Thomas Sowell

American economist (born 1930)

Not to be confused with Thomas Sewell (disambiguation).

Thomas Sowell

Sowell in 1964

Born|  (1930-06-30) June 30, 1930 (age 95)

Gastonia, North Carolina, U.S.

Political party| Democratic (until 1972)
Independent (after 1972)
Spouses|

Alma Parr

(m. 1964; div. 1975)​

Mary Ash

(m. 1981)​

Children| 2
Academic background
Education|

* Harvard University (BA)
* Columbia University (MA)
* University of Chicago (PhD)

Doctoral advisor| George Stigler
Influences|

* Marx
* Smith
* Keynes
* Hayek
* Friedman
* Stigler
* Brown

Academic work
Discipline|

* Economic history
* Welfare economics
* Economic development
* Sociology
* Political sociology
* Education
* Higher education
* History
* Intellectual history
* African-American history
* Discrimination
* Race relations
* Historical linguistics

School or tradition| Chicago school of economics
Institutions|

* U.S. Department of Labor (1961–1962)
* Rutgers University (1962–1963)
* Howard University (1963–1964)
* Cornell University (1965–1969)
* University of Chicago (1967–1968)
* Brandeis University (1969–1970)
* University of California, Los Angeles (1970–1980)
* Urban Institute (1972–1974)
* American Enterprise Institute (1975–1976)
* Stanford University
* Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (1976–1977)[a]
* Hoover Institution (1977–present)[b]
* Amherst College (1977–1978)

Notable ideas|

*     *       * Knowledge and Decisions (1980)
* A Conflict of Visions (1987)
* Inside American Education (1993)
* The Vision of the Anointed (1995)
* Basic Economics (2000)
* Applied Economics: Thinking Beyond Stage One (2003)
* Affirmative Action Around the World (2004)
* Black Rednecks and White Liberals (2005)
* Intellectuals and Society (2009)
* The Housing Boom and Bust (2010)
* Wealth, Poverty and Politics (2015)
* Charter Schools and Their Enemies (2020)

* Historical analysis of Say's law
* Greenhouse effect
* Dispersed knowledge
* Middleman minorities
* Unintended consequences
* Black redneck theory
* Global analysis of affirmative action
* Einstein syndrome

Awards|

* Francis Boyer Award (1990)
* American Philosophical Society (1998)
* National Humanities Medal (2002)
* Bradley Prize (2004)
* GetAbstract International Book Award (2008)

Military career
Allegiance|  United States
Branch|  United States Marine Corps
Years of service| 1951–1952
Battles / wars| Korean War
Website|

* tsowell.com

Signature
Notes

1. ^ CASBS formally became part of Stanford University in 2008.
2. ^ Sowell was first a member of the Hoover Institution as a fellow in April 1977. He became a Senior fellow in September 1980.

Part of a series on the

Chicago school
of economics

Movements

* Right-libertarianism
* Right-minarchism
* Neoliberalism
* Positive non-interventionism
* Gremialismo
* Pinochetism

Organizations

* Cato Institute
* George Mason University
* Library of Economics and Liberty
* Reason Foundation

Beliefs

* Consequentialist libertarianism
* Monetarism
* Neoclassical economics

People

* Alchian
* Becker
* Bordo
* Buchanan
* Cagan
* Cameron
* Cheung
* Constantinides
* Coase
* Director
* Fama
* D. Friedman
* Friedman
* Fogel
* Grossman
* Harberger
* Hansen
* Heckman
* Johnson
* Kast
* Knight
* Landes
* Landsburg
* List
* Lucas Jr.
* Lewis
* Levitt
* Markowitz
* Mints
* Miller
* Mincer
* Murphy
* Posner
* Rees
* Roberts
* Rosen
* Sandor
* Salin
* Schultz
* Scholes
* Schwartz
* Shapiro
* Sowell
* L. Simon
* C. Simon
* Stein
* Stigler
* Viner

Theories

* Comparative advantage
* CPI
* Economic growth
* Economic rationalism
* Efficient market
* Friedman rule
* k-percent rule
* Game theory
* GDP
* Homo economicus
* International economics, finance, trade
* Laffer curve
* Monetary economics
* Public choice
* Quantity of money
* Rational agent, choice, expectations
* Symmetrical inflation target

Ideas

* Central banks
* Denationalization
* Deregulation
* Economic freedom
* Economic integration, interdependence
* Economic liberalization
* Exchange rate
* Fiat money
* Foreign exchange reserves
* Free markets
* Free trade
* Globalization
* Inflation adjustment
* Inflation targeting
* Intellectual property
* Laissez-faire
* Marketization
* Negative income tax
* Open market operations
* Private property
* Privatization
* School vouchers
* Single market
* Tax cuts
* Tax reform

Related topics

* Alter-globalization
* Anti-capitalism
* Anti-globalization
* Perspectives on capitalism

* Business portal
* Capitalism portal
* Libertarianism portal
* Politics portal

* v
* t
* e

This article is part of a series on

Libertarianism
in the United States

Schools

* Agorism
* Anarcho-capitalism
* Austro
* Authoritarian
* Autarchism
* Bleeding-heart
* Christian
* Conservative
* Consequentialist
* Feminist
* Fusionism
* Geo
* Green
* Market anarchism
* Minarchism
* Natural-rights
* Neo
* Paleo
* Panarchism
* Paternalist
* Propertarianism
* Socialist
* Techno
* Transhumanist
* Voluntaryism

Principles

* Anti-imperialism
* Civil libertarianism
* Constitutionalism
* Counter-economics
* Decentralization
* Departurism
* Economic freedom
* Evictionism
* Free banking
* Free market
* Free-market environmentalism
* Free migration
* Free trade
* Free will
* Freedom of association
* Freedom of contract
* Freedom of speech
* Homestead principle
* Individuality
* Individualism
* Liberty
* Limited government
* Localism
* Marriage privatization
* Natural rights and legal rights
* Non-aggression principle
* Non-interventionism
* Non-politics
* Non-voting
* Open border
* Polycentric law
* Private defense agency
* Private property
* Public choice theory
* Restorative justice
* Right to bear arms
* Right to privacy
* Rugged Individualism
* Self-ownership
* Single tax
* Small government
* Spoiled ballot
* Spontaneous order
* Stateless society
* Tax resistance
* Title-transfer theory of contract
* Voluntary association
* Voluntary society

History

* Age of Enlightenment
* Abolitionism in the United States
* Classical liberalism
* Anti-Federalists
* Transcendentalism
* Individualist anarchism in the United States
* Old Right
* New Left
* New Right
* Freedom School

Economics

* Austrian School
* Economic liberalism
* Fiscal conservatism
* Georgism
* Laissez-faire
* Neoliberalism
* Supply-side economics

Intellectuals

* Andrews
* Barnett
* Block
* Boudreaux
* Brennan
* Caplan
* Carson
* Chamberlain
* Chartier
* Chodorov
* Cowen
* Ebeling
* Epstein
* Franklin
* D. Friedman
* M. Friedman
* P. Friedman
* R. Friedman
* Galambos
* Garrett
* George
* Griffin
* Gordon
* Harper
* Hazlitt
* Heinlein
* Hess
* Hoppe
* Hospers
* Huemer
* Jefferson
* Kinsella
* Konkin
* R. Lane
* Liggio
* LeFevre
* Machan
* Mencken
* Menger
* Mises
* Nock
* Nozick
* Paterson
* Rand
* Raico
* Read
* Robertson
* Rockwell
* Rothbard
* Samuels
* Schulman
* Sciabarra
* Scott
* Skousen
* Smith
* Spooner
* Somin
* Sowell
* Sumner
* Sutton
* Szasz
* Taleb
* Thoreau
* Tuccille
* Tucker
* Volokh
* Wilder
* Williams
* Wilson (Clyde)
* Wilson (Robert)

Politicians

* Amash
* Barr
* Brakey
* Burt
* Chafee
* Cleveland
* Flake
* Goldwater
* Jacobs
* Johnson
* Jorgensen
* Lee
* Massie
* McAfee
* Nolan
* Oliver
* Paul (Rand)
* Paul (Ron)
* Polis
* Sanford
* Sarwark
* Sununu
* Ventura
* Weld
* Wu

