Category:Liberty

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?

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 […]

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 […]

November 4, 2021 | Post

This is the second of Learn Liberty’s “Legends” series. Read our first, on Ayn Rand, HERE. He never won a Nobel Prize. He never wrote a New York Times bestseller. In the history books, he doesn’t sit alongside Adam Smith, Ludwig von Mises, and Friedrich Hayek as all-time great economists. He doesn’t even have an […]

October 28, 2021 | Video

In this video, you’ll learn about Objectivism: Rand’s philosophy of rights, man’s rational judgment, and unforced human action. (Learn more about Rand and Objectivism in our “Legends of Liberty” blog series: https://www.learnliberty.org/blog/legends-of-liberty-ayn-rand/.) You’ll hear Rush paying tribute to Rand through unique lyrics and dynamite rock and roll. You’ll even be introduced to Rush’s mastermind, Neil Peart, by the most unlikely of sources: Jack Black from School of Rock.

July 15, 2021 | Post

Self-identified libertarians have a variety of core principles, and different stressors can push some towards more nefarious ideologies, like the far-right

June 26, 2021 | Video

We spoke with Christian Watson, about LGBTQ+ allyship and how socialists have not always been true allies to the cause.

May 25, 2021 | Video

Five people share their true stories. We interviewed 5 people about their experiences of being under lockdown in Brazil, Nigeria, Greece, India, and the United States. This video tells some of their stories and ideas of how extreme measures have been used by governments everywhere to contain the pandemic – and how much it has […]

April 28, 2021 | Video

Since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, the Vietnamese immigrant population in the United States has grown significantly, from about 231,000 in 1980, to nearly 1.3 million in 2012. The surge happened mostly during the 1980s and 1990s.

Hear from Vietnamese refugee, Viet Tran, who talks about his past struggles with fleeing his country in search for a better life. We go back to 1980.

“People will escape no matter what, as long as the government is harsh on their people.” – Viet Tran

This video answers the following questions:

How does government impact the lives of the ones they govern?
How do borders impact the people that they divide?
What does a life without freedom, justice, and democracy really look like?

January 15, 2018 | Video

Bret Weinstein, evolutionary biologist and former professor at Evergreen State College, makes the case that those who value liberty—whether we lean right or lean left—should unite in its defense. Excerpted from Spiked Magazine’s ‘Unsafe Space Tour’ panel discussion at New York Law School.

January 11, 2018 | Video

Is human blood a “public resource”? Prof. Peter Jaworski argues that your bodily fluids belong to you, and governments should let you sell them.

December 11, 2017 | Video

Is political correctness why Trump won? Watch the Unsafe Space Tour panel discussion at Harvard University, featuring Steven Pinker, Wendy Kaminer, Robby Soave and Brendan O’Neill. Moderated by Tom Slater (of Spiked Magazine).

October 30, 2017 | Video

What’s the evidence that economic freedom is beneficial for society? Prof. Antony Davies shows charts of the free market’s effects on unemployment, inequality, poverty, and even child labor.

October 5, 2017 | Video

Why does America put so many people in jail? Is it because we have lots of guns? Lots of criminals? Or lots of laws turning nonviolent people into criminals? Watch this UNSAFE SPACE debate featuring Heather Mac Donald and Prof. Thaddeus Russell. UNSAFE SPACE is a live show and podcast where comedians do standup on […]

September 12, 2017 | Post

Ilya Somin is Professor of Law at George Mason University. His research focuses on constitutional law, property law, and the study of popular political participation.

July 15, 2016 | Video

So we’ve declared independence (AKA committed Treason), have a small military not ready for war, and want to start America… now what?     In July 1776, the Founders really had their work cut out for them. Not only did they have to win a war against the greatest military of the time and avoid […]

June 28, 2016 | Video

The job market is in the dumps, especially for young people. Luckily, politicians have come to the rescue! Trump promises he’ll be  “the greatest jobs president that God ever created.” And Bernie plans to spend $18B to get our economy back on track. But if government takes tax money from some businesses to create jobs […]

February 9, 2016 | Post

January 5, 2016 | Post

November 24, 2015 | Post

In this bite sized quote, J.S. Mill perfectly encapsulates his Harm Principle put forth in his political treatise, “On Liberty.” The state, acting as an institution with the legal monopoly on the use of coercion, should only use force to prevent harm done to others. What would the world look like today if the government […]

November 2, 2015 | Post

With presidential contenders like Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders making a fuss about foreign laborers coming to the country and depressing wages or murdering our women and children immigration reform has once again moved to the front lines of presidential politics. Have you ever wanted to cut through the demagoguery and fear-mongering and get plain […]

October 27, 2015 | Post

Alexis de Tocqueville on the paradox of freedom. Freedom comes with risk but the risk is well worth the reward of owning yourself. What do you think about this quote? Tell us how you feel in the comments.

October 26, 2015 | Post

Learn Liberty On Demand offers you a series of videos on new and exciting topics in the world of policy and ideas that you can watch any time, anywhere, on your schedule. Have you ever wondered if Free Speech has its limits? Well, this is the place for you. You’ve got freedom of speech, but […]

October 26, 2015 | Post

We have lived in Providence, RI for almost four years. I still am not accustomed to the driving habits of Rhode Islanders. There are the ones I might have expected moving up here from Georgia: the honk when the light turns green but I don’t move fast enough, the infrequent use of turn signals when […]