Category:Liberty
How gun control might be seen 100 years from now
June 1, 2023 | Post
The book Lies My Teacher Told Me by James Loewen was assigned to me during my senior year of high school. I still reflect on its lessons and have found them applicable not just to the past, but, in some cases, to the future. Here is how hypothetical, sweeping new gun control legislation might be seen 100 years from now…
Remembering Karl Hess on his 100th birthday
May 25, 2023 | Post
Karl Hess is a figure whose political journey was more complex and revelatory than most. His journey is one that is worth retracing today as a means of understanding the roots of contemporary libertarianism, its early flirtations with radical countercultural politics, and the outdated left-right political paradigm
Who was Ayn Rand?
February 27, 2023 | Post
Ayn Rand, a celebrated author and philosopher, was one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century. Known for her bestselling novels, such as The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, Rand’s ideas have had a profound impact on the fields of politics, economics, and philosophy.
Why does liberty work?
January 19, 2023 | Post
Advocating for liberty is both idealistic and realistic. What is it that makes liberty “work” in a way that central planning cannot?
Ten movies every libertarian should watch
December 30, 2022 | Post
Looking for a way to combine entertainment with thought-provoking ideas? Check out our list of ten movies every libertarian should watch…
13 books every well-rounded libertarian should read
December 30, 2022 | Post
There are books that every libertarian should read and books every libertarian has read, but those circles don’t perfectly overlap. Here are 13 diverse book recommendations for well-rounded thinkers…
Aristotle v. Plato: How Their Ideas Shaped Rand, Kant and the World
September 15, 2022 | Video
In this video, Jon Hersey, managing editor of The Objective Standard, argues that four thinkers, Aristotle, Rand, Plato, and Kant, are the key to understanding some of history’s most brilliant eras — and its darkest — as well as the modern-day culture war that seemingly divides us so profoundly. Whose ideas, for example, dominated during […]
Why pro-liberty solutions must apply to the real world
August 25, 2022 | Post
Policies are not implemented in a sterile lab environment, they are implemented in the world as it exists now. If a policy increases liberty in some theoretical world, but decreases liberty in the present world, can we really consider it to be pro-liberty?
National divorce is not a pro-liberty solution
July 21, 2022 | Post
It’s time for a broader discussion about why national divorce is not a pro-liberty solution. Fundamentally, for any change in the structure of government to be pro-liberty, it must move us towards more individual liberty, not away.
A new beginning for the Learn Liberty blog
July 15, 2022 | Post
The new Learn Liberty blog will cover a wide range of topics connected to Students For Liberty’s pillars. Our goal is to host a growing library of informative pieces and offer commentary on current events relevant to the liberty movement.
Why is the US Declaration of Independence so Unique?
July 12, 2022 | Video
As Nicolas Cage famously demonstrated, the Declaration of Independence has long been shrouded in mystery. On the steps of the National Archives, home of the Declaration, Constitution, and Bill of Rights, we spoke with Trevor Burrus of the Cato Institute. He touched on the history of the Declaration of Independence, including the REAL date John […]
The libertarian personality: a quick guide to the best friends you’ve yet to meet
July 8, 2022 | Post
Friends of liberty are united by a common interest in peacefully building a freer society that champions liberty for all.
The FDA’s Deadly Role in the AIDS Crisis
June 30, 2022 | Video
Another Pride Month full of celebrations all over the world has come and gone. If not for the FDA, there would’ve been hundreds of thousands more people celebrating. Its role during the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s was one of obstruction: simply put, the FDA made it harder for pharmaceutical companies to develop and market […]
14th Amendment Breakdown: How it Connects to Roe
June 23, 2022 | Video
As the U.S. awaits — and debates — the Supreme Court’s potential overturn of Roe v. Wade, the 14th Amendment is front and center in the national jurisprudence conversation. The 14th has long provided the basis for abortion rights — and many other rights. But legally speaking, it might not have been the strongest basis […]
The ongoing political realignment is a great opportunity for liberty
May 25, 2022 | Post
The factions people ally with are going through a dramatic change, but what is driving this political realignment and what does it mean for liberty?
The U.S. Constitution and the right to privacy
May 17, 2022 | Post
The right to privacy and freedom of contract are not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution but are essential to our personal privacy and dignity
Self-ownership and libertarianism: we must fully own ourselves to be free
March 31, 2022 | Post
Self-ownership is a key concept in libertarian ideology. It means exactly what it sounds like: the idea that every person owns themselves.
Just war; unjust conscription
March 24, 2022 | Post
Coercing young and middle-aged men to fight implies that certain people’s rights are not absolute, but disposable in service of the “greater good”
Ukraine and the struggle for liberty
March 15, 2022 | Post
At present, we are reminded that freedom is not guaranteed. The war in Ukraine is fundamentally a showdown between liberty and tyranny.
Ukrainians stand defiant in the face of Putin’s aggression
March 4, 2022 | Post
Faced with the full-scale invasion of their country and widespread atrocities, Ukrainians stand defiant against Putin’s aggression.
What makes Ayn Rand so significant
February 28, 2022 | Post
When we think of terms such as capitalism, individualism, or selfishness, one name comes to mind: Ayn Rand. But what makes Rand so significant?
Dr. Tom Palmer: We must end the culture war
January 13, 2022 | Post
As ideologues on the left and right push their demands, there is an alternative to the culture war: the presumption of liberty. Live and let live
Legends of Liberty: Lenny Bruce
December 3, 2021 | Post
E.M. Forster once said, “How do I know what I think until I see what I say?” He was observing that, in our brains, thoughts often bounce and jump around frenetically; for many of us, we have to verbalize — or write down — our thoughts before they gain clarity. So, in a sense, the […]
Legends of Liberty: Thomas Sowell
November 11, 2021 | Post
Last week, we wrote about Frederic Bastiat, the king of communicating economic and philosophical ideas in simple, direct (and often funny) ways. Of course, in the 19th century, Bastiat’s medium was the printed word. But if you had to find an heir to his throne in the social media era, Thomas Sowell would be a […]