Commentators

* Chamberlain
* Gillespie
* Gutfeld
* Jones
* Kauffman
* McElroy
* Miller
* Napolitano
* Postrel
* Pugsley
* Rogan
* Smith
* Soave
* Stone
* Stossel
* Welch
* Will
* Woods

Activists

* Ben Garrison
* Jillette
* Koch (Charles)
* Koch (David)
* Prince
* Teller
* Thiel

Literature

* The Anarchist Cookbook
* Anarchy, State, and Utopia
* The Betrayal of the American Right
* The Case Against Education
* Civil Disobedience
* Conceived in Liberty
* The Creature from Jekyll Island
* Defending the Undefendable
* The Discovery of Freedom
* End the Fed
* The Ethics of Liberty
* For a New Liberty
* Free to Choose
* The Future and Its Enemies
* The God of the Machine
* It Usually Begins with Ayn Rand
* Liberty
* The Machinery of Freedom
* Man, Economy and State
* The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
* The Mainspring of Human Progress
* The Market for Liberty
* The Myth of the Rational Voter
* No, They Can't
* No Treason
* New Libertarian Manifesto
* Our Enemy, the State
* The Problem of Political Authority
* Progress and Poverty
* Protection or Free Trade
* Radicals for Capitalism
* Seeing Like a State
* To Serve and Protect
* The Unconstitutionality of Slavery

Issues

* Abortion
* Capital punishment
* Criticism
* Foreign affairs
* Immigration
* Intellectual property
* Internal debates
* LGBT rights
* Objectivism
* Political parties
* Politics
* State
* Theories of law

Symbols

* Come and take it
* Gadsden flag

Idols

* Ron Swanson
* Patrick Bateman
* Walter White

Organizations

* Cato Institute
* Federalist Society
* Free State Project
* Foundation for Economic Education
* International Alliance of Libertarian Parties
* Libertarian Party
* Liberty International
* Mises Institute
* Reason Foundation
* Reason (magazine)
* Students for a Democratic Society
* Students for Liberty
* Young Americans for Liberty

Movements

* American militia movement
* Boogaloo movement
* Dark Enlightenment
* Objectivist movement
* Objectivism
* Sovereign citizen movement

Comparable

* Libertarianism in Hong Kong
* Libertarianism in the United Kingdom (England)

Related

* Conservatism in the United States
* Left-libertarianism
* Liberalism in the United States
* Libertarian Democrat
* Libertarian Republican
* Libertarian science fiction
* On Democracy in America
* Outline of libertarianism
* Right-libertarianism

* Liberalism portal
* Conservatism portal
* Libertarianism portal
* United States portal

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* t
* e

This article is part of a series on

Conservatism
in the United States

Schools

* Compassionate
* Fiscal
* Fusion
* Liberal
* Classical
* Libertarian
* Moderate
* Movement
* Nationalist
* Christian
* Neo-
* Paleo-
* Postliberal
* Populist
* Progressive
* Social
* Straussian
* Traditionalist
* Ultra-

Principles

* American exceptionalism
* Anti-communism
* Christian Zionism
* Communitarianism
* Constitutionalism
* Familialism
* Family values
* Federalism
* States' rights
* Subsidiarity
* Gender essentialism
* Judeo-Christian values
* Individualism
* Law and order
* Limited government
* Meritocracy
* Natural aristocracy
* Militarism
* Peace through strength
* Moral absolutism
* Natalism
* Pro-life
* Natural law
* Ordered liberty
* Patriotism
* Property rights
* Republicanism
* Right to bear arms
* Rule of law
* Supply-side economics
* Tradition

History

* Loyalists
* Federalist Era
* Southern chivalry
* Redeemers
* Boston Brahmins
* Solid South
* New Humanism
* Dunning School
* Southern Agrarians
* Old Right
* Conservative Manifesto
* Conservative coalition
* America First Committee
* McCarthyism
* Goldwater campaign
* New Right
* Reagan era
* Reagan Doctrine
* Reaganomics
* Republican Revolution
* W. Bush presidency
* Tea Party movement
* Neo- vs. paleoconservatism
* Trump era
* First term
* Second term
* Agenda 47

Intellectuals

* Adams
* Anton
* Babbitt
* Bacevich
* Bell
* Bellow
* Bloom
* Boorstin
* Bradford
* Buckley
* Burgess
* Burnham
* Calhoun
* Chambers
* Conquest
* Deneen
* Eliot
* Francis
* Genovese
* Gottfried
* Hanson
* Hardin
* Hazony
* Himmelfarb
* Hoppe
* Hurston
* Jaffa
* Kimball
* Kirk
* Kirkpatrick
* Kreeft
* Kristol
* Kuehnelt-Leddihn
* Lind
* Lovecraft
* Loury
* Lukacs
* Mansfield
* Mencken
* Meyer
* Molnar
* Murray
* Nisbet
* Pangle
* Ransom
* Reno
* Rieff
* Santayana
* Schaeffer
* Sowell
* Strauss
* Vermeule
* Viereck
* Voegelin
* Wattenberg
* Weaver
* Wolfe

Politicians

* Abbott
* Adams (John)
* Adams (John Quincy)
* Bolton
* Buchanan
* Bush (George H. W.)
* Bush (George W.)
* Calhoun
* Clay
* Cheney
* Cleveland
* Coolidge
* Cruz
* DeSantis
* Dirksen
* Dole
* Eisenhower
* Gingrich
* Goldwater
* Harding
* Hamilton
* Helms
* Hoover (Herbert)
* Huckabee
* Johnson
* Kissinger
* Lodge
* Luce
* Madison
* McCain
* McCarthy (Joseph)
* McCarthy (Kevin)
* McConnell
* McKinley
* Meese
* Nixon
* Palin
* Paul (Rand)
* Paul (Ron)
* Pence
* Pierce
* Randolph
* Reagan
* Romney
* Rubio
* Rumsfeld
* Ryan
* Sherman
* Taft (Robert)
* Taft (William)
* Thurmond
* Trump
* Vance
* Wallace
* Wolfowitz

Jurists

* Alito
* Barrett
* Bork
* Burger
* Colson
* Frelinghuysen
* George
* Goldsmith
* Gorsuch
* Harlan II
* Kavanaugh
* Kennedy
* Luttig
* O'Connor
* Parker
* Rehnquist
* Roberts (John)
* Sanford
* Scalia
* Sessions
* Sutherland
* Taft (William)
* Thomas (Clarence)
* Whittaker

Commentators

* Beck
* Bongino
* Breitbart
* Buchanan (Pat)
* Buckley
* Caldwell
* Carlson
* Cass
* Chodorov
* Coulter
* D'Souza
* Derbyshire
* Dreher
* Elder
* Goldberg
* Grant
* Griffin
* Van den Haag
* Hannity
* Hart
* Herberg
* Hoover (Margaret)
* Ingraham
* Jones
* Kelly
* Knowles
* Krauthammer
* Lahren
* Levin
* Limbaugh
* Mac Donald
* Neuhaus
* Ngo
* North
* Novak
* O'Reilly
* Owens
* Podhoretz
* Pool
* Portnoy
* Possony
* Prager
* Robertson
* Shapiro
* Shlaes
* Sullivan
* Walsh
* Watters
* Weyl
* Will
* Wintrich
* Woods

Activists

* Abramoff
* Agostinelli
* Andreessen
* Atwater
* Bannon
* Bennett
* Bezmenov
* Bozell
* Cohn
* Dans
* Dobson
* Drudge
* Falwell
* Feulner
* Flynn
* Gabriel
* Hegseth
* Horowitz
* Kirk
* Krikorian
* Kristol
* LaHaye
* Lindell
* Lindbergh
* Leo
* McEntee
* Mercer (Rebekah)
* Mercer (Robert)
* Miller
* Murdoch
* Musk
* political views
* O'Keefe
* Park
* Phillips
* Posobiec
* Powell
* Raichik
* Reed
* Regnery
* Roberts (Kevin)
* Rove
* Rufo
* Scaife
* Schlafly (Andrew)
* Schlafly (Phyllis)
* Stone
* Thiel
* Thomas (Ginni)
* Weyrich
* Wiles
* Wood

