I have my doubts about the “taxation is theft” meme making the rounds on my Facebook feed.
Libertarians talk about the non-aggression principle a lot, but what does it mean?
My thesis is simple: If you want to square libertarianism with social justice, John Rawls’ A Theory of Justice is probably not a book you should reach for.
Although Rawls is part of the liberal tradition, he is arguably the pinnacle of the “high” liberal tradition, which is a far cry from the “classical” side I’m more comfortable with.
Jeremy Bentham was born on Feb. 15th, 1748, in Spitalfields, England. One of the main early advocates of utilitarianism — the ethical view that, roughly, an act is right insofar as it promotes happiness, and wrong insofar as it does not — he is best known for his view that “it is the greatest happiness […]
Are Trump’s cabinet full of generals, his openness to torture, and the “peace through strength” message from the White House all signs that he plans to rely on military power.
A government commission has recommended that a civil servant be removed from his post because of his thoughts. A scene from George Orwell’s 1984 or the dystopian novel Kallocain? Alas, no. Welcome to present-day Oregon. On January 25, 2016, Oregon’s Commission on Judicial Fitness and Disability recommended that Judge Vance Day be removed as a […]
We’re seeing the Constitution raise its craggy head and shake itself awake after having been essentially shoved in a corner to nap for the last few decades.
The Director of the Center for Judicial Engagement at the Institute for Justice, Clark Neily, and an editor at the Library of Law and Liberty, Mark Pulliam, recently debated the role of the judiciary in American constitutional democracy over at City Journal. At issue is which judicial philosophy conservative and/or libertarian-minded people should support. Pulliam […]
It is the peripheral positions in modern politics, on both right and left, that inevitably deteriorate into tyranny.
Kant was self-consciously an Enlightenment liberal who believed in limited government and maximum freedom.
A president who truly understood Rand’s philosophy would not be cozying up to Putin, bullying companies to keep manufacturing plants in the United States, or promising “insurance for everybody.”
My message to you today is simple: don’t miss this book. There is a lot to be learned about liberty here.
Obama deserves credit for helping to push the struggle for same-sex marriage to a successful conclusion, for appointing some highly capable judges (despite flaws in their judicial philosophy), and for causing the Supreme Court to establish some valuable precedents protecting federalism, property rights, and religious freedom (albeit, often unintentionally). On the other hand, we may well have occasion to rue his overly expansive approach to executive power, particularly when it comes to initiating wars without congressional authorization.
One of the most important things we can do is really explain and understand how markets, not government intervention, are our best hope for an orderly and prosperous society.
Prohibition was repealed more than 80 years ago, but we’re still feeling its policy hangover.
Donald Trump is president. Here are his six biggest threats to liberty.
What follows is an extended transcript of a conversation I had with four professors about Donald Trump’s first 100 days plan. The transcript below has been edited for clarity.
In a few short weeks, Donald Trump will assume the presidency. On executive orders, judicial appointments, political obstructionism, infrastructure spending, and war-making powers, rest assured: flips will be flopped, shoes will make their way onto the other foot, turnabout will be fair play, and libertarians of all stripes will be there to point out the hypocrisy.
Dr. Stephen Davies asked a key question: for any proposed foreign intervention, which course of action maximizes liberty? He argues that it is rare for the benefits to be greater than the cost to human rights. He also addresses the question of consequences to both the countries acting and those being acted on.
Trump doesn’t seem like the type for self-improvement, but here are four unsolicited recommendations anyway.
So 2016 is limping to an end with an assassination of an ambassador, another “inspired” attack on innocents at a Christmas market, and the formal election of a master crony-capitalist to the office of the presidency of the United States.
2016 was a wild ride, and we’re grateful to fans like you who watched, commented, and shared along the way. Check out the links below to see our top 10 most popular videos from this year: Economics: Is Raising Minimum Wage A Bad Idea? How Big is the U.S. Debt? Government Surveillance: We’re Being Watched […]
As Tyler Cowen puts it, in many ways “this is the real Star Wars movie that many of you have been waiting for.”