Free Thoughts

It is often assumed that libertarianism depends on thinking that property rights are absolute, or on fetishizing individual liberty. But, Dan Moller argues that the foundations of libertarianism lie in widely shared, everyday moral beliefs, especially regarding restrictions on shifting our burdens onto others.What does it mean to shift burdens? Where do rights come from? Why do some people find redistribution of wealth appealing? Why is utilitarianism self-deception? How utopian should you be in your political philosophy?Further Reading:Governing Least: A New England Libertarianism, written by Dan MollerLocke and Nozick on the Justification of Property, written by Matt ZwolinskiRelated Content:A Libertarian Model of the Social Safety Net, written by David S. D’AmatoGovernment Money and Bureaucratic Control, written by Grant BabcockA Libertarian Perspective on the Modern American Welfare State, written by Michael D. Tanner See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Timothy Sandefur comes back to the show to talk about John Bronowksi. Bronowski had a wide array of interests. He invented smokeless coal and was a friend to Leo Szilard, the inventor of the atomic bomb. In fact, he led the mission to assess the aftermath of the atomic bomb in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki. There was not much this famous scientist, philosopher, and poet didn’t do and Sandefur was the first author to write a biography of him.Who was John Bronowski? Why was Bronowski a socialist? Should politics stay out of science? What scientific research was conducted by the Nazis?Further Reading:The Ascent of Jacob Bronowski: The Life and Ideas of a Popular Science Icon, written by Timothy SandefurFrederick Douglass: Self-Made Man, written by Timothy SandefurThe Ascent of Man, BBC DocumentaryThe Disestablishment of Science: I, written by John BronowskiRelated Content: Science Doesn’t Need Public Funding, Free Thoughts PodcastBias in Scientific Research, Free Thoughts PodcastWhat Role Should Science Play in Pu

We welcome Arnold Kling back on to the show to talk about the new edition of Three Languages of Politics. He hits on how many people talk about politics within certain axes. Progressives operate on a oppressed vs. oppressor axis, conservatives on a barbarism vs. civilization axis, and libertarians on a coercion vs. liberty axis. These axis bind us to a frame of mind that is not conducive to talking to individuals of an opposing viewpoint. If we are aware of our own frame of mind and those of others, we could be better communicators of our ideas.How do we talk about politics? How should we talk about politics? Why do Trump supporters believe they are being oppressed by the elite? What is pluralism?Further Reading:Dunbar’s Number: A Key To Networking, written by Ken MakovskyBook Forum on the Three Languages of Politics Held at the Cato InstituteMedia Bias and Asymmetric Insight, written by Arnold KlingRelated Content:[The Three Languages of Politics](The Three Languages of Politics, Free Thoughts Podcast), Free

There is no doubt that we are in a global tend of authoritarian populism. Tom Palmer joins the show today to discuss how populism comes in many kinds of poison. He points to our disorderly immigration system as one of the reasons that populist rhetoric thrives in the United States. As there is more havoc at the border, it is perceived as an invasion rather than a flaw in our system. Do you think that the Republican Party is the new Populist Party? What is populism? Is there a clear distinction between democracy and populism? What is the idea of the ‘loyal opposition’?Further Reading:Animal Farm, written by George OrwellThe Terrifying Rise of Authoritarian Populism, written by Tom G. PalmerThe Virtue of Nationalism, written by Yoram HazonyRelated Content:What’s Wrong with National Conservatism?, Free Thoughts PodcastVice in The Virtue of Nationalism, written by Akiva MalametIs Liberalism in Danger?, Free Thoughts Podcast See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

While researching private schools in India for the World Bank, and worried he was doing little to help the poor, James Tooley wandered into the slums of Hyderabad’s Old City. Shocked to find it overflowing with tiny, parent-funded schools filled with energized students, he set out to discover if schools like these could help achieve universal education.Do private schools exist across the world in the poorest of areas? In third world countries, how do you find private schools? Are there low-cost private schools? How much does teacher engagement matter in education?Further Reading:The Beautiful Tree: A Personal Journey Into How the World’s Poorest People are Educating Themselves, written by James TooleyLow-Cost Schools Are Transforming Africa, written by Tom Vander ArkRelated Content:The Education Apocalypse: How It Happened and How to Survive It, Free Thoughts PodcastPrivate Lives and Public Education, written by Jason KuznickiThe State of State Education in America, Free Thoughts Podcast See acast.com/privacy