Literature

* The Federalist Papers (1788)
* Democracy in America (1835–1840)
* Notes on Democracy (1926)
* I'll Take My Stand (1930)
* Our Enemy, the State (1935)
* The Managerial Revolution (1941)
* Ideas Have Consequences (1948)
* God and Man at Yale (1951)
* The Conservative Mind (1953)
* The Conscience of a Conservative (1960)
* A Choice Not an Echo (1964)
* A Conflict of Visions (1987)
* The Closing of the American Mind (1987)
* The Death of the West (2001)
* Hillbilly Elegy (2016)
* The Benedict Option (2017)
* Why Liberalism Failed (2018)
* The Age of Entitlement (2020)

Parties

Active

* American Party
* American Independent Party
* Conservative Party
* NY state
* Constitution Party
* Republican Party

Defunct

* Anti-Masonic Party
* Constitutional Union Party
* Democratic Party (historically, factions)
* Boll weevils
* Bourbon Democrats
* Conservative Democrats
* Dixiecrats
* Reagan Democrats
* Southern Democrats
* Rhode Island Suffrage Party
* Federalist Party
* National Republican Party
* Native American Party
* Whig Party

Think tanks

* Acton Institute
* AdTI
* AEI
* AFP
* CSP
* CfNI
* Claremont Institute
* CEI
* CSPC
* EPPC
* FRI
* Gatestone Institute
* Heartland Institute
* The Heritage Foundation
* Heritage Action
* Mandate for Leadership
* Project Esther
* Project 2025
* Hoover Institution
* Hudson Institute
* ISI
* James Madison Program
* Leadership Institute
* Manhattan Institute
* Mises Institute
* PRI
* PNAC (Defunct)
* Ripon Society
* R Street Institute
* Rockford Institute
* SPN
* Sutherland Institute
* Tax Foundation
* Witherspoon Institute

Media

Newspapers

* Chicago Tribune
* The Epoch Times
* New Hampshire Union Leader
* The Jewish Voice
* The New York Observer
* New York Post
* The Remnant
* The Wall Street Journal (editorial board)
* The Washington Times

Journals

* American Affairs
* The American Conservative
* The American Spectator
* American Thinker
* City Journal
* Claremont Review of Books
* Commentary
* Compact
* Chronicles
* The Dispatch
* First Things
* The Imaginative Conservative
* Jewish World Review
* Modern Age
* National Affairs
* The National Interest
* National Review
* The New American
* The New Atlantis
* The New Criterion
* Policy Review (defunct)
* Public Discourse
* Southern Partisan
* Spectator USA
* Tablet
* Taki's Magazine
* Telos
* Washington Examiner
* The Weekly Standard (defunct)

TV channels

* CBN
* Fox Business
* Fox News
* Newsmax TV
* One America News Network
* Real America's Voice
* VOZ

Websites

* 1819 News
* Babylon Bee
* Breitbart News
* The Bulwark
* Campus Reform
* The Center Square
* Conservative Review
* Daily Caller
* Daily Signal
* Daily Wire
* Discover the Networks
* The Federalist
* FrontPage Magazine
* Front Porch Republic
* Gateway Pundit
* Hot Air
* Human Events
* Independent Journal Review
* InfoWars
* Jihad Watch
* LifeZette
* NewsBusters
* PJ Media
* Rare
* RedState
* The Dispatch
* Townhall
* Twitchy
* Washington Examiner
* The Washington Free Beacon
* The Western Journal
* WorldNetDaily

Other

* Blaze Media
* Encounter Books
* Evie Magazine
* The First
* Imprimis
* The Political Cesspool
* Passage Publishing
* PragerU
* RealClearPolitics
* Red Scare
* Regnery Publishing
* RSBN
* The Rubin Report
* Sinclair Broadcast Group

Other organizations

Congressional caucuses

* Second Amendment Caucus
* RSC
* Liberty Caucus
* Freedom Caucus
* Republican Main Street Partnership
* Republican Governance Group
* Blue Dog Coalition

Economics

* ATR
* Club for Growth
* FreedomWorks (defunct)
* NFIB
* NTU
* Tea Party Patriots
* USCC

Gun rights

* GOA
* NAGR
* NRA

Identity politics

* ACT!
* CWA
* Council of Conservative Citizens
* GAG
* IWF
* LCR
* Moms for Liberty

Nativist

* CIS
* FAIR
* Immigration Restriction League
* NumbersUSA
* Patriot Prayer
* Proud Boys
* Oath Keepers
* Three Percenters

Religion

* ADF
* Court cases
* ACLJ
* AFA
* The American TFP
* Chalcedon Foundation
* CCA
* Christian Voice
* Eagle Forum
* FCR
* The Fellowship
* FFC
* Focus on the Family
* Foundation for Moral Law
* Liberty Counsel
* Moral Majority (defunct)
* NOM
* NRLC
* PTMC
* Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America
* Thomas More Law Center

Watchdog groups

* AIM
* Econ Journal Watch
* Franklin News Foundation
* JW
* MRC
* O'Keefe Media Group
* Project Veritas

Youth/student groups

* NJC
* TPUSA
* Young Americans for Freedom
* Young America's Foundation
* YAL

Social media

* Gab
* Gettr
* Parler
* The Right Stuff

Miscellaneous

* The 85 Fund
* AHI
* ACU
* AFPAC
* Bradley Foundation
* TCC
* CNP
* CPAC
* Hillsdale College
* IFF
* JBS
* John M. Olin Foundation (defunct)
* Liberty Fund
* LU
* NAS
* Philadelphia Society
* Regent University
* Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal
* TPPF

Other

* AFL
* Atlas Network
* CN
* ConservAmerica
* Donors Trust
* FedSoc
* NCPAC
* PJI
* Turning Point Action
* SACR
* YRNF
* Ziklag

Movements

* Asian and Pacific Islander
* Black
* Christian right
* Reconstructionism
* Classical education movement
* Paideia
* Dark Enlightenment
* Election denial movement
* 2020 election disputes
* Female
* Green
* Hispanic and Latino
* LGBTQ
* Libertarian republicans
* Militia movement
* Monarchism
* Mormon
* White Horse Prophecy
* Theodemocracy
* New Apostolic Reformation
* Parental rights movement
* Fathers' rights
* Patriot movement
* Christian
* Radical right
* Reactionary feminism
* Right-libertarianism
* Paleolibertarianism
* Secessionism
* Neo-Confederates
* in Texas
* Trumpism
* Never Trump

Related

* Barstool conservatism
* Bibliography of US conservatism
* Conservative talk radio
* GOP factions
* List of American conservatives
* NatCon
* Timeline of modern American conservatism

* Conservatism portal
* United States portal

* v
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* e

Thomas Sowell (/soʊl/ SOHL; born June 30, 1930) is an American economist, economic historian, and social and political commentator. He is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution.[1][2] With widely published commentary and books—and as a guest on TV and radio—he is a well-known voice in the American conservative movement as a prominent black conservative.[3][4][5] He was a recipient of the National Humanities Medal from President George W. Bush in 2002.[6][a]

Sowell was born in Gastonia, North Carolina, and grew up in Harlem, New York City. Due to poverty and difficulties at home, he dropped out of Stuyvesant High School and worked various odd jobs, eventually serving in the United States Marine Corps during the Korean War. Afterward, he graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1958.[7] He earned a master's degree in economics from Columbia University the next year, and a PhD in economics from the University of Chicago in 1968.[8] In his academic career, he held professorships at Cornell University, Brandeis University, and the University of California, Los Angeles. He has also worked at think tanks, including the Urban Institute. Since 1977, he has worked at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, where he is the Rose and Milton Friedman Senior Fellow on Public Policy.

