The Libertarian Impulse in Silicon Valley, with John Markoff and Peter Richardson

How did a political philosophy focused on personal liberty and small government flourish in an industry whose research was funded in large part by the U.S. government? Award-winning reporter and author John Markoff will explore the origins and development of libertarianism in Silicon Valley in conversation with Peter Richardson. Together they'll trace that libertarian streak through a series of milestone moments: Apple’s 1984 ad about Big Brother, the Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace, the so-called Californian Ideology of the 1990s, and Big Tech's efforts today to derail regulation both here and abroad. We will also track the shifting public perceptions about Silicon Valley companies and their global clout.
About the Speakers
John Markoff is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and independent scholar at Stanford University’s Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences. He has reported on Silicon Valley for more than four decades and wrote for The New York Times’ science and technology beat for 28 years. He is the author of five books about the technology industry including most recently, Whole Earth: The Many Lives of Stewart Brand (2022).
Peter Richardson has written critically acclaimed books about Rolling Stone magazine, Hunter S. Thompson, the Grateful Dead, Ramparts magazine, and radical author and editor Carey McWilliams. From 2006 to 2023, he taught courses on California culture at San Francisco State University. His essays, reviews, and commentary have been featured in major publications both in North America and abroad.