Courses

Nikola Ilievski

PhD

Integrated Business Faculty in Skopje

Nikola Lj. Ilievski holds a PhD in political science, is a Teaching Associate at the Integrated Business Faculty in Skopje, and is the National Coordinator of Macedonia Students For Liberty. His research interests include the history and different traditions of libertarianism, processes of social change, and the concept of the Overton Window.

Blog Posts

5 tips to be sovereign in an unfree world

May 12, 2025
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Civil Liberties

Can you believe it? A horse named Sovereignty won the Kentucky Derby earlier this month! It’s as good an excuse as any to revisit the important philosophical concept for which he is named. There are three notions or perceptions of sovereignty; let’s dig into them, and then apply what we learn to our lives. Classical notion of sovereignty The term sovereignty derives from the Latin superanus, supremus, which means the highest, superior, and/or ultimate. Also, it is related to old French, representing supremacy in a certain domain.  Jean Bodin, a French political philosopher who

The 4 Disagreements Between Objectivism and Libertarianism

March 24, 2025
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Civil Liberties

Vicious Disagreements in the 20th Century Ayn Rand never declared herself a libertarian, but her political stance can be regarded as libertarian. And, more importantly, she was a huge inspiration in the libertarian movement. However, her attitude toward libertarians was …, well, here she is, in her own words: “Libertarians are a monstrous, disgusting bunch of people: they plagiarize my ideas when that fits their purpose, and denounce me in a more vicious manner than any communist publication when that fits their purpose. They’re lower than any pragmatists, and what they hold against

What is the Overton Window? (And why is it important for liberty?)

January 10, 2025
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Civil Liberties

Three quick questions: Do you believe our socio-political reality is primarily shaped by ideas, or material factors? Do you think politicians are limited in their choices when introducing public policy? Do you believe the libertarian agenda should be advanced through lobbying politicians, or by changing broader public opinion? A Marxist, or a dialectical materialist, would argue that ideas cannot shape reality, dismissing the notion as bourgeois nonsense. They would assert that reality is shaped by material factors alone — specifically, control over the means of production.  But

Should libertarians vote?

November 5, 2024
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Civil Liberties

One of the main divisions among libertarians surrounds democracy and voting. Here are some of the fundamental questions we must ask ourselves: Do you believe individual liberty can exist in a society where many people do not see it as a fundamental principle?  Do you believe that libertarianism can be realized within a democratic political framework?  Do you think that allowing individuals to take part in political decision-making contradicts the concept of individual liberty?  And finally, do you believe that libertarians should participate in voting?  Positive and negative

5 Takeaways from Mises’s Masterpiece: Human Action

September 29, 2024
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Basic Economics

Happy birthday, Ludwig! As a Happy Birthday tribute to Ludwig von Mises (born Sept. 29, 1881), here’s what you need to know about his life … and what you need to know from his iconic treatise on economics, Human Action. The underappreciated economist Ludwig von Mises is today celebrated as one of the founding fathers of the Austrian School of Economics in the 20th century. Born in 1881 in Lviv, situated in present-day Ukraine but then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, his life can be divided into three distinct chronological periods, each marked by significant events and contributions. During

Trend Is Not Destiny

September 11, 2024
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Civil Liberties

Hegel, Historicism, and the End of History Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel is one of the most influential and prominent philosophers of the 19th century. He’s also regarded as controversial, his works considered hard to read, and his inquiries challenging to understand.  The obscure philosopher Hegel belongs to the philosophical tradition of German idealism, while his philosophical argument method is dialectics. Hegelianism is another name for his philosophy, and the political interpretation has influenced both left- and right-wing ideologies across the political spectrum.  But