Sowell was an important figure to the conservative movement during the Reagan era, influencing fellow economist Walter E. Williams and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.[3][9][10] He was offered a position as Federal Trade Commissioner in the Ford administration[11] and was considered for posts including U.S. Secretary of Education in the Reagan administration,[12] but declined both times.[11][13]

Sowell is the author of more than 45 books (including revised and new editions) on a variety of subjects, including politics, economics, education, and race, and he has been a syndicated columnist in more than 150 newspapers.[14][15] His views are described as conservative, especially on social issues;[4][16][17][18] libertarian, especially on economics;[16][19][20] or libertarian-conservative.[21] He has said he may be best labeled as a libertarian, though he disagrees with the "libertarian movement" on some issues, such as national defense.[22]

## Early life

[edit]

Sowell was born in 1930 into a poor family in Gastonia, North Carolina.[7][23] His father died shortly before he was born, leaving behind Sowell's mother, a housemaid who already had four children. A great-aunt and her two grown daughters adopted Sowell and raised him.[7] His mother died a few years later of complications while giving birth to another child.[24] In his autobiography A Personal Odyssey, Sowell wrote that his childhood encounters with white people were so limited that he did not know blond was a hair color.[25] He recalls that his first memories were living in a small wooden house in Charlotte, which he stated was typical of most black neighborhoods.[24] It was located on an unpaved street and had no electricity or running water.[24] When Sowell was nine, he moved with his extended family from North Carolina to Harlem, New York City. Family quarrels forced his aunt and him to room in other people's apartments.[24]

Sowell qualified for Stuyvesant High School, a prestigious academic high school in New York City; he was the first in his family to study beyond the sixth grade. However, he was forced to drop out at age 17 because of financial difficulties and family quarreling.[7] He worked a number of odd jobs, including long hours at a machine shop, and as a delivery man for Western Union.[26] He also tried out for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1948.[27] Sowell was drafted into the armed services in 1951 during the Korean War and was assigned to the U.S. Marine Corps. Although Sowell opposed the war and experienced racism, he was able to find fulfillment as a photographer, which eventually became his favorite hobby.[7][24] He was honorably discharged in 1952.[24]

### Higher education and early career

[edit]

After leaving military service, Sowell completed high school, took a civil service job in Washington, DC, and attended night classes at Howard University, a historically black college.[28][29] His high scores on the College Board examinations and recommendations by two professors helped him gain admission to Harvard University, where he graduated magna cum laude in 1958 with a bachelor of arts degree in economics.[7][30] He earned a Master of Arts degree from Columbia University the following year.[30] Sowell had initially chosen Columbia University to study under George Stigler, who would later receive the Nobel Prize in Economics, but when he learned that Stigler had moved to the University of Chicago, he followed him there and studied for his doctorate under Stigler upon arriving in the fall of 1959.[31]

Sowell has said that he was a Marxist during his 20s.[11] One of his earliest professional publications was a sympathetic examination of Marxist thought vs. Marxist–Leninist practice.[32] But in 1960, he began to change his mind toward supporting free-market economics after studying the possible impact of minimum wages on unemployment of sugar-industry workers in Puerto Rico, as a U.S. Department of Labor intern. Workers at the department were surprised by his questioning, he said, and he concluded, "they certainly weren't going to engage in any scrutiny of the law".[22]

Sowell received his Doctor of Philosophy in economics from the University of Chicago in 1968.[30] His dissertation was titled "Say's Law and the General glut Controversy".[33]

## Academic career

[edit]

From 1965 to 1969, Sowell was an assistant professor of economics at Cornell University. Writing 30 years later about the 1969 seizure of Willard Straight Hall by black students at Cornell, Sowell characterized the students as "hoodlums" with "serious academic problems [who were] admitted under lower academic standards", and noted, "it so happens that the pervasive racism that black students supposedly encountered at every turn on campus and in town was not apparent to me during the four years that I taught at Cornell and lived in Ithaca."[34]

Sowell has taught economics at Howard University, Rutgers, Cornell, Brandeis University, Amherst College, and the University of California, Los Angeles.[28] At Howard, Sowell wrote, he was offered the position as head of the economics department, but he declined.[35] Since 1980, he has been a senior fellow of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, where he holds a fellowship named after Rose and Milton Friedman, his mentor.[30][36] The Hoover appointment, because it did not involve teaching, gave him more time for his numerous writings.[12] In addition, Sowell appeared several times on William F. Buckley Jr.'s show Firing Line, during which he discussed the economics of race and privatization. Sowell has written that he gradually lost faith in the academic system, citing low academic standards and counterproductive university bureaucracy, and he resolved to leave teaching after his time at the University of California, Los Angeles.[35] In A Personal Odyssey, he recounts, "I had come to Amherst, basically, to find reasons to continue teaching. What I found, instead, were more reasons to abandon an academic career."[35]

In an interview, Sowell said he had been offered a position as Federal Trade Commissioner by the Ford administration in 1976, but that after pursuing the opportunity, he withdrew from consideration to avoid the political games surrounding the position.[11] He said in another interview that he was offered the post of United States Secretary of Education, but declined.[13] In 1980, after Reagan's election, Sowell and Henry Lucas organized the Black Alternatives Conference to bring together black and white conservatives; one attendee was a young Clarence Thomas, then a congressional aide.[37][38] Sowell was appointed as a member of the Economic Policy Advisory Committee of the Reagan administration,[12] but resigned after the first meeting, disliking travel from the West Coast and lengthy discussions in Washington; of his decision to resign, Sowell cited "the opinion (and the example) of Milton Friedman, that some individuals can contribute more by staying out of government".[39]

In 1987, Sowell testified in favor of federal appeals court judge Robert Bork during the hearings for Bork's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. In his testimony, Sowell said that Bork was "the most highly qualified nominee of this generation" and that what he viewed as judicial activism, a concept that Bork opposed as a self-described originalist and textualist, "has not been beneficial to minorities."[40]

In a review of Sowell's 1987 book, A Conflict of Visions, Larry D. Nachman in Commentary described Sowell as a leading representative of the Chicago school of economics.[41]

## Writings and thought

[edit]

Themes of Sowell's writing range from social policy on race, ethnic groups, education, and decision-making, to classical and Marxian economics, to the problems of children perceived as having disabilities.

Sowell had a nationally syndicated column distributed by Creators Syndicate that was published in Forbes and National Review magazines, and The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Times, The New York Post, and other major newspapers, as well as online on websites such as RealClearPolitics, Townhall, WorldNetDaily, and the Jewish World Review.[42] Sowell commented on current issues, which include liberal media bias;[43] judicial activism and originalism;[44] abortion;[45] minimum wage; universal health care; the tension between government policies, programs, and protections and familial autonomy; affirmative action; government bureaucracy;[46] gun control;[47] militancy in U.S. foreign policy; the war on drugs; multiculturalism;[48] mob rule; and the overturning of Roe v. Wade.[49] According to The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, Sowell was the most cited black economist between 1991 and 1995, and second-most cited between 1971 and 1990.[2][b]

He was a frequent guest on The Rush Limbaugh Show, in conversations with Walter E. Williams, who was a substitute host for Limbaugh.[16]

On December 27, 2016, Sowell announced the end of his syndicated column, writing that, at age 86, "the question is not why I am quitting, but why I kept at it so long", and cited a desire to focus on his photography hobby.[15]

The TV show Free to Choose, distributed by the Free to Choose Network, features Sowell along with Milton Friedman and a number of other panelists as they discuss the relationship between freedom and individual economic choices.[50][51] A documentary detailing his career entitled "Thomas Sowell: Common Sense in a Senseless World" was released by the Free to Choose Network in 2021.[52][53]

### Economic and political ideology

[edit]

Until the spring of 1972, Sowell was a registered Democrat, after which he then left the Democratic Party and resolved not to associate with any political party again, stating, "I was so disgusted with both candidates that I didn't vote at all."[11] Though he is often described as a black conservative, Sowell said, "I prefer not to have labels, but I suspect that 'libertarian' would suit me better than many others, although I disagree with the libertarian movement on a number of things."[22] He has been described as one of the most prominent advocates of contemporary classical liberalism along with Friedrich Hayek and Larry Arnhart.[54] Sowell primarily writes on economic subjects, generally advocating a free-market approach to capitalism.[23] Sowell opposes the Federal Reserve, arguing that it has been unsuccessful in preventing economic depressions and limiting inflation.[55] Sowell described his study of Karl Marx in his autobiography; as a former Marxist, who early in his career became disillusioned with it, he emphatically opposes Marxism, providing a critique in his book Marxism: Philosophy and Economics (1985).

Sowell has also written a trilogy of books on ideologies and political positions, including A Conflict of Visions, in which he speaks on the origins of political strife; The Vision of the Anointed, in which he compares the conservative/libertarian, and liberal/progressive worldviews; and The Quest for Cosmic Justice, in which, as in many of his other writings, he outlines his thesis of the need felt by intellectuals, politicians, and leaders to fix and perfect the world in utopian and ultimately, he posits, disastrous fashions. Separate from the trilogy, but also in discussion of the subject, he wrote Intellectuals and Society, building on his earlier work, in which he discusses what he argues to be the blind hubris and follies of intellectuals in a variety of areas.

