or distorted elements like the "blond beast" metaphor from Nietzsche's On the Genealogy of Morality (1887), applying it literally to supremacy rather than as a psychological archetype. Nonetheless, Hicks maintains the overall compatibility: both Nietzsche and Nazis rejected , , and , favoring a cult of power and instinct over reason and rights. In conclusion, Hicks posits that Nietzsche's philosophy offered a sophisticated anti-modern toolkit that Nazis intellectualized into a totalitarian program, countering claims of wholesale by highlighting shared premises , , and value creation. This lineage, per Hicks, underscores how philosophical irrationalism can underpin mass movements, with representing a application of Nietzschean twisted into state-enforced . The work has been praised for clarifying Nazi ideology's non-contingent roots but critiqued for understating Nietzsche's own racialist undertones in texts like The Antichrist ().

Other Significant Works

In addition to his major books on postmodernism and Nietzsche, Hicks has produced several other works addressing free speech, liberalism, art, and business ethics. Free Speech and Postmodernism, published in 2008 as a 26-page pamphlet by the Center for Ethics and Entrepreneurship, expands on a 2002 essay originally delivered as lectures. In it, Hicks contends that postmodern skepticism erodes the rational foundations of free speech, replacing open debate with identity-based power struggles and group warfare on campuses. Liberalism Pro and Con: A Primer, released in 2020 by Connor Court Publishing and updated as an e-book in 2024, systematically outlines the strongest arguments both supporting and critiquing . Hicks structures the book to present pro-liberalism cases—rooted in individual rights, markets, and —alongside counterarguments from conservatives, socialists, and postmodernists, emphasizing empirical historical outcomes and philosophical consistency over ideological preference. The work spans approximately 200 pages and has been translated into languages including Spanish. Hicks also authored Art: Modern, Postmodern, and Beyond (2022), a concise analysis tracing the shift from representational art to and . He attributes modernism's rise to philosophical anti-reason trends post-Kant, arguing that further trivializes by prioritizing shock and politics over skill or beauty, leading to institutional decline in the evidenced by plummeting attendance and sales data for traditional works since the mid-20th century. Other contributions include peer-reviewed articles such as " in Nietzsche and Rand" (2009) in The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies, which compares across the two thinkers using textual analysis of primary sources, and "What Can Learn from " (2015), applying first-hand entrepreneurial case studies to critique academic for overemphasizing compliance over value creation.

Reception and Impact

Positive Assessments

Philosophers and commentators aligned with Enlightenment values have praised Stephen Hicks for his rigorous historical and philosophical analysis in Explaining Postmodernism: and from Rousseau to Foucault (2004), which traces postmodern and to modern and collectivist ideologies. Tibor Machan, a professor of at , endorsed the book unequivocally, calling it "a great but very scary read" for its incisive demonstration of how serves as a rationalization for despite its epistemological self-undermining. Machan highlighted Hicks' success in connecting disparate thinkers from Kant to Foucault, arguing that the work illuminates the intellectual genealogy of contemporary cultural pathologies without resorting to attacks. Steven Sanders, a , commended the book's "clarity, concision, and engaging style," noting its effective exposure of postmodernism's roots in the rejection of reason and , making complex ideas accessible to non-specialists while maintaining scholarly depth. Reviewers in libertarian outlets, such as The Independent Review, described it as an "ambitious and successful attempt" to explain the persistence of anti-capitalist sentiments through , praising Hicks' evidence-based linkage of Rousseau's to Foucault's critiques. Hicks' Nietzsche and the Nazis: A Personal View (2006) has received acclaim for its application of similar methods to unpack Friedrich Nietzsche's influence on National Socialism, with commentators appreciating the detailed textual analysis showing how Nietzsche's anti-egalitarian and master morality concepts were selectively appropriated by Nazi ideologues like . David Gordon, in the Mises Review, acknowledged Hicks' philosophical acumen despite minor reservations, valuing the work's contribution to debunking romanticized views of Nietzsche by grounding claims in primary sources from Nietzsche's corpus and Nazi writings. Overall, Hicks' oeuvre is valued in pro-reason intellectual circles for defending objective truth and free markets against irrationalist trends, with his lectures and writings cited as influential in educating audiences on the causal links between ideas and historical outcomes.