The National Conservatism Movement is trying to continue Trumpism long after Trump is out of the White House. Recently, they held a conference in D.C. in order to streamline their message. The keynote speakers were Tucker Carlson, John Bolton, Josh Hawley, Peter Thiel, and Yoram Hazony, whose speech announced that “today is our independence day”. In this episode, Aaron Ross Powell, Paul Matzko, Jason Kuznicki, & Matthew Feeney analyze Josh Hawley’s America’s Epicurean Liberalism by defining what it means to be an American. What is the religious angle to national conservatism? What civic virtues does Joshua Hawley value? What does it mean to be American? Should society have a purpose?Further Reading:America’s Epicurean Liberalism, written by Joshua D. HawleyPlanned Parenthood v. CaseyThe Man Behind National Conservatism, written by Daniel LubanRelated Content:Social Media’s Moral Panic (with Milton Mueller), Free Thoughts PodcastWhat Senator Hawley Gets Wrong about American Identity, written by Aaron Ross

Since the 2016 election, college campuses have erupted in violent protests, demands for safe spaces, and the silencing of views that activist groups find disagreeable. Robby Soave has gone in to the trenches to catalog these young radicals in order to better understand the climate at universities across America.When did college campuses become sites of harsh public discourse? How has the culture around safety changed on college campuses? Is there a crisis on college campuses? Are we chilling our professors in order to not hurt students’ feelings? What is intersectionality? Why are students claiming that their professors are triggering their PTSD?Further Reading:Panic Attack: Young Radicals in the Age of Trump, written by Robby SoavePenn law professor faces backlash, petition to resign over ‘repugnant’ comments on race and immigration, written by Owen DaughertyDo controversial figures have a right to speak at public universities?, written by Holly Epstein OjalvoCampus Rights, FIRERelated Content:The Coddling o

As social media platforms grow it is apparent that they will never be able to make decisions that will appease everyone. We should also recognize that calls for government-induced content moderation will make these platforms battlegrounds for a perpetual intensifying conflict over who gets to silence whom.What is a moral panic? Why are people panicked over fake news? How addictive is social media? What is Section 230 and what implications does it have for social media companies? What is a social media platform?Further Reading:Challenging the Social Media Moral Panic: Preserving Free Expression under Hypertransparency, written by Milton MuellerFalse Assumptions Behind the Current Drive to Regulate Social Media, written by John SamplesWhat Senator Hawley Gets Wrong about American Identity, written by Aaron Ross PowellRelated Content:What Made the Internet Possible?, Building Tomorrow PodcastFree Speech Online: Unfriended, Building Tomorrow PodcastThe Problem with “Fake News”, written by Ryan Khurana See acast.c

Steve knows the world has truly gotten better for human beings. Not enough people recognize or appreciate that. We hope that this episode inspires you to help a neighbor or call a friend.How does gratitude compare to resentment? Do we have the mental space to be thinking about the welfare of everyone else? How different are you on social media compared to real life? Why do GoFundMe’s work? Is the demand curve for chemotherapy vertical?Further Reading:Suicide of the West, written by Jonah GoldbergRelated Content:Teaching Economics (with Steve Horwitz), Free Thoughts PodcastThe Dismal Science, Liberty Chronicles PodcastThe Two Sides of Every Regulated Economic Exchange, written by Steve HorwitzThe Best Work/Family Arrangements Come from Families, Not Governments written by Steve Horwitz See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Kevin Currie-Knight joins our podcast to talk about the libertarian case for markets in education. His book, Education in the Marketplace, explores the variety of arguments that libertarians have made in the past as well as the impact that they each have had on the ever-evolving education systemWhat is the government’s role in education? How decentralized did our school system use to be? When did our K-12 education system get so structured? When did we first start seeing grade levels for schooling? Who was Albert Jay Nock?Further Reading:Our Enemy, the State, written by Albert Jay NockEducation in the Marketplace: An Intellectual History of Pro-Market Libertarian Visions for Education in Twentieth Century America, written by Kevin Currie-KnightThe Case against Education: Why the Education System Is a Waste of Time and Money, written by Bryan CaplanRelated Content:The Case Against Education, Free Thoughts PodcastPrivate Lives and Public Education, written by Jason KuznickiThe State of State Education in Americ

