40 Years At FEE

Time has proven the correctness of FEE's approach. The theory, practice, and moral bankruptcy of all the various forms of collectivism are now clearer than ever. The role played by FEE, and all the friends of FEE, is substantial. As the late Dr. Ben Rogge so eloquently said, "Throughout this country, throughout the world there is 'activity of soul' underway that would never have been undertaken but for the work and the inspiration of ... The Foundation for Economic Education." In a time of renewed hope in and understanding of the nature of our free society, some people now feel that the battle is over. What a tragic misconception! Without constant vigilance, self-improvement and a growing understanding of the principles behind the renewed faith in freedom, public policy will once again fall back on expediency, coercion and the abrogation of individual rights. Thus we celebrate our 40th anniversary with appreciation for what FEE has done to improve our prospects for liberty, and to look for ward to the needs and prospects for the next forty years. The task remains, now more than ever, to understand and communicate the constructive possibilities of the freedom philosophy.

We will celebrate our 40th anniversary in gentle ways throughout the year: by example and through our ongoing programs and activities. Our approach is not a boisterous one. For that reason we start this issue with an article by Dr. Israel Kirz ner. Some of you may be familiar with it, many more will not be. It is a solid, perhaps even inspiring, presentation of two threads in the FEE philosophy. First, it shows how it is that' 'The free life ... is at the heart of one's being." Second, Dr. Kirzner, shows how FEE's soft spoken style is the most appropriate and most effective for presenting the freedom philosophy. 0 85 The Open-Endedness of Knowledge: I intend to explore in this article some aspects of the uniqueness which is FEE, and to express my fervent hope and confidence that such uniqueness will continue to permeate every nook and cranny of FEE's activities in the years to come. I will begin by noting two related but separate paradoxes that have over the years repeatedly caught my attention.