His book Knowledge and Decisions, a winner of the 1980 Law and Economics Center Prize, was heralded as a "landmark work", selected for this prize "because of its cogent contribution to our understanding of the differences between the market process and the process of government". In announcing the award, the center acclaimed Sowell, whose "contribution to our understanding of the process of regulation alone would make the book important, but in reemphasizing the diversity and efficiency that the market makes possible, [his] work goes deeper and becomes even more significant."[56] Friedrich Hayek wrote: "In a wholly original manner, [Sowell] succeeds in translating abstract and theoretical argument into highly concrete and realistic discussion of the central problems of contemporary economic policy."[57]

Sowell opposes the imposition of minimum wages by governments, arguing in his book Basic Economics, "Unfortunately, the real minimum wage is always zero, regardless of the laws, and that is the wage that many workers receive in the wake of the creation or escalation of a government-mandated minimum wage, because they either lose their jobs or fail to find jobs when they enter the labor force."[58] He goes further to argue that minimum wages disproportionately affect "members of racial or ethnic minority groups" that have been discriminated against. He asserts, "Before federal minimum-wage laws were instituted in the 1930s, the black unemployment rate was slightly lower than the white unemployment rate in 1930. But then followed the Davis-Bacon Act of 1931, the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA) of 1933, and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938 – all of which imposed government-mandated minimum wages, either on a particular sector or more broadly... By 1954, black unemployment rates were double those of whites and have continued to be at that level or higher. Those particularly hard hit by the resulting unemployment have been black teenaged males."[59]

Sowell also favors decriminalization of all drugs.[60] He opposes gun control laws, arguing, "On net balance, they do not save lives, but cost lives."[47]

### Race and ethnicity

[edit]

Sowell has supported conservative political positions on race, and is known for caustic, sarcastic criticism of liberal black civil-rights figures.[61][5] Sowell has argued that systemic racism is an untested, questionable hypothesis, writing, "I don't think even the people who use it have any clear idea what they're saying", and compared it to propaganda tactics used by Joseph Goebbels because if it is "repeated long enough and loud enough", people "cave in" to it.[62][63]

In several of his works—including The Economics and Politics of Race (1983), Ethnic America (1981), Affirmative Action Around the World (2004), and other books—Sowell challenges the notion that black progress is due to progressive government programs or policies. He claims that many problems identified with black people in modern society are not unique, neither in terms of American ethnic groups, nor in terms of a rural proletariat struggling with disruption as it became urbanized, as discussed in his Black Rednecks and White Liberals (2005).[64] He is critical of affirmative action and race-based quotas.[65][66]

> When people get used to preferential treatment, equal treatment seems like discrimination.[67]

He takes issue with the notion of government as a helper or savior of minorities, arguing that the historical record shows the opposite. In Affirmative Action Around the World,[68] Sowell holds that affirmative action affects more groups than is commonly understood, though its impacts occur through different mechanisms, and has long since ceased to favor blacks.

> One of the few policies that can be said to harm virtually every group in a different way. ... Obviously, whites and Asians lose out when you have preferential admission for black students or Hispanic students—but blacks and Hispanics lose out because what typically happens is the students who have all the credentials to succeed in college are admitted to colleges where the standards are so much higher that they fail.[69]

In Intellectuals and Race (2013), Sowell argues that intelligence quotient (IQ) gaps are hardly startling or unusual between, or within, ethnic groups. He notes that the roughly 15-point gap in contemporary black–white IQ scores is similar to that between the national average and the scores of certain ethnic white groups in years past, in periods when the nation was absorbing new immigrants.[70]

### Late-talking and the Einstein syndrome

[edit]

Sowell's book The Einstein Syndrome: Bright Children Who Talk Late was published in 2021 as a follow-up to his Late-Talking Children. In it, Sowell discusses what he calls the "Einstein syndrome", which refers to the phenomenon of late-talking children. Sowell says these children are frequently misdiagnosed with autism or pervasive developmental disorder. He includes the research of Stephen Camarata and Steven Pinker, among others. Sowell says this trait affected many historical figures who developed prominent careers, such as physicists Albert Einstein, Edward Teller, and Richard Feynman; mathematician Julia Robinson; and musicians Arthur Rubinstein and Clara Schumann. According to Sowell, some children develop unevenly (asynchronous development) for a period in childhood due to rapid and extraordinary development in the analytical functions of the brain. This may temporarily "rob resources" from neighboring functions such as language development.[71][non-primary source needed]

### Politics

[edit]

In a 2009 column titled "The Bush Legacy", Sowell assessed President George W. Bush as "a mixed bag", but "an honorable man."[72]

Sowell said the media was "filtering and spinning" its coverage regarding abortions[73] and has spoken out against sex-selective abortion.[74] In 2018, he named George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Reagan, and Calvin Coolidge as presidents he liked.[75]

#### Donald Trump

[edit]

Sowell was strongly critical of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and grudgingly endorsed Ted Cruz in the 2016 Republican presidential primaries, criticizing him as well, stating, "we can only make our choices among those actually available."[76] During the 2016 Republican primary, Sowell criticized Trump, questioning whether Trump had "any principles at all, other than promoting Donald Trump?"[77] Two weeks before the 2016 presidential election, Sowell recommended voting for Trump over Hillary Clinton, because he would be "easier to impeach."[78] In 2018, when asked on his thoughts of Trump's presidency, Sowell replied, "I think he's better than the previous president [Barack Obama]."[17] During interviews in 2019, Sowell defended Trump against charges of racism.[79][80]

In 2025, Sowell criticized Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs, comparing them to the 1930 Smoot-Hawley tariffs from the start of the Great Depression. Sowell warned that the tariffs might set off a global trade war resulting in a "great reduction in international trade". He further cautioned that policy unpredictability might lead to people hanging on to their money, which would cause economic effects similar to those seen in the Great Depression.[81]

#### Joe Biden presidential nomination

[edit]

In 2020, Sowell wrote that if the Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election, it could signal a point of no return for the United States, a tipping point akin to the fall of the Roman Empire. In an interview in July 2020, he stated, "the Roman Empire overcame many problems in its long history, but eventually it reached a point where it could no longer continue, and much of that was from within, not just the barbarians attacking from outside." Sowell wrote that if Biden became president, the Democratic Party would have an enormous amount of control over the nation, and if this happened, they could twin with the "radical left" and ideas such as defunding the police could come to fruition.[63][82]

### Education

[edit]

Sowell has written about education throughout his career. He has argued for the need for reform of the school system in the United States. In his book Charter Schools and Their Enemies (2020), Sowell compares the educational outcomes of school children educated at charter schools with those at conventional public schools. In his research, Sowell first explains the need and his methodology for choosing comparable students—both ethnically and socioeconomically—before listing his findings. He presents the case that charter schools on the whole do significantly better in terms of educational outcomes than conventional schools.[83][84][85]

Sowell argues that many U.S. schools are failing children, contends that "indoctrination" has taken the place of proper education, and argues that teachers' unions have promoted harmful education policies. Sowell contends that many schools have become monopolies for educational bureaucracies.[84]

In his book Education: Assumptions Versus History (1986), Sowell analyzes the state of education in U.S. schools and universities. In particular, he examines the experiences of blacks and other ethnic groups in the American education system, and identifies the factors and patterns behind both success and failure.[86]

## Reception

[edit]

Classical liberals, libertarians, and conservatives of different disciplines have received Sowell's work positively.[87][88][89][90] Among these, he has been noted for originality, depth and breadth,[91][92] clarity of expression, and thoroughness of research.[89][92][93] Sowell's publications have been received positively by economists Steven Plaut,[93] Steve H. Hanke[94] James M. Buchanan;[75] and John B. Taylor;[95] philosophers Carl Cohen[96] and Tibor Machan;[97] science historian Michael Shermer;[98] essayist Gerald Early;[4] political scientists Abigail Thernstrom[99] and Charles Murray;[91] psychologists Steven Pinker[100][101] and Jonathan Haidt;[102][103] and Josef Joffe, publisher and editor of Die Zeit.[92] Steve Forbes, in a 2015 column, stated that "it's a scandal that economist Thomas Sowell has not been awarded the Nobel Prize. No one alive has turned out so many insightful, richly researched books."[104]

Nathan J. Robinson stated that Sowell "is not given much attention by mainstream scholars in the academy, and few of his books are reviewed by major liberal-leaning publications."[105] He suggested this may be because "[h]is books rarely engage with the major academic literature on the subject he's writing about" and he often "leaves out crucial pieces of data that would make his position look weaker", citing his writing on minimum wage policy and unemployment as an example.[105] Economist James B. Stewart wrote a critical review of Black Rednecks and White Liberals, calling it "the latest salvo in Thomas Sowell's continuing crusade to represent allegedly dysfunctional value orientations and behavioral characteristics of African Americans as the principal reasons for persistent economic and social disparities." He also criticized it for downplaying the impact of slavery.[106] Particularly in black communities in the 1980s Sowell became, in historian Michael Ondaatje's words, "persona non grata, someone known to talk about, rather than with, African Americans".[107] Economist Bernadette Chachere,[108] law professor Richard Thompson Ford,[109] and sociologists William Julius Wilson[110] and Richard Coughlin[111] have criticized some of his work.

