Hey everyone,
I'm fairly new to Austrian economics but I like what I've read thus far. That said, I really want to start my kids along this same trail but I'm not a teacher in any way. Is there any sort of program or reading list for kids out there? Mine are 7 and 10.
Thanks for any help you guys may offer.
I am a new father too and I am thinking along the same lines.
To be frank, I think the best thing you can teach them at such a young age is the right to self-defense, the right to private property and tell them that aggression is evil. Everything else can follow all of that.
Ha! I have a 9-year old daughter and unfortunately these discussions get pretty abstract pretty quick. I think middle school's when enough of the wiring will be in for highly abstract concepts. She does seem to have a good grasp of TANSTAAFL and that money is worth less the more the government prints it. (I'll leave off the "all other things being equal" bit.)
Here's a blog entry w/ some titles:
http://blog.mises.org/archives/006667.asp
Actually there is a book I seen advertised on the internet that is like Mises meets Dr. Suess : An Island Called Liberty by Joseph Specht. It rhymes and shows the horrors of taxes and bureaucrats, and what they can do to economic prosperity.
Democracy is nothing more than replacing bullets with ballots
If Pro is the opposite of Con. What is the opposite of Progress?
http://laissezfairebooks.blogspot.com/2008/02/liberty-books-for-kids-shadow-children.html
http://laissezfairebooks.blogspot.com/2008/03/atlas-shrugged-with-antlers.html
http://laissezfairebooks.blogspot.com/2008/02/girl-who-owned-city.html
"As long as there are sovereign nations possessing great power, war is inevitable."
February 17 - 1600 - Giordano Bruno is burnt alive by the catholic church. Aquinas : "much more reason is there for heretics, as soon as they are convicted of heresy, to be not only excommunicated but even put to death."
The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible is a great book for teaching economic ideas to young people. It is basically Bastiat for kids.
"I cannot prove, but am prepared to affirm, that if you take care of clarity in reasoning, most good causes will take care of themselves, while some bad ones are taken care of as a matter of course." -Anthony de Jasay
I think an immediate recommendation should go to Grace Llweyln's "The Teenage Liberation Handbook: How to Quit School and Get a Real Life and Education" (http://www.amazon.com/Teenage-Liberation-Handbook-School-Education/dp/0962959170) , especially for parents; but if your child is old enough to read, I would definitley let them read it (it helped me out greatly, actually, in getting a general grip with some basics of libertarianism, as well as putting a lot of it into context with regards to education). It also provides a list of resources & alternatives to public schooling that should help one get started (the internet, while useful for such obviously, involves a lot more of sifting through information...)Slightly off-topic, but I just got a copy of Paul Avrich's "The Modern School Movement: Anarchism & Education In The United States" (http://www.amazon.com/Modern-School-Movement-Anarchism-Education/dp/1904859097) in the mail yesterday. I think it's more of a historical book, but if I find anything useful regarding the OP, I'll be sure to post it here. From the summary, though, I'd imagine it would be interesting reading regarding libertarianism & education in general, though.
WARNING: This signature violates Rule 5. Stay classy!
Thanks everyone! There is a ton of information here and I'll always look for more. Plus these suggestions will help my own education. Again, I appreciate the effort y'all have put into answering this question.
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