Criticisms and Debates

Critics of Hicks' Explaining Postmodernism (2004, expanded 2011) have argued that his portrayal of as a direct outgrowth of failed socialist projects and anti-realist oversimplifies diverse philosophical traditions, reducing thinkers like and to politically opportunistic skeptics without engaging their linguistic and epistemological innovations. Philosopher Jonas Čeika, in a 2018 video analysis, contended that Hicks conflates with and while ignoring internal debates on power structures and knowledge production, attributing this to Hicks' libertarian framework prioritizing over relational analyses. David Gordon's 2005 review in the Mises Review praised the book's scope but raised reservations about specific interpretations, including an uncharitable reading of Foucault's "end of man" as implying human extermination rather than critiquing anthropocentric humanism, and a controversial of Kant's phenomenal with a privatized unreality requiring more argumentative defense. Gordon also faulted Hicks for applying a rigid faith-reason to , overlooking rationalist elements in figures like and . Hicks has faced accusations of historical distortion, particularly in lectures and writings depicting the (c. 400–1000 CE) as a "Dark Age" of Church-induced stagnation, including erroneous claims of Charlemagne's illiteracy—contradicted by contemporary accounts of his Latin proficiency—and fabricated threats of against and for Aristotelian influences. Such critiques, often from secular historians rejecting traditional "Dark Ages" narratives, highlight Hicks' alignment with Enlightenment-era over revisionist scholarship emphasizing continuities like the . In response, Hicks has defended his as a causal tracing of ideas from Rousseau's through Kantian to postmodern , arguing that critics—frequently from academia's left-leaning philosophical establishment—evade the empirical pattern of postmodernists' selective rationality serving collectivist ends, as seen in their endorsement of over universal principles. He addressed a Multiversity Project (2020) questioning postmodernism's political neutrality by upcoming responses emphasizing philosophy's inescapable worldview implications. Debates over Nietzsche and the Nazis (2006) focus on the philosopher's ideological legacy, with Hicks contending that Nazis appropriated Nietzsche's "" and anti-egalitarianism but subverted his aristocratic into volkish collectivism, sharing cultural soil in yet diverging on key ethics. Some online philosophy discussions challenge Hicks' portrayal of Nietzsche as insufficiently collectivist, arguing it underplays parallels between Thus Spoke Zarathustra's and Nazi superman mythology, though Hicks counters with textual evidence of Nietzsche's disdain for and anti-Semitism. These exchanges underscore broader tensions between Objectivist deconstructions of and historicist readings sympathetic to Nietzsche's cultural critiques.

Influence on Contemporary Thought

Hicks' analysis in Explaining Postmodernism: Skepticism and Socialism from Rousseau to Foucault (2004, expanded 2011) has informed contemporary debates on the intellectual roots of and anti-capitalist ideologies, positing that arose as a response to the empirical failures of in the , leading thinkers to reject objective reason in favor of subjective narratives and power critiques. This framework has gained traction among intellectuals challenging dominant academic narratives, where Hicks argues that about knowledge underpins both and collectivist politics, influencing discussions on and institutional biases. The book's explanatory model, including its schematic tracing of philosophical shifts from Kantian subjectivism to Foucault's power ontology, has been adopted by figures like Jordan Peterson, who referenced Hicks' work in lectures and engaged him directly in 2017 dialogues diagnosing postmodernism's role in eroding Enlightenment commitments to truth and liberty. Peterson's incorporation of Hicks' ideas, such as the linkage between failed collectivism and epistemic nihilism, has amplified their reach in public discourse on free speech and cultural decline, with the 2004 text cited as a key resource for understanding these dynamics. In libertarian and Objectivist communities, Hicks' defenses of rational egoism and market ethics—drawing from Ayn Rand while critiquing irrationalist alternatives—have bolstered arguments for individualism against postmodern collectivism, as seen in his engagements with the Atlas Society and contributions to journals like Reason Papers. His lectures, including those on Peterson Academy since 2023, extend this influence by educating audiences on the evolution of political philosophy from Rawlsian egalitarianism to 21st-century identity-driven movements, emphasizing causal links between ideas and societal outcomes. Hicks' emphasis on first-principles reasoning in and has also impacted online philosophical , with his multi-lecture series on reviewed for clarifying key arguments from Enlightenment figures to 20th-century skeptics, thereby countering relativistic trends in and media. This approach resonates particularly outside mainstream academia, where sources note systemic preferences for progressive frameworks limit engagement with Hicks' causal-historical method.

