Category:Liberty
This Prof. will Challenge your Perspective on Free Speech
December 13, 2013 | Video
Everybody loves free speech, right? It’s in the first amendment to the U.S. Constitution. But Prof. Deirdre McCloskey complicates the picture of free speech by associating it with the Greek word for persuasion: rhetoric. Free speech and advertising go hand in hand. Advertisements and rhetoric both have a negative connotation, but they are essential to […]
Why Are Illegal Drugs Stronger Than They Used to Be?
November 5, 2013 | Video
Is it possible the war on drugs is to blame for increased potency in marijuana and for how crack ravaged inner cities in the 1980s? Prof. Adam Martin explains how the drug war has altered incentives for both drug buyers and sellers, leading them to favor higher potency drugs. This is what economists call the […]
Does the NSA Violate Your Constitutional Rights?
September 12, 2013 | Video
Many Americans do not know what their constitutional freedoms are or why they were established in the first place. The freedoms Americans have are rare and fragile. They were put in place to protect people and ensure our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Professor James Otteson explains the importance of the […]
Self-Ownership and the Right to Say No
August 30, 2013 | Video
Did you know you own a person? It’s you. When you own something, you have the right to determine who has access to it. This goes for your car as well as for your own body. While this may seem like a simple concept, it makes a big difference in how we live our lives. […]
Freedom Requires Whistleblowers: The Importance of Transparency
August 23, 2013 | Video
Are you concerned about the activities government agencies are engaging in? Does it bother you to think the government is spying on you? If not, what reason do you have to be complacent? Professor James Otteson says we may feel secure today because we know we haven’t done anything wrong. But this is short-sighted. The […]
No Means No: The NSA, Edward Snowden, and Privacy
August 16, 2013 | Video
When Edward Snowden revealed to the world that the National Security Agency (NSA) and other agencies were looking into the lives of every American, many people were shocked. While claiming to protect us from crime and terrorism, says Professor James Otteson, the government has been recording every digital transmission we make. They are keeping a […]
A Professor's Argument for Same-Sex Marriage
June 28, 2013 | Video
Should same-sex couples be permitted to marry? Are civil unions or domestic partnerships sufficient? What kind of effect does same-sex marriage have on heterosexual marriage? Do the children of same-sex couples face undue challenges because of their parents? These questions have all been raised in the ongoing debate about gay marriage. Professor Dale Carpenter makes […]
Who Needs Economic Freedom When You Can Vote?
August 2, 2012 | Video
Although everyone agrees that freedom is important, political freedoms are often prioritized over economic freedoms. Many believe that the best way to maximize personal freedom is to furnish each individual with an equal voice in the democratic decision-making process. After all, the logic goes, how can you be unhappy with a choice that you had […]
Liberty, Security, and the TSA
November 9, 2011 | Video
According to Professor James Otteson, there is a trade-off between liberty and security. Consider the recent procedures instituted by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in the name of defending us against terrorism. Are these procedures too invasive? This is a fairly difficult question to answer. We all have different tolerances for risk. Car crashes cause […]
Liberty and Community: Marx and Smith on Commercial Societies
November 7, 2011 | Video
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 […]
Human Dignity and the Freedom to Choose
October 28, 2011 | Video
Prof. James Otteson describes how the freedom to choose is a crucial element of human dignity. Part of what makes us human is having free will and the freedom to choose. Therefore, if you are to respect people as moral agents, you will abstain from restricting other individual’s choices. This principle is especially applicable when […]
What Would It Take For You To Fight For Your Liberty?
September 26, 2011 | Video
Prof. James Otteson believes it is extremely important to think about what it would take for you to fight for your liberty. Liberty is a fragile gift, and if this question remains ignored, our liberty will likely diminish.
Top Five Libertarian Books
September 23, 2011 | Video
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 […]
Economic Vs. Civil Liberties
September 21, 2011 | Video
Which are more important, economic liberties or civil liberties? The conventional view portrays conservatives as caring more about economic liberties than civil liberties. Liberals, on the other hand, are conventionally viewed as caring about civil liberties more than economic liberties. To Prof. Aeon Skoble, this distinction between economic and civil liberties is fictitious. The influence […]
Rawls and Nozick on Liberty & Equality
September 16, 2011 | Video
Prof. James Otteson discusses the philosophers John Rawls and Robert Nozick, and their different views on liberty and equality. Rawls considered equality to be the moral benchmark for all social and political institutions, and felt that any deviation from equality must be specially justified. Nozick, on the other hand, considered liberty to be the more […]
Liberty & Security
June 29, 2011 | Video
How should we think about the tradeoff between liberty and security? Prof. James Otteson of Yeshiva University argues that a basic amount of security is critical to protect our lives, liberty, and property. Beyond this minimal amount, there is a tradeoff between liberty and security. Some liberty must be given up if we want the […]
Liberty & Virtue
June 29, 2011 | Video
Does a free society encourage immoral behavior? Prof. James Otteson of Yeshiva University argues that moral or virtuous behavior can only grow in a climate of individual liberty. The decisions individuals make can only be called virtuous if they are made freely, without compulsion by someone else. Individuals will make mistakes and may sometimes act […]
Liberty & Equality
June 28, 2011 | Video
Two central values of American political life are liberty and equality. Are these two values in tension with one another? As philosophy Prof. James Otteson explains, it depends on how you define equality. He traces two conceptions of equality. Formal equality comes from the form of institutions, such as equality before the law: all laws […]
Liberty & Community
June 14, 2011 | Video
Does individual liberty threaten community? Some think that it does. As philosophy professor James Otteson explains, some worry that individual liberty undermines moral community, while others worry that it neglects those most vulnerable in a community, such as the poor. But Otteson cautions against thinking this way, for several reasons. As he explains, to take […]
What is Classical Liberalism?
February 11, 2011 | Video
Dr. Nigel Ashford explains the 10 core principles of the classical liberal & libertarian view of society and the proper role of government: 1) Liberty as the primary political value; 2) Individualism; 3) Skepticism about power; 4) Rule of Law; 5) Civil Society; 6) Spontaneous Order; 7) Free Markets; 8) Toleration; 9) Peace; 10) Limited […]