Top Five Books the McConnell Center Put on My Reading List

Sam Whittaker
Class of 2015

For my last blog as a McConnell Scholar, I thought it would be fun to share my favorite books that the McConnell Center introduced me to during my time as a scholar. 

All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren: This novel, chronicling the political life of fictional Governor Willie Stark and the private life and thoughts of his assistant Jack Burden, is a must read not only for those interested in politics but philosophy and culture as well. As the reader sees the rise and fall of Governor Stark, they are also privileged to the thoughts and feelings of Jack Burden as he examines personal responsibility, the Great Web of Being, and the Great Twitch.

The Ballad of the White Horse by G.K. Chesterton: This epic poem of Chesterton has a special place in my heart as the first book I read within the McConnell Program. It pays tribute to King Alfred the Great, the man responsible for saving England from total Viking domination in the early medieval period. It is a beautifully written work of art that makes you feel proud to inherit the English legacy of King Alfred as an American citizen. In just a few weeks, I will have the pleasure of examining this work once again as a McConnell Scholar in a seminar with Brad Birzer.

The Republic by Plato: Let me start by saying I have a lot of problems with Platonic philosophy. Let me reiterate, a lot. Not the least of which is that he is critical of artists and storytellers for making myth while he makes multiple such as the Myth of Er and the Myth of the Metals within the Republic. For Plato, it is all about the correct myth and his are correct where others err. However, I think that every college graduate ought to read and ponder Plato, particularly the allegory of the cave. There is much to gain from reading of Plato and, despite my problems with it, am glad the center put it on my reading lsit.

Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations (excerpts): We were not assigned the work as a whole as scholars, and I must admit I have yet to brave the work as a whole. However, our reading of excerpts and discussion of the ethics of capitalism with Dr. James Otteson may have been my favorite seminar of my career. Adam Smith makes it okay to look out for yourself. Never forget that “It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the baker or the brewer that you have your dinner.”

The Road to Serfdom by F.A. Hayek: As a libertarian who is a huge proponent of civil and economic liberties, this has to be a favorite of mine. In this work, Hayek examines how giving up economic freedoms lead down a dangerous path to losing personal freedoms we hold so dear. He points to fascist regimes, including the Nazis, and discusses how they took freedom bit by bit. Read Hayek, Austrian economics is fascinating. You can’t go wrong with another of his works, The Fatal Conceit: The Errors of Socialism, either.

Sam Whittaker is a senior McConnell Scholar majoring in history and political science with a minor in economics. He is from Paducah, Ky.