Recent Activities

Lectures and Media Engagements

Hicks has produced and delivered numerous online lecture series focused on philosophical history and , often through platforms affiliated with his role as of the Center for Ethics and Entrepreneurship at . His YouTube channel, dedicated to the , features multi-part video lectures covering topics from the to modern , with episodes such as "Lecture 4: Through the " and discussions on economics versus in the context of Keynes and , dated October 22, 2025. In collaboration with Peterson Academy, Hicks has released extended course series in recent years, including a nine-hour course on available as of July 2025, a ten-hour course on Logic emphasizing principles and applications, and an eight-lecture series tracing the evolution of modern political philosophies from tensions to contemporary debates, promoted on August 2, 2025. He also recorded additional content in Phoenix studios during July 2025. Hicks participated in a live webinar on "Public Choice Theory and the Politics of Self-Interest" on September 25, 2025, co-hosted with Richard Salsman by The Atlas Society, exploring the economic analysis of political behavior and self-interest in policy. As a Senior Scholar for The Atlas Society, he contributes to their video lectures and discussions on Objectivist philosophy and related themes. In media engagements, Hicks has made multiple appearances on The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast, including a March 27, 2019, episode on and , and a November 25, 2024, discussion titled "Reality and the Philosophical Framing of the Truth," addressing the role of in shaping perceptions of and truth through their joint Peterson Academy collaboration. Other notable interviews include a June 14, 2021, conversation with on philosophical influences, a June 18, 2020, analysis of and , and a February 1, 2024, podcast on 's worldview transformations.

Ongoing Projects

Hicks serves as executive director of the Center for Ethics and Entrepreneurship at , an initiative focused on exploring the intersections of , , and free-market principles through seminars, research, and educational programs. The center continues to host events and develop resources promoting individual initiative and moral foundations of capitalism, with Hicks contributing ongoing lectures and materials aligned with its mission. In recent years, Hicks has expanded his educational outreach via online courses on Peterson Academy, including multi-lecture series on , , and Philosophy of Politics. As of October 2025, he released Lecture 8 of on J.S. Mill and (October 26), Lecture 4 of on Enlightenment thinkers from Galileo to Locke (October 25), and Lecture 8 of Philosophy of Politics contrasting and (October 22), indicating active development and dissemination of these curricula. Hicks maintains the Open College Podcast, featuring discussions on philosophical topics, , and , with episodes continuing to be produced and archived on his . These efforts reflect his sustained commitment to accessible philosophical , building on prior works like the co-authored Eight Philosophies of Education (published ), which analyzes historical approaches to .

