I’d like to discuss what is sometimes claimed to be a major problem for theories of rights like that of Murray Rothbard, which start from the principle of self-ownership and incorporate a Lockean principle of initial appropriation of resources. In brief, you own yourself; you “mix your labor” with unowned land or resources, and in this way you
Today would have been the ninety-second birthday of Burt Blumert, one of the greatest personalities of the modern libertarian movement. Burt was the indispensable man behind the scenes and was a key figure in the Mises Institute, the Center for Libertarian Studies, and LewRockwell.com. He was one of Murray Rothbard’s closest friends; and when you
In our world, there is very little people agree upon. One thing that seems to be an exception is that having an open mind is almost universally well regarded, while having a closed mind is almost universally criticized. However, such rhetoric presumes that what we are open or closed to is the truth. That leads to some problems of understanding,
It’s often claimed that support for the free market rests on the ideology of social Darwinism. According to this nefarious doctrine, Charles Darwin showed that evolution is a process of struggle. In it, the strong, meaning those best able to reproduce, supplant the weak. Social Darwinists like Herbert Spencer and William Graham Sumner, it is
Economists often concentrate on narrow technical specialties. In doing so, they sometimes fall into philosophical errors, because they uncritically take for granted assumptions that are philosophically mistaken or at least controversial. The most common instance of this is familiar. Many economists assume that normative judgments, as opposed to
To offer a semblance of solidarity with the working class, wealthy leftists have substituted identity politics for class conflict, and attempted to recast economic problems as problems of racism or bigotry. Original Article: “ Understanding Inequality Requires Much More Than Calling Everything Racist “ This Audio Mises Wire is generously sponsored
It is, ironically, antiscience to ever declare that science is settled. Since man is not omniscient, the future will forever remain unknown, and more data can always falsify current scientific laws. Original Article: “ Why Today’s Abusers of the Scientific Method Are So Dangerous “ This Audio Mises Wire is generously sponsored by Christopher
The ideas of critical race theory and critical white studies shield a ruling elite from vengeance by attempting to make the mass of white people the scapegoat for their own crimes. Original Article: “ Vengeance and Sacrifice: Whiteness as Scapegoat in Critical Race Theory and Critical Whiteness Studies “ This Audio Mises Wire is generously
Senator Hawley wants government regulation of social media, and he insists that social media companies are somehow controlling and manipulating people. But Hawley is mistaken. You have free will even when using Facebook. Original Article: “ Social Media’s Algorithms Aren’t Really Controlling You “ This Audio Mises Wire is generously sponsored by
It is no surprise that the corporate media tends to showcase and honor experts whose views tend to reflect the views of media pundits and editors themselves. The idea that the public might prefer other experts leaves these pundits in dismay. Original Article: “ America’s Corporate Thought Police “ This Audio Mises Wire is generously sponsored by
What is the Mises Institute?
The Mises Institute is a non-profit organization that exists to promote teaching and research in the Austrian School of economics, individual freedom, honest history, and international peace, in the tradition of Ludwig von Mises and Murray N. Rothbard.
Non-political, non-partisan, and non-PC, we advocate a radical shift in the intellectual climate, away from statism and toward a private property order. We believe that our foundational ideas are of permanent value, and oppose all efforts at compromise, sellout, and amalgamation of these ideas with fashionable political, cultural, and social doctrines inimical to their spirit.