Philosophy and Methodology

Bob Murphy and David Gornoski discuss state violence and some healthy alternatives to a violence-based society.

To understand the marketplace, it is not necessary to believe in the existence of a selfish, profit-maximizing human.

A sober look at the assumptions underlying neoclassical analysis reveals that they are either not realistic or not applicable in economic analyses of the real world.

Bob gives the context for his children’s book The Three Lads and the Lizard King, and covers a wide range of related issues.

Many modern scientists simply follow in the footsteps of Jacques Cousteau who once opined that “world population must be stabilized and to do that we must eliminate 350,000 people per day.”

The economist’s lot is to study a field in which, almost more than any other, human folly displays itself. 

Many Americans now believe in a version of "freedom" which is nothing of the sort — because it requires more violent coercion exercised by government agents.

Hazlitt sees clearly that because capitalism promotes freedom, justice and productivity it has far more right to be called "social" (or "moral") than socialism which in its despotism actually promotes a code of immorality.

If you want to know what Rothbard’s vision applied to contemporary America would be like in practice, you should look to Ron Paul. Dr. Paul’s career in Congress, marked by his opposition to war and the Fed, is the best example of the anti-elitist free market values that Murray supported.

Henry Hazlitt has done us a great service, for it is a rare philosopher who recognizes that the consistent adherence to a set of ethical rules promotes social cooperation and benefits everyone in society.