Criticisms include neglecting discrimination against women in the workforce in Rhetoric or Reality?,[110] the methodology of Race and Culture: A World View,[111] and portrayal of opposing theories in Intellectuals and Race.[109] Economist Jennifer Doleac criticized Discrimination and Disparities, arguing that statistical discrimination is real and pervasive (Sowell argues that existing racial disparities are mostly due to accurate sorting based on underlying characteristics, such as education) and that government intervention can achieve societal goals and make markets work more efficiently.[112] Columnist Steven Pearlstein criticized Wealth, Poverty and Politics.[18]

## Personal life

[edit]

Sowell was married to Alma Jean Parr from 1964 to 1975, and married Mary Ash in 1981.[113] He has two children.[11][114][115]

## Legacy and honors

[edit]

Clarence Thomas (last on right) accepting the 2002 National Humanities Medal on Sowell's behalf

* 1982: Mencken Award for Best Book, from the Free Press Association, for his Ethnic America: A History.
* 1990: Francis Boyer Award, presented by the American Enterprise Institute.
* 1998: Sydney Hook Award, from the National Association of Scholars.[116]
* 1998: Elected membership to the American Philosophical Society.[117]
* 2002: National Humanities Medal, presented by President George W. Bush, for prolific scholarship melding history, economics, and political science.
* 2003: Bradley Prize for intellectual achievement.[118]
* 2004: Lysander Spooner Award, presented by Laissez Faire Books, for his Applied Economics: Thinking Beyond Stage One.[119]
* 2008: International Book Award, from getAbstract, for his book Economic Facts and Fallacies[120]

## Career chronology

[edit]

* Labor economist, U.S. Department of Labor, June 1961 – August 1962
* Instructor in economics, Douglass College, Rutgers University, September 1962 – June 1963
* Lecturer in economics, Howard University, September 1963 – June 1964
* Economic analyst, American Telephone & Telegraph Co., June 1964 – August 1965
* Assistant professor of economics, Cornell University, September 1965 – August 1969[34]
* Associate professor of economics, Brandeis University, September 1969 – June 1970
* Associate professor of economics, University of California, Los Angeles, September 1970 – June 1972
* Project director, Urban Institute, August 1972 – July 1974
* Fellow, Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, July 1976 – March 1977
* Visiting professor of economics, Amherst College, September–December 1977
* Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University, April–August 1977
* Professor of economics, UCLA, July 1974 – June 1980
* Senior fellow, Hoover Institution, September 1980–present

## Bibliography

[edit]

### Books

[edit]

* 1971\. Economics: Analysis and Issues. Scott Foresman & Co.
* 1972\. Black Education: Myths and Tragedies. David McKay Co.. ISBN 0679300155.
* 1972\. Say's Law: An Historical Analysis. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0691041667.
* 1974\. Classical Economics Reconsidered. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0691003580.
* 1975\. Race and Economics. David McKay Co. ISBN 978-0679302629.
* 1980\. Knowledge and Decisions. Basic Books. ISBN 978-0465037360.
* 1981\. Ethnic America: A History. Basic Books. ISBN 0465020747.
* Chapter 1, "The American Mosaic."
* 1981\. Markets and Minorities. Basic Books. ISBN 0465043992.
* 1981\. Pink and Brown People: and Other Controversial Essays. Hoover Press. ISBN 0817975322.
* 1983\. The Economics and Politics of Race. William Morrow. ISBN 0688018912.
* 1984\. Civil Rights: Rhetoric or Reality? William Morrow. ISBN 0688031137.
* 1985\. Marxism: Philosophy and Economics. Quill. ISBN 0688064264.
* 1986\. Education: Assumptions Versus History. Hoover Press. ISBN 0817981128.
* 1987\. A Conflict of Visions: Ideological Origins of Political Struggles. William Morrow. ISBN 0688069126.
* 1987\. Compassion Versus Guilt and Other Essays. William Morrow. ISBN 0688071147.
* 1990\. Preferential Policies: An International Perspective. ISBN 0688085997
* 1993\. Inside American Education. New York: The Free Press. ISBN 0743254082.
* 1993\. Is Reality Optional?: and Other Essays. Hoover. ISBN 978-0817992620.
* 1995\. Race and Culture: A World View. ISBN 0465067964.
* 1995\. The Vision of the Anointed: Self-Congratulation As a Basis for Social Policy. Basic Books. ISBN 046508995X.
* 1996\. Migrations and Cultures: A World View. ISBN 0465045898. OCLC 41748039.
* 1998\. Conquests and Cultures: An International History. ISBN 0465014003.
* 1998\. Late-Talking Children. ISBN 0465038352.
* 1999\. The Quest for Cosmic Justice. ISBN 0684864630.
* 2000\. A Personal Odyssey. ISBN 0684864657.
* 2000\. Basic Economics: A Citizen's Guide to the Economy (1st ed.). Basic Books. ISBN 0465081452.
* 2002\. Controversial Essays. Hoover. ISBN 0817929924.
* 2002\. The Einstein Syndrome: Bright Children Who Talk Late. ISBN 046508141X.
* 2003\. Applied Economics: Thinking Beyond Stage One. ISBN 0465081436.
* 2004\. Affirmative Action Around the World: An Empirical Study. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0300107753.
* 2004\. Basic Economics: A Citizen's Guide to the Economy (revised and expanded ed.). New York: Basic Books.
* 2005\. Black Rednecks and White Liberals. San Francisco: Encounter Books. ISBN 978-1594030864.
* 2006\. Ever Wonder Why?: and Other Controversial Essays. Stanford, CA: Hoover Institution Press. ISBN 978-0817947521. OCLC 253604328. ASIN 0817947523.
* 2006\. On Classical Economics. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0300126068.[121]
* 2007\. A Man of Letters. San Francisco, CA: Encounter Books. ISBN 978-1594031960.
* 2007\. Basic Economics: A Common Sense Guide to the Economy (3rd ed.). Cambridge, MA: Perseus Books. ISBN 978-0465002603. OCLC 76897806.
* 2008\. Applied Economics: Thinking Beyond Stage One (2nd ed.). Basic Books. ISBN 978-0465003457. OCLC 260206351.
* 2008\. Economic Facts and Fallacies. Basic Books. ISBN 978-0465003495. OCLC 1033591370. ASIN 0465003494.
* 2009\. The Housing Boom and Bust. Basic Books. ISBN 978-0465018802.
* Chapter 5, "The Past and the Future Archived November 25, 2021, at the Wayback Machine."
* 2010\. Basic Economics: A Common Sense Guide to the Economy (4th ed.). Cambridge, MA: Perseus Books. ISBN 978-0465022526.
* 2010\. Dismantling America: and Other Controversial Essays. Basic Books. ISBN 978-0465022519. OCLC 688505777.
* 2010\. Intellectuals and Society. Basic Books. ISBN 978-0465019489. Lay summary.
* 2011\. The Thomas Sowell Reader. Basic Books. ISBN 978-0465022502.
* 2011\. Economic Facts and Fallacies, 2nd edition. Basic Books. ISBN 978-0465022038
* 2013\. Intellectuals and Race. Basic Books. ISBN 978-0465058723.
* 2014\. Basic Economics: A Common Sense Guide to the Economy (5th ed.). New York: Basic Books. ISBN 978-0465060733.
* 2015\. Wealth, Poverty and Politics: An International Perspective. Basic Books.[122]
* 2016\. Wealth, Poverty and Politics: An International Perspective (2nd ed.). Basic Books. ISBN 978-0465096763.
* 2018\. Discrimination and Disparities. Basic Books. ISBN 978-1541645608.
* 2019\. Discrimination and Disparities (revised, enlarged ed.). Basic Books. ISBN 978-1541645639.
* 2020\. Charter Schools and Their Enemies. Basic Books. ISBN 978-1541675131.
* 2023\. Social Justice Fallacies. Basic Books. ISBN 978-1541603929.

