Libertarianism

TGIF: Speaking to Nonlibertarians

by Sheldon Richman July 11, 2014

If libertarians want to change how nonlibertarians’ think about government, they will need to understand how nonlibertarians think about government. By “nonlibertarians,” I mean the majority of people who spend little if any time pondering political theory, or what Murray Rothbard called political ethics. They may focus at times on particular government programs and actions, or on proposals for ...

The Libertarian Angle: Obamacare, Contraceptives, and Immigrant Children

by Future of Freedom Foundation July 7, 2014

FFF president Jacob Hornberger and FFF vice president Sheldon Richman discuss the hot topics of the day. This week: the Hobby Lobby ruling and the influx of immigrant children on the southern border. The Libertarian Angle airs weekly. Go to the podcast.

What Social Animals Owe Each Other

by Sheldon Richman July 1, 2014

If I were compelled to summarize the libertarian philosophy’s distinguishing feature while standing on one foot, I’d say the following: Every person owes it to all other persons not to aggress against them. This is known as the nonaggression principle, or NAP. What is the nature of this obligation? The first thing to notice is that it is unchosen. I never ...

Class Theory, Part 3: Libertarian Class Analysis Revisited

by Anthony Gregory July 1, 2014

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 The Left has long dominated the basic idea of two classes in society — the common people and the power elite — each with its own, usually conflicting, interests. When the Left speaks that way, the Right tends to accuse it of “class warfare,” even though conservatives have ...

FFF Webinar: Work! (video)

by Sheldon Richman June 17, 2014

On Wednesday, June 11, 2014, FFF vice president and editor Sheldon Richman hosted a free, interactive online webinar entitled “Work!” This was an interactive experience with Sheldon and was be limited to 24 participants.

The Libertarian Angle: The Iraq Debacle

by Future of Freedom Foundation June 16, 2014

FFF president Jacob Hornberger and FFF vice president Sheldon Richman discuss the hot topics of the day. This week: the continuing debacle in Iraq. The Libertarian Angle airs weekly. Go to the podcast.

The Libertarian Angle: Amazon, NSA, and Bergdahl

by Future of Freedom Foundation June 9, 2014

FFF president Jacob Hornberger and FFF vice president Sheldon Richman discuss the hot topics of the day. This week: Amazon, the National Security Agency, and Bergdahl. The Libertarian Angle airs weekly. Go to the podcast.

The Defining Challenge of our Time

by George Leef June 1, 2014

Why Liberty — Your Life, Your Choices, Your Future edited by Tom G. Palmer (Jameson Books 2013) 116 pages. With this short, easily read, yet intellectually powerful book, Tom Palmer continues his work of making libertarianism the philosophy that will appeal to and animate young people around the globe. While the arguments for vastly downsizing our enormous, meddlesome, and ...

Libertarian Angle: Guantanámo, Taxation, and Immigration

by Future of Freedom Foundation May 27, 2014

FFF president Jacob Hornberger and FFF vice president Sheldon Richman discuss the hot topics of the day. This week: Guantanámo, taxation, and immigration. The Libertarian Angle airs weekly. Go to the podcast.

The Libertarian Angle: Insider Trading, Militarism, and Patriotism

by Future of Freedom Foundation May 19, 2014

FFF president Jacob Hornberger and FFF vice president Sheldon Richman discuss the hot topics of the day. This week: insider trading, militarism, and patriotism. The Libertarian Angle airs weekly. Go to the podcast.  

TGIF: Rothbard’s For a New Liberty

by Sheldon Richman May 16, 2014

In 1973, nine years before he published his magnum opus in political philosophy, The Ethics of Liberty, Murray Rothbard issued a comprehensive popular presentation of the libertarian philosophy in For a New Liberty: The Libertarian Manifesto, first published by the mainstream publisher Macmillan. The book is an excellent discussion of libertarian principles and applications, and it ...

The Virtues of Libertarianism

by Jacob G. Hornberger May 15, 2014

The principle that undergirds the libertarian philosophy is what is known as the nonaggression principle. It holds that people should be free to live their lives in any way they choose, making whatever choices they wish to make, but with one condition: that their conduct must be peaceful (and nonfraudulent). Thus, libertarianism condemns any action that involves the initiation of ...