Human Action Conference 2024

Students apply for a scholarship here.

"Once in a great while, a book appears that both embodies and dramatically extends centuries of accumulated wisdom in a particular discipline, and, at the same time, radically challenges the intellectual and political consensus of the day. Human Action by Ludwig von Mises is such a book, and more: a comprehensive treatise on economic science that would lay the foundation for a massive shift in intellectual opinion that is still working itself out fifty years after publication."

So begins the introduction to the 1998 scholar's edition of Mises's Human Action, written by Jeffrey Herbener, Hans-Hermann Hoppe, and Joseph Salerno. These words still ring true today.

We are excited to invite you to join us at the Mises Institute in Auburn, Alabama, for our Human Action Conference celebrating the 75th anniversary of Ludwig von Mises's masterpiece. This pioneering work serves as the very foundation of the Mises Institute, which recently marked its 40th anniversary. After four decades of scholarship, events, and educational programs, the Mises Institute's mission remains rooted in the ideas of Ludwig von Mises.

Mises Institute Senior Fellows, Fellows, and Associated Scholars will deliver presentations on the significance of Human Action. Returning to his intellectual home for the first time since covid, Dr. Hans-Hermann Hoppe will deliver a keynote lecture. These thinkers' contributions will be compiled into a commemorative volume in honor of Mises's seminal work. 

Students and enthusiasts of Austrian economics are encouraged to attend. This conference is designed to be both informative and inspiring for all attendees, serving as a testament to the enduring and widespread legacy of Mises's ideas.

Faculty registration is $285, Member observer registration is $300, and nonmember observer registration is $325. Each ticket includes an opening reception, two catered lunches, all sessions, a special 75th anniversary edition of Human Action, and the commemorative volume containing all the papers and lectures presented at this historic gathering.

Schedule

Thursday, May 16:

6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Opening Reception at the Auburn University Hotel

Friday, May 17:

9:00 - 10:00 a.m. Continuous shuttle service between the Auburn University Hotel and Mises Institute

9:00 a.m. Registration begins, bookstore open, coffee available

9:45 - 10:00 a.m. Tom DiLorenzo, Welcome and Opening Remarks

10:00 - 10:30 a.m. David Stockman, "The National Security Complex-Contemporary Statism on Steroids"

10:30 - 11:00 a.m. David Gordon, "Mises's Epicurean Ethics"

11:00 - 11:15 a.m. Coffee break, bookstore open

11:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. Joe Salerno, "Accounting for Fractional-Reserve Banking"

11:45 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Lunch at the Institute

1:00 - 1:30 p.m. Patrick Newman, "Mises and Rothbard on Credit Contraction During a Downturn"

1:30 - 2:00 p.m. Peter Klein, "Entrepreneurship and Property Rights"

2:00 - 2:15 p.m. Coffee break, bookstore open

2:15 - 2:45 p.m. Paul Cwik, "The Law of Association: Foundation of Human Society"

2:45 - 3:15 p.m. Shawn Ritenour, "The Book that Made Me an Economist"

3:15 - 3:30 p.m. Coffee break, bookstore open

3:30 - 4:30 p.m. Hans-Hermann Hoppe, Keynote Lecture, "My Discovery of Human Action and Mises as a Philosopher"

4:30 - 5:30 p.m. Continuous shuttle service from Mises Institute to the Auburn University Hotel. Dinner on your own.

Saturday, May 18:

9:00 - 10:00 a.m. Continuous shuttle service from the Auburn University Hotel and Mises Institute

9:30 a.m. Bookstore open, coffee available

9:45 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Tho Bishop, Welcome

10:00 - 10:30 a.m. Guido Hülsmann, "The Challenge of Praxeological Realism"

10:30 - 11:00 a.m. Randy Holcombe, "Human Action: Foundations for the Modern Austrian School"

11:00 - 11:15 a.m. Coffee break, bookstore open

11:15 - 11:45 a.m. Mark Thornton, "Reading, Teaching, and Quoting Mises"

11:45 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Lunch in honor of Dr. Hans-Hermann Hoppe's 75th birthday

1:00 - 1:30 p.m. Bob Murphy, "Dualism and Calculation: What Mises Taught Me about Economics and Capitalism"

1:30 - 2:00 p.m. Jeff Herbener, "Human Action, the Way Forward"

2:00 - 2:15 p.m. Coffee break, bookstore open

2:15 - 2:45 p.m. Timothy Terrell, "Calculation and Environmental Policy: Lessons from Human Action"

2:45 - 3:15 p.m. Jonathan Newman, "Dealing with the Future: Mises's Implied Typology"

3:15 - 3:30 p.m. Coffee break, bookstore open

3:30 - 4:00 p.m. Tom DiLorenzo, "How Human Action Guided My Teaching and Research Career"

4:00 - 5:00 p.m. Closing Reception at the Institute

Accommodations

We have a special event rate at the Auburn University Hotel, which is about five minutes from the Institute. Use this link to book before Tuesday, April 16, to reserve on our special event rate of $169 per night before tax.

Sunday Golf

We will have a golf outing with Tom DiLorenzo on Sunday morning, May 19, after the event ends. Tickets are $250 per person. You must register or contact Rachael Barefield (rachael@mises.org) no later than Friday, April 19 to confirm a spot.

Transportation

Most attendees fly into the Atlanta airport, which is an hour and 45 minutes north of Auburn. Atlanta is in the eastern time zone and Auburn is an hour behind in the central time zone. 

For shuttles between the Atlanta airport and Auburn University Hotel, we recommend Groome Transportation. 

For private car services, we recommend Tiger Limo.

For shuttles between the Atlanta, Birmingham, Montgomery, or Columbus, GA airports, we recommend Tiger Taxi. 

Driving directions to Auburn can be found here.

Sponsorship Opportunities

1. Be a Patron Sponsor: You will be listed as a Patron Sponsor on our printed program and in the conference book, Reflections on Human Action. You'll also have VIP seating at meals. $5,000 donation.
2. Sponsor a Speaker: You will be listed as a Speaker Sponsor on our printed program, and you'll have reserved seating with your speaker at one meal. $1,500 to $3,000 donation depending on the speaker.
3. The Masterpiece Reception: Every donor who gives $2,000 or more will be listed as a reception host on our printed program.
4. Sponsor a Student: We have several worthy and enthusiastic students who hope to attend. $300 to $1,000 donation which varies depending on if you wish to help the student with travel costs. 

Contact Kristy Holmes at kristy@mises.org or (334) 321-2101 for more information. If you want to make a donation online, you can do that here.