References

  1. https://philpeople.org/profiles/stephen-r-c-hicks
  2. https://www.atlassociety.org/staff-trustees-and-authors/stephen-hicks
  3. https://www.stephenhicks.org/courses-2/
  4. https://mises.org/mises-review/explaining-postmodernism-skepticism-and-socialism-rousseau-foucault-stephen-r-c-hicks
  5. https://www.independent.org/tir/2005-fall/explaining-postmodernism/
  6. https://petersonacademy.com/instructors/stephen-hicks
  7. https://www.stephenhicks.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Canlorbe-Questions-Stephen-Hicks.pdf
  8. https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0037G73AY/about
  9. https://www.atlassociety.org/post/stephen-hicks-ph-d
  10. https://www.atlassociety.org/post/interview-with-stephen-hicks
  11. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Stephen-Hicks-3/publication/296746484_Egoism_in_Nietzsche_and_Rand/links/649c524d95bbbe0c6efd935b/Egoism-in-Nietzsche-and-Rand.pdf
  12. https://www.stephenhicks.org/biography/
  13. https://heartland.org/about-us/who-we-are/stephen-hicks/
  14. https://heartland.org/about-us/who-we-are/stephen-hicks
  15. https://rockford.academia.edu/SHicks
  16. https://www.atlassociety.org/post/the-postmodern-assault-on-reason-2
  17. https://www.stephenhicks.org/intellectual-history/objectivism/
  18. https://www.stephenhicks.org/2023/04/10/open-vs-closed-objectivism-stephen-hicks-craig-biddle-debate/
  19. https://objectivestandard.org/is-objectivism-a-closed-system-or-an-open-system/
  20. https://www.atlassociety.org/post/open-objectivism
  21. https://www.stephenhicks.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Hicks-EP-Full.pdf
  22. https://www.stephenhicks.org/nietzsche-and-the-nazis/
  23. https://www.goodreads.com/work/editions/28390-explaining-postmodernism-skepticism-and-socialism-from-rousseau-to-fouc
  24. https://www.amazon.com/Explaining-Postmodernism-Skepticism-Socialism-Rousseau/dp/1549509934
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  27. https://www.stephenhicks.org/2010/11/26/kindle-version-of-my-free-speech-postmodernism-essay/
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  31. https://www.stephenhicks.org/2021/03/08/professor-steven-sanders-review-of-explaining-postmodernism/
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  33. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHtvTGaPzF4
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  36. https://www.reddit.com/r/askphilosophy/comments/wn7sqr/stephen_hicks_and_nietzsche/
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  38. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350706213_Why_Postmodernism_Is_Incompatible_with_a_Politics_of_Liberty
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  40. https://www.stephenhicks.org/2018/01/06/peterson-hicks-discussion-on-pomo-transcription/
  41. https://www.philosophyforlife.org/blog/how-postmodernism-became-the-bogeyman-of-the-culture-wars
  42. https://www.atlassociety.org/post/stephen-hicks-on-postmodernism
  43. https://reasonpapers.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/rp451-Debate-Conservatism-Liberalism-Orr-Hicks.pdf
  44. https://petersonacademy.com/courses/the-philosophy-of-politics-part-2
  45. https://petersonacademy.com/courses/the-philosophy-of-ethics
  46. https://www.stephenhicks.org/2025/02/19/deep-thought-channel-reviews-my-modern-philosophy-course/
  47. https://www.academia.edu/111343524/Making_sense_of_the_senseless_war_in_the_postmodern_era
  48. https://www.stephenhicks.org/
  49. https://www.youtube.com/user/EducationPhilosophy
  50. https://www.facebook.com/Stephen.R.C.Hicks/posts/in-this-eight-lecture-course-professor-stephen-hicks-takes-us-through-the-evolut/10161843913918247/
  51. https://www.instagram.com/p/DL_UT84B9Um/
  52. https://www.facebook.com/Stephen.R.C.Hicks/posts/update-from-phoenix-in-studio-recording-my-eight-lecture-philosophy-of-education/10161765307798247/
  53. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT6xf4kL4eU
  54. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qI5SF4fOtBc
  55. https://podcasts.apple.com/fj/podcast/stephen-hicks-philosophy-and-postmodernism/id1184022695?i=1000437239456
  56. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9obXlpiMXo
  57. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpZ5cvPkDT8
  58. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U6X_rA6iao
  59. https://www.stephenhicks.org/2025/09/22/philosophy-of-education-eight-lecture-course-syllabus/
  60. https://www.stephenhicks.org/2025/08/31/modern-philosophy-course-syllabus-peterson-academy/
  61. https://www.stephenhicks.org/2025/10/26/liberal-or-anti-liberal-j-s-mill-and-friedrich-nietzsche-lecture-8-of-modern-philosophy-peterson-academy-course/
  62. https://www.stephenhicks.org/2025/10/25/enlightenment-thinkers-and-doers-from-galileo-to-locke-lecture-four-of-philosophy-of-education/
  63. https://www.stephenhicks.org/2025/10/22/the-end-of-laissez-faire-or-the-road-to-serfdom-john-maynard-keynes-and-friedrich-hayek-lecture-8-of-the-philosophy-of-politics/
  64. https://www.stephenhicks.org/education/philosophy-of-education/
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