Learn Liberty is a resource for learning about the ideas of a free society. Our goal is to provide a starting point for conversations on important questions: · What is the nature of man and society? · What are the best ways to organize human society? · What is the proper role for government?
Today, many define “exploitation” as taking unfair advantage of others’ vulnerability. Based on this definition, many suspect that capitalism exploits workers. Professor Matt Zwolinski examines whether this is accurate and finds two points against it: 1. Capitalists may not want to pay workers close to the value of what they produce, but they do because […]
Many think capitalism exploits the masses for the benefit of a small minority. Professor Matt Zwolinski says that even if this is true we should be asking what the alternative to capitalism might be. The common suggestion is to increase government regulation and control over businesses. But does that alternative really make sense? The history […]
In his conclusion to the series “Schools of Thought in Classical Liberalism,” Dr. Nigel Ashford asks: What do you think the role of government should be? How do you decide what government should or shouldn’t do? What’s your philosophy? What do you believe? Anarchy: there is no role for government. Minimal government, or minarchy: government […]
What is an anarchist? Most people associate the word “anarchist” with the political left. However, there are anarchists who advocate for completely unrestricted capitalism, also known as anarcho-capitalistism. Two prominent anarcho-capitalists are Murray Rothbard and David Friedman, both of whom believed there should be no government. Dr. Nigel Ashford discusses the views of Rothbard and […]
Some philosophers believe that all human beings have natural rights. America has a strong natural rights tradition, embodied in the Declaration of Independence’s claim that all men are endowed with “certain unalienable rights.” In part 5 of his series, Dr. Nigel Ashford explores the beliefs and philosophical methodology of philosophers Ayn Rand and Robert Nozick, […]
When people refer to the “Austrian School,” they are usually referring to the ideas of two prominent economists: Friedrich Hayek and Ludwig von Mises. Dr. Nigel Ashford highlights the similarities and differences of these two influential thinkers. On the one hand, Hayek tends to recognize the limits of human knowledge and reason. He argues that […]
Schools of Thought in Classical Liberalism, Part 3: Public Choice What is the proper role of government and how can it be limited? Dr. Nigel Ashford continues his series on classical liberalism with a discussion of public choice. Public choice theory argues two points: 1) that rational people would mutually agree upon limited government, also […]
Dr. Nigel Ashford discusses the ideas of Milton Friedman, a Nobel Laureate and economist. Friedman is widely considered the founder of the Chicago School, an intellectual tradition that basis its theories on empirical and measurable evidence and theories. According to the Chicago School, in order to assess the merits of a law, you must measure […]
What is “classical liberalism?” Many people say they’re a classical liberal – or “libertarian” – but that means different things to different people. Libertarians agree that the government should be limited, but disagree why. In this seven part video series, Dr. Nigel Ashford explores five different schools of thought within the Classical Liberal tradition: The […]
Economics evidence has long demonstrated that free trade benefits all nations by increasing their standards of living and wealth. Professor Pavel Yakovlev argues that empirical evidence shows that free trade promotes peace. He provides the following reasons for this outcome: Trade makes countries more commercially interdependent and provides strong incentives to avoid war. This is […]
According to Prof. Pavel Yakovlev, several post-Soviet economies have struggled to obtain prosperity since the breakup of the Soviet Union. Many argue that this is a failure of capitalism. To Prof. Yakovlev, this has not been a failure of capitalism, but rather, has been a failure to create the conditions necessary for capitalism. To see […]
Before considering government regulation of monopolies, Prof. Lynne Kiesling encourages us to think about the regulation that markets naturally provide. In any market, in the absence of government interference, each business is constrained by the following: Consumer demand The availability of substitutes The entry, or threat of entry, of new firms Historically, despite these competitive […]
The Occupy Wall Street protests have popularized the distinction between the lowest 99% and the highest 1% of income earners. Prof. Chris Coyne suggests that a distinction between makers and the takers is a better way to understand the problems that the protesters decry. There are makers and takers in all income brackets in society. […]
The Occupy Wall Street movement expresses valid frustrations, but do the protesters aim their accusations in the wrong direction? Economics Professor Chris Coyne draws the distinction between crony capitalism and legitimate capitalism. Crony capitalism is government favoritism fueled by handouts and is responsible for the plight of the 99%. Legitimate capitalism, on the other hand, […]
According to Professor James Otteson, one of the greatest challenges often presented against individual liberty and free markets is that they are atomizing. Essentially, it is claimed that people within a commercial society begin to view one another as competitors. This critique goes as far back as at least Karl Marx. Although there is some […]
Why did Adam Smith, considered by many to be the father of economics, write The Wealth of Nations in 1776? Prof. James Otteson suggests that one of Adam Smith’s main concerns was poverty, which, at the time of Smith’s writings, was much worse than the poverty of today. After analyzing centuries of data, Smith found […]
Dr. Stephen Davies discusses his intellectual development, which really began with John Stuart Mill’s essay On Liberty. Mill’s essay encouraged Dr. Stephen Davies to think in ways he had never thought before. After reading this essay, he began reading the works of Milton Friedman, Friedrich Hayek, and many others. Through these readings, as well as […]
Dr. Stephen Davies describes the difficulty in selecting the top five libertarian books, and therefore, decides to select two books for his first book recommendation. Below are his recommendations: On Liberty by John Stuart Mill & The Sphere and Duties of Government by Wilhelm von Humboldt The Use of Knowledge in Society by Friedrich Hayek The Structure of Liberty by Randy Barnett Norms of Liberty by Douglas […]
Are chain stores good or bad? According to Prof. Art Carden, there are reasons to both like and dislike chain stores. The reasons to like chain stores include their ability to lower prices, increase variety, and reduce uncertainty. However, chain stores also do things to dislike, such as pursuing special government privileges like subsidies and […]
Prof. Daniel D’Amico discusses several arguments for and against government enforcement of intellectual property, including trademarks, patents, and copyrights. He explores both moral arguments (deontological) and cost benefit arguments (consequential), dedicating most of his time to consequential arguments. He finds that, in general, intellectual property is difficult to enforce and is inherently an anti-rival good. […]
Do you prefer the world of Adam Smith or the world of Karl Marx? Prof. Robert Lawson tells the story of his numerous discussions about this very question with his friends in college. Even after years of theoretical discussion with his friends, a conclusion was never reached between them. Prof. Robert Lawson now works on […]
According to Prof. Scott Beaulier, when most people think of Africa and the standard of living it provides, they tend to think of the entire continent as a whole rather than the individual countries. This type of thinking, however, overlooks some large differences that exist between African countries. Specifically, when comparing Botswana to other African […]
According to Prof. Don Boudreaux, free trade is nothing more than a system of trade that treats foreign goods and services no differently than domestic goods and services. Protectionism, on the other hand, is a system of trade that discriminates against foreign goods and services in an attempt to favor domestic goods and services. In […]