Matt Zwolinski is professor of philosophy at the University of San Diego and the founder and director of USD’s Center for Ethics, Economics, and Public Policy. Zwolinski is the co-editor of The Routledge Companion to Libertarianism , and he is the co-author, with John Tomasi, of The Individualists: Radicals, Reactionaries, and the Struggle for the Soul of Libertarianism (available April 4 and available for preorder). This is the Self in Society Podcast #30. TIME MARKERS 00 Intro 0:54 Murray Roth...
Mar 28, 2023•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 30
Ian Silverii is the former leader of Progress Now Colorado, founder of the political Bighorn Company, and "First Gentleman of Colorado's 7th Congressional District" following the election of his wife Brittany Pettersen. My main purpose in hosting this conversation was to see if two people with quite different political beliefs could have a civil and productive conversation. I think we accomplished that. Ian is a progressive; I’m a “free market liberal” (I’ll call myself). This episode contains s...
Jan 21, 2023•2 hr 4 min•Ep. 29
Dave Kopel is research director of the Independence Institute in Colorado and a leading attorney on Second Amendment issues. He is the author of Aiming for Liberty: The Past, Present, And Future of Freedom and Self-Defense , Colorado Constitutional Law and History , several other books, and countless articles. This is the Self in Society Podcast #28. Time Markers 00 Intro 1:06 U.S. violence in context 6:39 Homicides by government 8:15 Civilian gun ownership as protective against mass-murder by g...
Jun 15, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 28
Sheriff Bill Masters discusses peace keeping and how that relates to the war on drugs. Masters, of Telluride, San Miguel County, is the longest serving sheriff in Colorado history, having taken over the position in 1980. Masters also is the author of the 2001 book, Drug War Addiction: Notes from the Front Lines of America's #1 Policy Disaster (which I helped to edit). This interview was recorded on May 23, 2022, as the Self in Society Podcast #27. Time Markers 00 Intro 1:40 On being sheriff for ...
May 25, 2022•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 27
Robert Tracinski is the author of the book, So Who Is John Galt, Anyway?: A Reader's Guide to Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged." Tracinski also writes the Tracinski Letter and Symposium at Substack, and he is a columnist for various other publications. This is the Self in Society Podcast #26. Time Markers 00 Intro 1:22 Would Any Rand be more concerned with today's "woke" anti-capitalist left or religious ethno-nationalist right? 6:06 The collapse of fusionism; Rand's influence on conservatism 9:50 Are...
May 02, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 26
Drawing on her dissertation work on moral habits, philosopher Lisa Thomas-Smith (now at Clemson) discusses the nature of and need for habits, methods for improving our habits, cultural influences on people's habits, recent cultural shifts for better and worse, and more. Time Stamps 00 Intro 1:02 What moral habits are and why we need them 5:30 Cognitive limits and habits 8:04 Habits of thought and of action 9:33 The power and challenge of changing habits of thought 11:11 The bootsrapping problem ...
Dec 17, 2021•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 25
Philosopher Michael Huemer, author of Knowledge, Reality, and Value, discusses the meaning of rationality and objectivity, explains why the distinction between fact and opinion is more complex than many people presume, and promotes intellectual virtues.
Apr 18, 2021•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 24
Steve Spangler, host of DIY Sci, discusses how parents and teachers can foster kids' love of science and help children discover their "spark" in life. He also shares his thoughts on the development and future of online education and recounts his experiences as a pioneer in the field.
Apr 14, 2021•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 23
Jason Stotts, psychotherapist and author of Eros & Ethos , discusses sexuality as an expression of our ethical lives, analyzes the false choice of repression versus hedonism, and addresses gender identity and other aspects of our sexuality. This is the Self in Society Podcast #22.
Feb 13, 2021•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 22
Christina Sandefur of the free-market Goldwater Institute in Arizona discusses her coauthored book, Cornerstone of Liberty: Property Rights in 21st Century America, and related issues. This is the Self in Society Podcast #21.
Nov 14, 2020•1 hr 43 min•Ep. 21
Historian Robert Alan Goldberg, author of Enemies Within: The Culture of Conspiracy in Modern America , discusses the history of conspiracy thinking in the U.S. and explains how "new" conspiracy theories such as that involving QAnon recycle and embellish old themes. This is the Self in Society Podcast #20.
Oct 07, 2020•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 20
Timothy Sandefur, author of Frederick Douglass: Self-Made Man, discusses Douglass's life, political philosophy, and influence in his day and up to the present. This is the Self in Society Podcast episode #19.
Sep 08, 2020•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 19
Michael Donnelly, Senior Counsel and Director of Global Outreach with the Home School Legal Defense Association, discusses the motivations for homeschooling and the legal aspects of it, with a special focus on Colorado.
Aug 14, 2020•54 min•Ep. 18
Historian Robert Alan Goldberg discusses his book, Hooded Empire: The Klu Klux Klan in Colorado, and its lessons for today. This is the Self in Society Podcast #17.
Jul 29, 2020•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 17
Mark Silverstein, Legal Director of the ACLU of Colorado, discusses your rights when interacting with police, troubling police actions during protests, and Colorado police reforms.
