The current newsletter of the National Association of Scholars includes an upbeat article about the Institute for the Study of Capitalism at Clemson University. The Institute was launched last year with a grant from BB&T Charitable Foundation and is headed by C. Bradley Thompson.
According to the article, the Institute is unique in studying the moral foundation of a free society. Prof. Thompson is quoted as saying that “the Clemson Institute is the first and only university-related program in the U.S. that takes as its core mission the defense of Capitalism as the moral and just social system.”
The National Association of Scholars is committed to rational discourse as the foundation of academic life in a free and democratic society and promotes an informed understanding of the Western intellectual heritage. The article concludes with the note that “Professor Thompson would be happy to speak with NAS members and supporters who might be interested in adapting or replicating the Clemson program on other university campuses.”
The BB&T Charitable Foundation is sponsoring several academic programs on Capitalism, as pointed out on this meta-blog here, here, and here.