### Selected essays

[edit]

* Sowell, Thomas (May 1973). "Arthur Jensen and His Critics: The Great IQ Controversy". Change. 5 (4): 33–37\. doi:10.1080/00091383.1973.10568506. JSTOR 40161749.
* 1975\. "Affirmative Action Reconsidered. Was It Necessary in Academia?" (Evaluation Studies 27). Washington, DC: American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research. ISBN 0844731994. LCCN 75-42779.
* 1979\. "Status versus Behavior." Washington University Law Review 1979(1):179–188.
* 1982\. "Weber and Bakke, and the Presuppositions of 'Affirmative Action'." pp. 37–63 in Discrimination, Affirmative Action, and Equal Opportunity: An Economic and Social Perspective, edited by W.E. Block and M.A. Walker. Fraser Institute. ISBN 978-0889750395.
* 2002\. "The Education of Minority Children Archived June 26, 2020, at the Wayback Machine." pp. 79–92 in Education in the Twenty-First Century, edited by E. P. Lazear. Stanford, CA: Hoover Institution Press. Available via eText.
* 2002\. "Discrimination, Economics, and Culture." pp. 167–180 in Beyond the Color Line: New Perspectives on Race and Ethnicity in America, edited by A. Thernstrom and S. Thernstrom. Hoover Institution Press.
* 2012\. "'Trickle Down' Theory and 'Tax Cuts for the Rich'" (Hoover Institution Press Publication 635) Stanford, CA: Hoover Institution Press. ISBN 978-0817916152. Google Books: EY3prsH-5bwC.

## See also

[edit]

* Greenhouse effect (United States Supreme Court)
* List of newspaper columnists

## Footnotes

[edit]

1. ^ Sowell declined to be awarded the National Humanities Medal in person. Justice Clarence Thomas received it on his behalf on February 23, 2003.
2. ^ The article finds that "black economists who are most frequently cited are almost never economic theoreticians. Rather, they tend to be social commentators who write widely on issues of race."

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Thomas Sowell". Hoover Institution. Archived from the original on May 16, 2014. Retrieved March 14, 2022. "He writes on economics, history, social policy, ethnicity, and the history of ideas."
2. ^ a b "The Most Highly Cited Black Economists". The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education (15): 35–37\. 1997. doi:10.2307/2962681. JSTOR 2962681. Archived from the original on August 16, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
3. ^ a b Ondaatje, Michael L. (2010). Black Conservative Intellectuals in Modern America. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press. pp. 30–32\. ISBN 978-0812206876. OCLC 794702292. "Perched at the forefront of the new black vanguard and certainly its unofficial intellectual messiah since the mid-1970s, Sowell was the most prolific black conservative writer of the era."
4. ^ a b c Early, Gerald (May 22, 2018). "The Black Conservative Lion in Winter". The Common Reader. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
5. ^ a b Dillard, Angela D. (2001). Guess who's coming to dinner now? : multicultural conservatism in America. New York: New York University Press. pp. 6, 60. ISBN 0814719392. OCLC 45023496.
6. ^ Wiltz, Teresa (February 28, 2003). "Bush Honors Eight From the Humanities". The Washington Post.
7. ^ a b c d e f Graglia, Lino A. (November 2000). "Profile in courage". The American Spectator. Archived from the original on December 18, 2000. Retrieved June 17, 2025.
8. ^ Ondaatje 2010, pp. 30–31.
9. ^ Williams, Walter E. (2010). Up from the projects : an autobiography. Stanford, California: Hoover Institution Press. ISBN 978-0817912567. OCLC 821216878.
10. ^ Robin, Corey (2019). The enigma of Clarence Thomas (First ed.). New York City. ISBN 978-1627793841. OCLC 1121044511.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
11. ^ a b c d e f "Thomas Sowell". Q&A. C-SPAN. April 17, 2005. Archived from the original on December 14, 2005. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
12. ^ a b c Ondaatje 2010, p. 32.
13. ^ a b "Thomas Sowell". Charlie Rose. September 15, 1995. Event occurs at 5:50. Archived from the original on February 7, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
14. ^ "Thomas Sowell". The National Endowment for the Humanities. Archived from the original on August 17, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
15. ^ a b Sowell, Thomas (December 27, 2016). "Farewell". Real Clear Politics. Archived from the original on September 28, 2018. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
16. ^ a b c Carlisle, Rodney P. (2005). Encyclopedia of Politics : the left and the right. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications. p. 876\. ISBN 978-1452265315. OCLC 812407954. "He is a libertarian on economics and a conservative on most social issues, but he has registered as an independent in politics since 1972. ... Limbaugh's listeners enjoy listening in as Williams and Sowell discuss the free market and traditional social values."
17. ^ a b Malagisi, Christopher, host. April 23, 2018. "Interview with the Legendary Thomas Sowell: His New Book, His Legacy, and What He Thinks of Trump and the Future of America Archived August 8, 2020, at the Wayback Machine" (podcast). Ep. 5 in The Conservative Book Club Podcast. US: The Conservative Book Club.
18. ^ a b Pearlstein, Steven (September 4, 2015). "Here's why poor people are poor, says a conservative black academic". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 9, 2019. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
19. ^ Younkins, Edward W. (2002). Capitalism and Commerce: Conceptual Foundations of Free Enterprise. Lexington Books. p. 318\. ISBN 978-0739152805. Archived from the original on September 6, 2022. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
20. ^ Zwolinski, Matt; Ferguson, Benjamin (2022). The Routledge Companion to Libertarianism. Routledge. p. 248\. ISBN 978-1000569223. Archived from the original on January 20, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
21. ^ Harvey, Robert S.; Gonzowitz, Susan (2022). Teaching as Protest: Emancipating Classrooms Through Racial Consciousness. Routledge. p. 34\. ISBN 978-1000540604. Archived from the original on September 6, 2022. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
22. ^ a b c Sawhill, Ray (November 10, 1999). "Black and right". Salon.com. Archived from the original on October 7, 2000. "I prefer not to have labels, but I suspect that 'libertarian' would suit me better than many others, although I disagree with the libertarian movement on a number of things – military preparedness, for instance."
23. ^ a b Finkelman, Paul, ed. (2009). Encyclopedia of African American History 1896 to the Present. pp. 366–367. doi:10.1093/acref/9780195167795.001.0001. ISBN 978-0195167795. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
24. ^ a b c d e f "Black History Month Profile: Thomas Sowell". Hoover Institution. February 19, 2021. Archived from the original on May 9, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
25. ^ Sowell, A Personal Odyssey, p. 6.
26. ^ Sowell, A Personal Odyssey, pp. 47, 58, 59, 62.
27. ^ Nordlinger, Jay. February 21, 2011. "A lion in high summer: Thomas Sowell, charging ahead Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine." National Review 63(3):43–45.
28. ^ a b Ondaatje 2010, p. 31.
29. ^ Sowell, Thomas (2000). "A Personal Odyssey from Howard to Harvard and Beyond". The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education (30): 122–128\. doi:10.2307/2679117. ISSN 1077-3711. JSTOR 2679117. Archived from the original on June 3, 2021. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
30. ^ a b c d Sowell, Thomas. "Curriculum vita". TSowell.com. Archived from the original on May 22, 2019. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
31. ^ Riley, Jason (July 2021). "The Conversion of Thomas Sowell". Reason. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022.
32. ^ Sowell, Thomas. 1963. "Karl Marx and the Freedom of the Individual." Ethics 73(2):120.
33. ^ Sowell, Thomas (1968). Say's Law and the General Glut Controversy (PhD dissertation). University of Chicago. Archived from the original on June 9, 2019. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
34. ^ a b Sowell, Thomas (May 3, 1999). "The Day Cornell Died". The Weekly Standard. Vol. 4, no. 31\. Archived from the original on June 4, 2012. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
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39. ^ Riley 2021.
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44. ^ "Judicial Activism Reconsidered". T Sowell. Archived from the original on April 6, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2010.
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48. ^ "The Cult of Multiculturalism". National Review. October 18, 2010. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
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50. ^ "Bob Chitester: How Free To Choose Changed the World". Reason (magazine). October 21, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
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66. ^ "Quota 'logic'". Creators Syndicate. April 22, 2003. Archived from the original on June 4, 2003. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
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69. ^ Miller, Andrew (July 13, 2020). "Thomas Sowell: Idea of 'systemic racism' a lie that has 'no meaning' and is reminiscent of Nazi propaganda". Washington Examiner. Archived from the original on May 18, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
70. ^ Sowell, Thomas (2013). Intellectuals and race. Ashland, Oregon: Blackstone Audio. ISBN 978-1482923537.
71. ^ Sowell, Thomas (2021). The Einstein Syndrome: Bright Children Who Talk Late. Basic Books. ISBN 978-1541601376.
72. ^ Sowell, Thomas (January 16, 2009). "The Bush Legacy". Creators Syndicate. Archived from the original on January 20, 2009. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
73. ^ Sowell, Thomas. "'Partial truth' abortion". Townhall. Archived from the original on January 24, 2017. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
74. ^ "The Real 'War on Women'". National Review. June 6, 2012. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
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77. ^ Sowell, Thomas. "Conservatives for Trump?". No. April 26, 2016. Archived from the original on February 26, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
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79. ^ "Sowell: Politicians using race as their ticket to whatever racket they're running Archived November 8, 2020, at the Wayback Machine." The Ingraham Angle. Fox News. March 6, 2019. via YouTube.
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81. ^ "Notable & Quotable: Thomas Sowell on Tariffs". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved April 5, 2025.
82. ^ Sowell, Thomas (January 5, 2021). "A vote at the crossroads". Creators Syndicate. Archived from the original on February 26, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
83. ^ Williams, Walter (July 6, 2020). "Williams: Charter schools and their enemies". Toronto Sun. Archived from the original on August 24, 2020. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
84. ^ a b Williamson, Kevin D. (July 9, 2020). "The Collapsing Case against Charter Schools". National Review. Archived from the original on November 20, 2020. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
85. ^ Carden, Art. "Charters Close The Achievement Gap, Says Thomas Sowell". Forbes. Archived from the original on March 20, 2021. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
86. ^ "Education: Assumptions Versus History". Contemporary Thinkers. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
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## Further reading

