Political Theory

Recorded at the Mises Circle at Furman University on November 13th, 2010.

Principles of Politics was written in the immediate aftermath of Napoleon's rule over France and much of Europe. It is a defense of all forms of freedom against despotism. Constant considered natural rights to be the best foundation for liberty.

The collectivist doctrines look upon the individual merely as a refractory rebel.

Libertarians have given considerable thought to refining their basic principles and their vision of a libertarian society. But they have given virtually no thought to a vitally important question, that of strategy.

It is incredibly complicated to estimate the total "social cost" of a government policy. Ultimately, this difficulty stems from the fact that costs really only make sense in terms of an individual's subjective preferences. In that respect, costs cannot be aggregated.

One of Josiah Child’s main deviations from free-market and laissez-faire doctrine was to agitate for one of the favorite programs of the merc

That students are in the streets demonstrating against this pension reform suggests professors and politicians have failed to explain what economists call the lump-of-labor fallacy. Jobs are not fixed and do not depend exclusively on the supply of labor.

 We are witnessing the fall of the American dream, which has always been about having hope in the future. This is a striking fact of our times, one made even more devastating as we look at the economic fundamentals.

There is no clash between Locke’s libertarian concerns and devotion to “classical virtue.” Devotees of liberty, property, and fre

Everywhere we find some warlike tribe of wild men breaking through the boundaries of some less-warlike people, settling down as nobility and founding its state. The goal is always the same: exploitation.