Category:Philosophy

March 25, 2022 | Post

John Locke and David Hume are two thinkers who provided a robust defense of property rights, and their arguments are markedly different.

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?

February 2, 2022 | Post

Modernity is unthinkable without capitalism, yet Ayn Rand defined capitalism as an unknown ideal, one whose benefits people did not understand

December 16, 2021 | Video

If you feel constrained by the Democrat/Republican, liberal/conservative divide, you might be a Libertarian. And if that’s the case, Learn Liberty’s wide-ranging Philosophy 201 & 202 courses is for you.

In this introductory video, Peter Jaworski, Assistant Teaching Professor at Georgetown University, and Chris Freiman, Associate Professor at William and Mary University lay out a brief syllabus, defining Libertarianism as a political philosophy that regards individual liberty as the morally appropriate and legitimate priority for political institutions.

October 22, 2021 | Post

To make a coherent defense of liberty, it is important not to neglect the philosophical and moral considerations that underpin our individual rights.

October 10, 2021 | Post

Since its publication in 1957, Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged continues to have a lasting impact and remains a cornerstone of pro-liberty literature

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

April 28, 2021 | Video

Lesson 10 of our Law 201 Course: Prof. Ilya Somin returns to explain how Immigration promotes and even secures liberty, not only for migrants themselves but also for natives. He talks about improving the lives of people fleeing dictatorships, authoritarian regimes, and poverty and how this movement reflects (positively) in the economy and society of more open countries.

April 28, 2021 | Video

Torts and crimes are different concepts that guide criminal and civil Laws within societies. In this video, we will examine how interactions between people can be harmful to some, and also what legal tools are there to prevent and punish those who cross the line.

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.

January 2, 2018 | Video

Harvard psychology professor Steven Pinker argues that political correctness actually breeds the very same extremist views it hopes to quash. Excerpted from Spiked Magazine’s ‘Unsafe Space Tour’ panel discussion at Harvard University.

November 30, 2017 | Video

Professors Laura Kipnis, Angus Johnston, and author Brendan O’Neill debate: Should We Limit Free Speech for Nazis? Excerpted from the Spiked Magazine Unsafe Space Tour panel discussion at New York Law School. Moderated by Tom Slater (of Spiked Magazine).

August 31, 2017 | Video

To make sense of Karl Marx or even Adam Smith, you need to see the way they looked at prices — through the labor theory of value.

October 29, 2015 | Post

Should you save the spider in the toilet? That’s the philosophical thought experiment explored in the new Learn Liberty video below. Despite the good intentions of those who want to save the spider, there is no guarantee that they will result in it being saved. In fact, good intentions may make the spider worse off. […]

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 23, 2015 | Post

Pro civil society, pro individualism, pro market process, pro rule of law, pro limited government, pro peace, pro skepticism of power, pro spontaneous order, pro toleration, and pro liberty. These are the 10 fundamental principles of a free and prosperous society that will be explored in Learn Liberty’s new On Demand program, “Liberty 101”. Led […]

October 16, 2015 | Post

Few people will say they are anti-liberty, so what makes the libertarian commitment to liberty stand out from the crowd? We teamed up with Students For Liberty to explain the basics of libertarian philosophy, law, and economics in our new On Demand program, Liberty 101. Check out the first video below. For more videos just […]

October 15, 2015 | Post

Increasingly, the expectation of rigorous debate and discussion on controversial topics has diminished on college campuses across the nation. Students are now more content or even encouraged to coast through higher education without having to encounter beliefs or opinions that offend their preconceived notions about the world. Students are treating the college experience as less […]

October 14, 2015 | Post

Libertarians have a unique perspective on how government force should be used. As Jeff Miron, Director of Undergraduate Studies at Harvard University, points out in this video, libertarians consider using government force to coerce others into action to be immoral. This is what separates them from other philosophies which are more permissive when it comes […]

October 14, 2015 | Post

Today’s quote is brought to you by none other than F.A. Hayek from his book The Constitution of Liberty: “If one objects to the use of coercion in order to bring about a more even or more just distribution, this does not mean that one does not regard these as desirable. But if we wish […]