Political Theory

Recorded at the Mises Institute in Auburn, Alabama, on 23 July 2015.

For starters, consider that personal and business reputations might well become even more important in a more libertarian society. Our reflexive aversion to cheats, liars, and secrecy is very much in accord with human nature, and there’s every reason to believe a private legal system would reflect this. In an uncertain world of scarce resources, a lack of trustworthiness in others creates huge transaction costs. This is especially true of our interactions with strangers, where we’re forced to create elaborate legal contracts before doing business-- a handshake no longer suffices.

Recorded at the Mises Institute in Auburn, Alabama, on 21 July 2015.

Recorded at the Mises Institute in Auburn, Alabama, on 21 July 2015.

Mises had diagnosed these problems long before they became apparent.  In a series of essays written between the two World Wars—but also in Omnipotent Government published in 1944—, Mises showed that in a world where governments interfere in their domestic markets, and with the monetary system, and where (economic) nationalism prevails, it is pointless to hope for any political and economic resolution from supranational organizations. The best these institutions can do is prolong the disastrous effects of government policies, and postpone—though loans and bailouts—their inevitable collapse.

Frédéric Bastiat would have turned 214 today. Although primarily remembered for The Law, Bastiat's book Economic Sophisms, filled with Bastiat's unique wit, and his ability to destroy bad economic theories, is as timely as ever.

Sardinia has a long history of agitating for secession from Italy. Now some Sardinians want to secede form Italy in order to become a new region of Switzerland. Ludwig von Mises defended this "secede-and-join" tactic and called it "self-determination."

Łukasz and Jeff discuss Hoppe, private law, and the role of culture in libertarian theory.

Mark Thornton is interviewed by Phil Pepin on The Pursuit of Freedom radio show

This paper provides an outline of politics, and argues that elements of an a priori theory of politics can be found in the writings of Austrian school scholars, although they have not yet been grouped under a specific field.