After the terror attack in Orlando, is there anything the US government can do to protect us? In this video, Don Boudreaux looks at the presidential candidates’ stances on combating terrorism. Trump promises to directly target the families of terrorists. And his plan for ISIS is to “bomb the $@!# out of them.” But other […]
On April 25, 2016, organizers of MidAmericon II/The 74th World Science Fiction Convention announced the finalists for this year’s Hugo Awards, one of the most prestigious accolades in the global science fiction community.Also announced were the finalists for the 1941 Retro Hugo Awards which will honor works that should have been recognized in 1941 but […]
Editor’s note: This blog post by Gary Leff was originally posted at the travel blog View From the Wing. The TSA has failed to meaningfully detect dangerous items going through the checkpoint for years. Their 95 percent failure rate is hardly new, ten years ago it was a 91% failure rate. That’s unacceptable. We don’t need […]
Why should you read Don Quixote (…if you love freedom)? Is Don Quixote a Libertarian Novel? Professor of Literature, Eric C. Graf, talks about Don Quixote and its messages about liberty.
The term “pluralism” connotes both a description of our deep differences and a political response to those differences. Let’s start with pluralism as a description of our cultural reality. Our society is incredibly diverse when it comes to race, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, and sexuality. We have different life experiences, we live in different communities, […]
If you’re a fan of Learn Liberty, you’re already used to asking tough questions about the world we live in and pondering the foundations of free markets and free societies. But did you know you could learn even more over the summer, straight from some of the same professors from Learn Liberty videos? Independent Institute’s […]
Sunday is Loyalty Day, which celebrates loyalty, responsibility…and subservience to the country. That’s right—Loyalty Day is a day set aside as a time for the “reaffirmation of loyalty to America.” A little creepy, right? Many Americans are rightly proud of their country and loyal to it—up to a point. Loyalty Day gives us the opportunity […]
What does the hit HBO series Game of Thrones tell us about political science and the incentives faced by people in positions of power? Professor Matt McCaffrey explains in the following Learn Liberty video.
What if I told you that some people were better than others? I don’t mean better at tennis or better at singing or better at math. I mean a better breed of person, entitled by nature to exercise authority over you. I’m guessing you would reject that claim, possibly even find it insulting. I would join […]
You’ve heard the phrase but what exactly does it mean to be “libertarian” or “classical liberal”? Ah, the question of the sages, like Locke and Smith. (Not to mention newer sages like Hayek, Friedman, Rothbard and Nozick!) Now hear it best from one of Learn Liberty’s own classical liberal sages – Dr. Nigel Ashford. Join him in […]
“That, gentlemen, is freedom.”So spoke an esteemed friend and mentor to me, decades ago, on listening to clarinetist Edmund Hall play an effortlessly glorious solo on the Louis Armstrong record Ambassador Satch. “What could he mean?” I wondered. “What has making music to do with freedom?” He did not explain.I now believe what my friend […]
Game of Thrones returns for its sixth season this month and fans are eagerly awaiting a resolution to the numerous unfinished story lines. And while the specific storylines are no doubt interesting, many fans also appreciate the deeper philosophical themes of series. One of these recurring themes is the tension between individualism and collectivism. Many […]
Would you save the Spider or let him be? The Spider in the Urinal is based on an essay by Professor Thomas Nagel, Philosopher at New York University. A few months ago, in the men’s room in the philosophy department, a large spider appeared in the urinal. I saw him in the same spot for […]
What is the difference between paying a tax and donating to a charity? Many Americans support charities ranging from the American Red Cross to PETA, but is it moral to make others donate to a charity of your choice? Rob Gressis, a professor of philosophy, went on campus at California State University – Northridge, to […]
What is the difference between paying a tax and donating to a charity? Many Americans support charities ranging from the American Red Cross to PETA, but is it moral to make others donate to a charity of your choice? Rob Gressis, a professor of philosophy, went on campus at California State University – Northridge, to […]
Should copyright laws exist? Do they help or do they hurt? And where did they originate? Professor Tom Bell of Chapman University provides a fresh perspective by exploring intellectual property and shedding light on the growing complexities of copyright legislation. As a response to the negative feedback on a past video, Professor Bell clarifies his […]
Why is Game of Thrones so violent? Economist and GoT superfan Matt McCaffrey contends that bloodshed and corruption are to be expected in a society like Westeros, which can also teach us about the use of power in our own world. Using insights from economics and political science, he argues that the only way to […]
Would developing more silly walks benefit society? Possibly. But who will pay for them? Professor Art Carden regrets that the only way he can come up with to receive payment for creating silly walks is through receiving a subsidy from the government. If the government subsidized the creation of silly walks, there would surely be […]
Should government provide law enforcement? Most would argue that government is absolutely necessary for law enforcement. Prof. Edward Stringhman, however, argues that government may not even be necessary at all. To come to this conclusion, Prof. Stringham asks a few important questions. First, if something is really important, does it logically follow that government should […]
Are you a conservative? If so, Dr. Stephen Davies suggests that it may be worth considering the ideas of libertarianism. For instance, conservatives tend to prefer institutions that have been tried and trusted, and want to maintain and uphold a traditionally established way of life. They also typically believe in an established or correct moral code. […]
Are you a liberal? If so, Dr. Stephen Davies provides a few compelling reasons to consider libertarianism. For instance, both liberals and libertarians want to eliminate poverty and offer more opportunities to the population at large. Liberals and libertarians also emphasize the importance of freedom and human well-being. From a libertarian perspective, government is not […]
According to Dr. Stephen Davies, libertarianism is first and foremost a political doctrine. Libertarians seek a society most conducive to human flourishing amongst autonomous self-defined individuals. Libertarians argue that this state of affairs is accomplished when the role of government and power is kept to a minimum. Although some have argued that libertarianism is a […]
Prof. Aeon Skoble claims that if we really care about the wellbeing of communities, we should keep in mind the unique and autonomous individuals that make it up. Each individual is deserving of respect and dignity, and should be free to pursue their own ends as long as they don’t infringe upon the freedom of […]
Prof. Aeon Skoble describes the difference between positive and negative rights. Fundamentally, positive rights require others to provide you with either a good or service. A negative right, on the other hand, only requires others to abstain from interfering with your actions. If we are free and equal by nature, and if we believe in […]
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