Jul 16, 2020•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 16
Economist and iconoclast Robin Hanson suggests that variolation—controlled, intentional infection of the virus that causes COVID-19—could be an important "Plan B" if containment fails in the long-term and eventual herd immunity seems likely.
Apr 24, 2020•47 min•Ep. 15
Kevin Currie-Knight, professor of education at East Carolina University and president of the board of New Pathfinder Community School, warns against equating the home "crisis schooling" curing the COVID-19 epidemic with homeschooling as families practice it in normal times. He offers some qualified suggestions for families in which students who usually attend a traditional school now must stay at home.
Mar 31, 2020•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 14
Dr. Bryan Alvarez, now in private practice after serving as the Public Health Director of the United States Northern Command from 2016–2019, discusses the problems and promise of testing our way out of the coronavirus crisis. He also talks about the process of bringing antiviral drugs and vaccines online, as well as the broader problem of emergency preparedness.
Mar 28, 2020•28 min•Ep. 13
Economist Steven Horwitz offers a classical liberal theory of the family grounded in the works of Friedrich Hayek. Unlike conservatives, who tend to glorify a tradition-bound model of the family, and Progressives, who sometimes denigrate the family, Horwitz offers a vision of the family as a dynamic and evolving social institution that plays a critical role in people's lives.
Feb 16, 2020•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 12
Pamela Clare is a gun-toting Rush fan—and Boulder Progressive Democrat—who writes romantic fiction. She almost died in a mountain fall and had to be helicoptered out. She got death threats while working as an investigative journalist and had to tell one gun-waving disgruntled reader to get the f*** out of her office. She put her degree in classics to use in her historical romance novels before going on to write about rangers, firefighters, rock climbers, journalists, and other spirited character...
Jan 21, 2020•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 11
Anthropologist Melvin Konner—author of Believers: Faith in Human Nature —explains the persistence of religious belief in the face of atheistic criticisms. Konner discusses his religious background and his path to a study of biological anthropology, including his work with the !Kung people in Botswana. Konner also challenges the New Atheists' insistence that humanity can and should do away with religion.
Nov 14, 2019•1 hr 35 min•Ep. 10
Kevin Currie-Knight—professor of education at East Carolina University, author of Education in the Marketplace, and president of the board of New Pathfinder Community School—discusses self-directed education and answers various objections to it.her subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit
Oct 29, 2019•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 9
Jason Crawford, entrepreneur and author of the Roots of Progress blog, discusses what progress is, where it comes from, and how it vastly betters our lives. In the process, he highlights key industrial and technological innovations, explains the errors of Malthus, and discusses how we can keep progress alive.h other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit
Sep 17, 2019•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 8
Historian John Coffey discusses his book, Persecution and Toleration in Protestant England 1558–1689 , and its lessons for today. Coffey reviews the establishment of the Anglican church and the tensions between that church and both the Catholics and the Puritans, tensions that often erupted into state-sponsored violence. Coffee also discusses the theological and political disputes over toleration in this era.
Sep 12, 2019•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 7
In Out of the Flames, Lawrence and Nancy Goldstone recount the remarkable life and shocking death of Michael Servetus, theologian, editor, physician, and heretic. Lawrence discusses Servetus's religious views and his lifelong rivalry with John Calvin, who eventually had him tried for heresy and burned at the stake in Geneva in 1553. But Servetus's work escaped the flames to inspire generations of scientists, religious reformers, and advocates of liberty of conscience.
Aug 14, 2019•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 6
Timothy Sandefur discusses the remarkable life and thought of science educator Jacob Bronowski, creator of the landmark documentary series The Ascent of Man . Sandefur's The Ascent of Jacob Bronowski is the first book-length biography of this fascinating figure.
Jul 31, 2019•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 5
James Valliant discusses his book, Creating Christ , in which he and his coauthor Warren Fahy argue that the Roman emperors Nero, Vespasian, and Titus played an active role in the development of early Christianity. Valliant discusses the broader context of the Jewish-Roman conflict of the First Century, the themes of the Gospels, and the remarkable parallels between the Flavian emperors and the Christian story.
Jul 11, 2019•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 4
Philosopher Michael Huemer discusses his book, Dialogues on Ethical Vegetarianism , focusing on the problem of the severe suffering of most animals currently raised for their flesh, skin, milk, or eggs. He also discusses the difference between a strict vegan diet and a diet that includes bivalves and potentially lab-grown meat; the alternative strategy of reducing one's consumption of animal products; the problem of social conformity; and more.
Jun 27, 2019•56 min•Ep. 3
Writer and Director Robert Anthony Peters discusses his short film, Tank Man , in the context of Chinese politics. Peters, an actor as well, also offers advice to young actors, discusses his advocacy of liberty, and outlines what in Stoicism he finds valuable.
Jun 19, 2019•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 2
Robert Zubrin, head of the Mars Society and of Pioneer Astronautics, discusses his new book, The Case for Space . Zubrin discusses how he became interested in space, his vision for a spacefaring civilization within the next fifty years, his Mars Direct plan, and his views on why people should focus at least at the outset on settling planets and moons rather than O'Neill Colonies. Zubrin also explains why humanity should head toward the stars to look for life, to probe the mysteries of the univer...
Jun 04, 2019•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 1
