Thomas Sowell: Facts Against Rhetoric, Capitalism, Culture and Yes, the Tariffs | Hoover Institution

A rare appearance by one of America’s most influential thinkers.

Economist and author Thomas Sowell makes his long-awaited (and oft requested) return to Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson to unveil his newest project: a website titled "Facts Against Rhetoric", a powerful resource dedicated to empirical thinking and intellectual clarity. In this interview, Sowell explores some of the most urgent issues in American life—from the collapse of educational standards to the unintended consequences of affirmative action, the impact of tariffs, and the erosion of family and cultural structures within Black communities.

Drawing on a lifetime of scholarship and lived experience, Sowell revisits the remarkable but forgotten progress made by African Americans in the century following the Civil War, dismantles myths surrounding capitalism and inequality, and challenges dominant narratives in academia and media. With clarity, wit, and intellectual honesty, Sowell calls for a return to a culture that values facts over feelings—and results over intentions.

Recorded on April 1, 2025.

For more details on this episode, visit: https://www.hoover.org/research/thoma...

Check out "Facts Against Rhetoric" by Thomas Sowell: https://www.tsfreemind.com/

Watch more Uncommon Knowledge:    • Uncommon Knowledge 2025  

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The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Hoover Institution or Stanford University.

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