Many Americans believe that foreign military intervention is central to protecting our domestic freedoms. But Christopher J. Coyne and Abigail R. Hall urge engaged citizens to think again. Overseas, our government takes actions in the name of defense that would not be permissible within national borders. Emboldened by the relative weakness of governance abroad, the U.S. government is able to experiment with a broader range of social controls.How do military contractors benefit greatly from U.S. militarism? What is “the boomerang effect”? What is the relationship between domestic citizens and political institutions in the time of increased militarization? What is the interventionist mindset? When did we develop our first SWAT team?Further Reading:Tyranny Comes Home: The Domestic Fate of U.S. Militarism, written by Christopher Coyne and Abigail HallLudwig von Mises on War and the Economy, written by Christopher Coyne and Anne Rathbone Bradley“Tyranny Comes Home” Book Panel, Mercatus CenterTyranny Surveillance S

It’s been almost 6 years since we started recording Free Thoughts. We take today to look back on our 300 hours of recording. Nora Powell hosts Trevor and Aaron to discuss how we are fighting for freedom through podcasting. Are you a libertarian because of our show? Please reach out to us so we can meet you and thank you.We would like to thank all of our listeners for staying loyal and engaged each and every week. Cheers!Related Content:Free Thoughts on Free Thoughts: 200 Episodes and Counting, Free Thoughts PodcastPolitics and Community, Free Thoughts PodcastThe Problem of Political Authority, Free Thoughts PodcastWealth, Poverty and Politics: An International Perspective, Free Thoughts Podcast See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Daniel Okrent joins the show to talk about his new book, The Guarded Gate, which tells the tells the story of the scientists who argued that certain nationalities were inherently inferior, providing the intellectual justification for the harshest immigration law in American history. Brandished by the upper class Bostonians and New Yorkers—many of them progressives—who led the anti-immigration movement, the eugenic arguments helped keep hundreds of thousands of Jews, Italians, and other unwanted groups out of the US for more than 40 years.What was the Chinese Restriction Act? What is eugenics? When was eugenics applied to certain racial groups? Who was Samuel Gompers? What scientific reasoning did eugenists use? Did the Nazi’s follow American scientists? What does eugenics and birth control have in common? Further Reading:The Guarded Gate: Bigotry, Eugenics, and the Law That Kept Two Generations of Jews, Italians, and Other Europeans out of America, written by Daniel OkrentWhen the government used bad science

Universities aim to be centers of learning that find the best and brightest students, treat them fairly, and equip them with the knowledge they need to lead better lives. But Jason Brennan and Phillip Magness join us today to show how American universities fall far short of this ideal.What is the purpose of college? What are academics getting out of university life? What do students want from their university experience? What is a wage premium? Are students actually learning skills they need? Do employers think that college graduates are lacking writing skills? What is wrong with student evaluations? What would it take to actually measure teacher effectiveness? How is tenure a barrier to entry to the academic field?Further Reading:Cracks in the Ivory Tower: The Moral Mess of Higher Education, written by Jason Brennan and Phillip Magness‘Cracks in the Ivory Tower’, written by Scott JaschikWhen All Else Fails: The Ethics of Resistance to State Injustice, written by Jason BrennanRelated Content:College: Too Cost

Hello fellow Stranger Things fans! We have a doozy here for you today, as we launch our exciting new project. If you didn’t think we were hip before, think again! Our first show on pop culture, coincides with the release of Stranger Things Season 3. How convenient! Most of us would much rather be playing Dungeon & Dragons and fighting off demodogs rather than working. Guest, Ellie Hamlett, joins hosts Natalie Dowzicky and Landry Ayres to dive in to the many ’80s references made throughout the show. We do not claim to be experts in all things Stranger, but being a super fan must count for something. Stay tuned to the very end where Landry Ayres, newly appointed game host, puts the pressure on Ellie and Natalie to name as many movies from the 1980s as they can. Enjoy!If you like the format of this show, please be sure to leave us comments on our social media platforms. We look forward to exploring more hidden dimensions with you soon! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Chris Freiman joins us today to argue that the liberal egalitarian rejection of free market regimes rests on a crucial methodological mistake. Liberal egalitarians regularly assume an ideal “public interest” model of political behavior and a nonideal “private interest” model of behavior in the market and civil society.Why do we need the state? What is the free rider problem? What is ideal theory? How did Rawls mix ideal and non-ideal theory when analyzing institutions? What kind of state would we have in a perfectly just world? What kinds of institutional designs is Rawls aiming at? How is voting an expressive behavior?Further Reading:Unequivocal Justice (Political Philosophy for the Real World), written by Christopher FreimanRawls, Ideal Theory, and the Public Goods Argument for the State, written by Christopher FreimanA Theory of Justice, Post-Trump Edition, written by Christopher FreimanRelated Content:A (Revised) Theory of Justice, written by Brian KogelmannThe Federalist No. 10, written by James MadisonT

