Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q.)

Where does the name of The Lucidicus Project come from? The name Lucidicus is simply a creation based on the word lucid, which means "clear to the understanding." The purpose of the project is to help clarify for students the moral and economic case for individual rights in medicine. Over the years, the definitions of key ethical and political concepts such as rights and capitalism have been distorted in order to make it difficult to hold a rational discussion about them. The Lucidicus Project has set out to help make these concepts intelligible, so that young doctors understand, for instance, what actually constitutes a legitimate right. The more doctors there are who understand these ideas, the more difficult it will be for advocates of socialized medicine to maintain such contradictions as "the right to healthcare" or "the immorality of capitalism."

Is The Lucidicus Project affiliated with any political party? No. This project is concerned primarily with helping medical students learn to defend themselves philosophically. We neither support, nor are supported by, any political party. The project aims to advocate for a principled defense of laissez-faire capitalism, not to benefit any particular party.

What is laissez-faire capitalism? Laissez-faire capitalism refers to a system in which property is privately owned and individual rights are protected consistently. Under laissez-faire capitalism, government would consist of a police force (to protect against domestic criminals), an army (to protect against foreign threats of force), and a court system (to adjudicate civil disputes). Strictly speaking, the "laissez-faire" modifier (which means "let do," as in "hands-off") is redundant, but it helps to emphasize that rights must be protected consistently, not selectively, as they are in the United States today. Under capitalism, each individual would be free to pursue his own happiness, as long as he does not initiate physical force or commit fraud against another person.

Who is eligible to receive a kit? The kits that we give away are intended for medical students, residents, pre-med students, and nursing students. If you are studying some other clinical specialty or allied health profession, then we can probably include you too, depending on your circumstances and level of interest. From time to time, we may also award kits to individuals who are no longer students but who have just recently graduated from medical school. We also consider requests from undergraduate clubs and organizations for pre-meds. The overarching goal is to get kits into the hands of bright, young individuals who are just starting out in a medical or healthcare-related profession. If you are unsure whether you are eligible, just write and ask. We're open to awarding kits in special circumstances, too (for instance, to hospital librarians or med school professors).

I want a kit but I am not a medical student. Can I still get one? We deeply appreciate the written support and inquiries that we get from people who share our values and would like to request or purchase a kit. However, in order to stay sharply focused on our mission and not run out of materials overnight, we can only give away kits to the types of students described above. If you do not qualify, you can still buy all of the materials in the kit yourself. They are not hard to track down.

Are the kits only for students who already agree with these ideas? No—this is an educational outreach project, not a club. The only prerequisite is that you have is a genuine, honest interest in learning more about these topics and are open to considering arguments in favor of capitalism. We do not expect you to agree with, or even be familiar with, these ideas beforehand. As a medical student, you have probably spent most of your academic career studying anatomy, biology, and chemistry. You may have never even had a course in philosophy or economics, so it is expected that will have questions about capitalism and individual rights, especially given the way that these concepts are misrepresented in academia today. If part of the reason you chose to go into a scientific field was because you found subjects like philosophy useless, unchallenging, or completely detached from reality, then there is a good chance that you are exactly the type of person who will find these materials to be an invigorating change.

What obligations do I incur by requesting a kit? Practically none, except that you agree to be featured on the recipients page with a brief profile and picture. The purpose of the profiles is twofold: 1) to show other medical students who visit our website that they are not alone in questioning the status quo, and 2) to share with our supporters the real-life stories of the students who they help with their donations. In order to help protect the privacy of recipients, we do not show recipients' last names. If your situation requires greater privacy, then we can discuss making your profile semi-anonymous in some mutually-agreeable way. Most students do not find this necessary.

Is The Lucidicus Project active in any other countries besides the United States? Not substantially, but we do happily award MISDKs to medical students regardless of where they live and study. We have sent kits to students as far away as Canada, England, Poland, Brazil, and Pakistan. We believe that individual rights, political freedom, and capitalism are good universally, not just for people in the United States or the Western world.

How can I get more involved with The Lucidicus Project? The two best ways to get involved are: 1) talk with your classmates in medical school and encourage them to visit the Lucidicus website and request a kit, and 2) try writing a guest editorial for the Lucidicus website on an issue that is important to you. Both of these will help you to think through the issues in depth, and both will help spread the message of individual rights in medicine to a wider audience. To submit a guest editorial (400 to 800 words is best), just write to us. We can final polishing for publication if necessary. If you have other interests or ideas for getting involved, just write and let us know. Creativity is good!

I share some or all of your viewpoints. Will you trade links with my website/blog? It is very encouraging to see other people promoting free markets and individual rights, and we sincerely thank you for your support. But it is also very difficult and time-consuming to evaluate and keep track of all the various blogs and activist groups that may share our values. As a result, we do not formally maintain a page with links or a blogroll. That's not really a bad thing, though. Nowadays, search engines and social networks do a much better job of this anyway.