[edit]

* Kwong, Jo (2008). "Sowell, Thomas (1930–)." pp. 482–483 in The Encyclopedia of Libertarianism, edited by R. Hamowy. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage / Cato Institute. doi:10.4135/9781412965811.n294. ISBN 978-1412965804. LCCN 2008-9151. OCLC 750831024.
* Ebeling, Richard M., "Thomas Sowell at 90: Understanding Race Relations Around the World," American Institute for Economic Research, June 16, 2020
* Riley, Jason L., Maverick: A Biography of Thomas Sowell Basic Books, ISBN 978-1541619685, 978-1541619692 (e-book), ASIN B08HM2NQ66
* Riley, Jason L. (March 2022). "The Continuing Importance of Thomas Sowell". Imprimis. 51 (3). Hillsdale College: 1–7\. ISSN 0277-8432. Retrieved April 11, 2022.

## External links

[edit]

Wikiquote has quotations related to Thomas Sowell.

* Thomas Sowell's home page
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* Roberts, Russ (February 25, 2008). "Sowell on Economic Facts and Fallacies". EconTalk. Library of Economics and Liberty.
* Thomas Sowell: Common Sense in a Senseless World, 2021 PBS intellectual biography of its subject with Jason Riley hosting.
* Works by or about Thomas Sowell at the Internet Archive
* Thomas Sowell at IMDb

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* Basic Economics (2000–2014)
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* Affirmative Action Around the World (2004)
* Black Rednecks and White Liberals (2005)
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Historical
background|

* Ancien régime
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* Congress of Vienna
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* Conservative Order
* Counter-Enlightenment
* German Romanticism
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* Ultra-royalism

Related|

| Ideologies|

* Agrarianism
* Clerical fascism
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* Conservative liberalism
* Corporatism
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* Anti-communism
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Conservatism in the United States

Schools|

* Compassionate
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Principles|

* American exceptionalism
* Anti-communism
* Christian nationalism
* Classical liberalism
* Communitarianism
* Constitutionalism
* Familialism
* Family values
* Federalism
* States' rights
* Gender essentialism
* Complementarianism
* Judeo-Christian values
* Individualism
* Law and order
* Limited government
* Militarism
* Moral absolutism
* Natural law
* Ordered liberty
* Patriotism
* Protectionism
* Republicanism
* Right to bear arms
* Rule of law
* Tradition

People|

| Presidents|

* Adams (John)
* Adams (John Quincy)
* G. H. W. Bush
* G. W. Bush
* Cleveland
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* Harding
* Hoover
* McKinley
* Nixon
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* W. H. Taft
* Trump
* Washington

|

Jurists|

* Alito
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* Bork
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* George
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* Kavanaugh
* Kennedy
* O'Connor
* Parker
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* Vermeule
* Yoo

Intellectuals|

* Adams
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* Mansfield
* Mencken
* Meyer
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* Murray
* Nisbet
* O'Connor
* Ong
* Ransom
* Rieff
* Santayana
* Sowell
* Strauss
* Viereck
* Voegelin
* Washington
* Weaver
* Yarvin

Other figures|

* Ailes
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* Beck
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* Cheney
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* Schlafly
* Shapiro
* Stone
* Robert A. Taft
* Booker T. Washington

Parties|

* American Party
* American Independent Party
* Conservative Party of New York State
* Constitution Party
* Republican Party
* Anti-Masonic Party
* Constitutional Union Party
* Democratic Party (historically, factions)
* Boll weevils
* Conservative Democrats
* Dixiecrats
* Reagan Democrats
* Southern Democrats
* Rhode Island Suffrage Party
* Federalist Party
* National Republican Party
* Native American Party
* Whig Party

Movements|

* Alt-right
* Asian and Pacific Islander
* Black
* Christian right
* Dark Enlightenment
* Female
* Green
* Hispanic and Latino
* LGBT
* Libertarian Republicans
* Militia movement
* Patriot movement
* Christian
* Radical Right
* Reactionary feminism
* Tea Party movement
* Trumpism

Think tanks|

* Acton Institute
* AdTI
* AEI
* AFP
* CSP
* CfNI
* Claremont Institute
* CEI
* CSPC
* EPPC
* FRI
* Gatestone Institute
* Heartland Institute
* The Heritage Foundation
* Heritage Action
* Mandate for Leadership
* Project Esther
* Project 2025
* Hoover Institution
* Hudson Institute
* ISI
* James Madison Program
* Leadership Institute
* Manhattan Institute
* Mises Institute
* PRI
* PNAC (Defunct)
* Ripon Society
* R Street Institute
* Rockford Institute
* SPN
* Sutherland Institute
* Tax Foundation
* Witherspoon Institute

Historical factions|

* Bourbon Democrats
* Dixiecrats
* Loyalists
* Old Right
* Redeemers
* Southern Agrarians

Literature|

* Democracy in America (1835–1840)
* Democracy and Leadership (1924)
* I'll Take My Stand (1930)
* Our Enemy, the State (1935)
* The Managerial Revolution (1941)
* Ideas Have Consequences (1948)
* God and Man at Yale (1951)
* The Conservative Mind (1953)
* The Conscience of a Conservative (1960)
* A Choice Not an Echo (1964)
* Losing Ground (1984)
* A Conflict of Visions (1987)
* The Closing of the American Mind (1987)
* The Bell Curve (1994)
* A Republic, Not an Empire (1999)
* Hillbilly Elegy (2017)
* The Benedict Option (2017)
* Why Liberalism Failed (2018)

See also|

* American nationalism
* Bibliography of conservatism in the United States
* List of American conservatives
* National conservatism
* Southern strategy

* Conservatism portal

Portals:

* Biography
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Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
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Academics|

* CiNii
* Mathematics Genealogy Project
* Scopus

People|

* Trove
* DDB

Other|

* IdRef
* SNAC
* Yale LUX

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