How did the modern dynamist economy of wealth and opportunity come about? The processes of transformational changes could have started many times in history - but they first became sustained in North-West Europe about 240 years ago. The question of why this happened in that particular place and time is one that has exercised generations of scholars.What is modernity? What is a ‘civilization’? What is considered ‘western civilization’? What is the moral economy? How could you make a living before the Enlightenment? Are there different kinds of modernity? What is economic nationalism?Further Reading:The Wealth Explosion: The Nature and Origins of Modernity, written by Stephen DaviesThe Great Realignment: Understanding Politics Today, written by Stephen DaviesHow the World Got Modern, written by Stephen DaviesRelated Content:David Hume Encyclopedia entryHume and the Politics of Enlightenment, Free Thoughts PodcastThe Politics of Modernism, written by David S. D’Amato See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out

Over the last forty years, there is a distressing history of foreign insurgent groups being able to manipulate U.S. policymakers and opinion leaders into supporting their cause. Frequently, that support goes far beyond rhetorical endorsements to include financial and even military assistance to highly questionable individuals, organizations, and movements. Sometimes those efforts have even entangled the U.S. military in bloody, unnecessary, and morally dubious wars, as in Kosovo, Iraq, Libya, and Syria.What is a freedom fighter? Why did we consider so many different groups to be freedom fighters? Is foreign policy messy? Should we be allies with reprehensible people to fight the evils of communism? Who was Jonas Savimbi and what was his role with the U.S. in Angola?Further Reading:Gullible Superpower: U.S. Support for Bogus Foreign Democratic Movements, written by Ted Galen CarpenterIs America a Gullible Superpower?, written by Hunter DeRensisSmart Power: Toward a Prudent Foreign Policy for America, written b

This week we welcome Alexandra Natapoff to discuss the various problems with how misdemeanors are handled. Eighty percent of criminal cases filed in our countries are misdemeanors. There are so many places in the misdemeanor system where wrongful convictions are definitely taking place. The system lacks rigor and continues to be sloppy because of it. How powerful is the misdemeanor phenomenon? In the state system, do people think they get a fair trial for a misdemeanor? Is it a big deal to get a misdemeanor? Are misdemeanor fines a source of revenue? Who is profiting off of the state misdemeanor systems? What are the main ways to get a misdemeanor? What is probable cause?Further Reading:Punishment Without Crime: How Our Massive Misdemeanor System Traps the Innocent and Makes America More Unequal, written by Alexandra NatapoffBusted, by Ryan Gabrielson and Topher Sanders at ProPublicaMisdemeanors Matter #2: Alexandra Natapoff on a Legacy of Injustice, Center For Court InnovationRelated Content:Thin Blue Lies:

                                                                                                                                                  “The Iron Throne” Photo Courtesy of HBO.comNow that we all have had time to digest the ending of Game of Thrones, we invited Ilya Somin on to the show to do an in depth analysis of not only the ending, but the show in its’ entirety. We cover the political economy of Westeros, possible reasons for the years of economic stagnation, the role of a revolutionary, and the dangers of absolute power.Does Game of Thrones accurately depict how an absolute monarchy worked during medieval times? Does political ignorance occur throughout Game of Thrones? How can we explain economic stagnation in Westeros? Should dragons stimulate economic development? Is Dany a Castro-style Lenin revolutionary? How is ruling different than conquering? Why didn’t the Game of Thrones characters decide to create a democracy at the end?Further Reading:Reflections on “Game of Thrones”, written by Ily