[Summer Short] The Libertarian Impulse of Silicon Valley, with John Markoff and Peter Richardson
In this timely Summer Short, award-winning reporter and author John Markoff will explore the origins and development of libertarianism in Silicon Valley. 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? Markoff's conversation with Peter Richardson will 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.
Tickets
- 🎟️ $0 — Premium/Premium Plus Members
- 🎟️ $30 — OLLI Members (Single-Term and Annual/Annual Plus) and OLLI Faculty
- 🎟️ $9 — Fee Assistance Members
- 🎟️ $45 — General Public/Best of OLLI subscribers
Details👇
- Thursday, June 25, 1–3 PM
- Livestreamed and recorded only
- The Zoom link will be included in your confirmation email. OLLI members can also find the link in their Member Dashboard.
- The recording will be sent the following day and will remain available through August 31.
- Summer Shorts offer fresh ideas, context and depth — all in a single engaging session.
[Members, be sure to log in to your OLLI account before registering to receive your discount]