Eamonn Butler joins us to discuss his new book Ayn Rand: An Introduction. Why does Rand’s work remain so influential? Her thinking still has a profound impact, particularly on those who come to it through her novels, Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead—with their core messages of individualism, self-worth, and the right to live without the impositions of others. Eamonn Butler is the Director of the Adam Smith Institute. In this episode, we discuss Ayn Rand, her work as a fiction author, and her ...
Apr 20, 2018•51 min
Keith E. Whittington joins us this week to discuss his new book Speak Freely: Why Universities Must Defend Free Speech . Whittington argues that universities must protect and encourage free speech because vigorous free speech is the lifeblood of the university. We discuss free speech on campus, the use of trigger warnings and how universities can promote freedom of thought and ideological diversity. Further Readings/References: Speak Freely: Why Universities Must Defend Free Speech More work by ...
Apr 13, 2018•47 min
Peter T. Leeson joins us to talk about his new book WTF?!: An Economic Tour of the Weird . Peter T. Leeson is the Duncan Black Professor of Economics and Law at George Mason University. We discuss some of the world’s strangest customs and behaviors; everything from convicting insects of crimes in a court of law to wife sales. How can this be rational economic behavior? Further Readings/References: WTF?!: An Economic Tour of the Weird by Peter T. Leeson More work by Peter T. Leeson Hosted on Acas...
Apr 06, 2018•49 min
John Hasnas joins us this week to discuss the evolutionary process of common law. What is common law? Is it a completely random process? If common law is so great, why is there so much legislation? Further Readings/References: More about John Hasnas “Common Law” - The Encyclopedia of Libertarianism.org Natural Law: Origins of Common Law Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 30, 2018•47 min
Radley Balko and Tucker Carrington join us to discuss forensic science and the criminal justice system. We also discuss structural racism, Mississippi’s inadequate death investigation system and the relationships between police, prosecutors and forensic scientists. Further Readings/References: The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist: A True Story of Injustice in the American South The Changing Role of Criminal Law - Free Thoughts Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informati...
Mar 23, 2018•38 min
Timothy Sandefur joins us for a conversation on Frederick Douglass. We also discuss the abolitionist movement, Douglass’s relationship with President Abraham Lincoln and how Frederick Douglass fits in with subsequent leaders of the black civil rights movement. Timothy Sandefur is the author of Frederick Douglass: Self-Made Man . Further Readings/References: How Libertarians Ought to Think About the U.S. Civil War by Timothy Sandefur Frederick Douglass Slavery in America More on Drapetomania Host...
Mar 16, 2018•49 min
Jay Schweikert and Clark Neily join us for a conversation on law enforcement and accountability. We also discuss qualified immunity and how technology is helping to combat police misconduct. The Problem of Police Misconduct - Free Thoughts Podcast Thin Blue Lies: How Pretextual Stops Undermine Police Legitimacy Clark Neily Jay Schweikert Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 09, 2018•54 min
Rick Doblin joins us to gives us a primer on the medical uses of psychedelics. Rick Doblin is the Founder and Executive Director for MAPS; the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies. We discuss the War on Drugs, how those suffering from PTSD are benefiting from psychedelics and how the DEA could hinder the research surrounding psychedelics and marijuana. Rick Doblin MAPS - Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies Drug Prohibition - Encyclopedia of Libertarianism.org I...
Mar 02, 2018•57 min
Robert Whaples joins us for a conversation on the Pope’s earnest call to build a truly compassionate society. Pope Francis’s fervent support for uplifting the poor and protecting the environment has inspired far-reaching discussions worldwide. But what is the most effective way to fight poverty? And what value does a religious perspective offer in addressing moral, political, and economic problems? Further Readings/References: Pope Francis and the Caring Society Robert Whaples Laudato si’ Hosted...
Feb 23, 2018•43 min
Bryan Caplan gives us the case against traditional education and how employers reward workers for costly schooling they rarely if ever use, and why cutting education spending is the best remedy. Why have decades of growing access to education have not resulted in better jobs for the average worker but instead in runaway credential inflation? Further Readings/References: The Case against Education Encyclopedia of Libertarianism: Education Free Thoughts Podcast: The Education Apocalypse Free Thoug...
Feb 16, 2018•52 min
Kate Sills joins us for a conversation on smart contracts and the future of blockchain technology. We also discuss how Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency platforms are using smart contracts to ensure a more secure network, the DAO implosion and the future of cryptography. More about Kate Sills http://katelynsills.com/ Free Thoughts Episode: Your World on the Blockchain Encyclopedia of Libertarianism: Voluntary Contract Enforcement Encyclopedia of Libertarianism: Contractarianism/Social Contract Ho...
Feb 09, 2018•53 min
Cato Institute Vice President of Communications Khristine Brookes joins us to discuss the ever-changing world of news and media. How has social media changed the way we consume news? Are traditional news sources eventually going to die out? Further Readings/References: Cato Institute Media Highlights Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 02, 2018•49 min
Tom W. Bell joins us for a Live Free Thoughts to talk about the emerging trend of bottom up governments. Private providers increasingly deliver services that political authorities formerly monopolized, inspiring greater competition and efficiency. We discuss this quiet revolution that is transforming governments with the potential to bring more freedom, peace and prosperity to people everywhere. Further Readings/References: Watch the full Cato Institute event with Tom W. Bell; Your Next Governme...
Jan 26, 2018•1 hr 2 min
John Samples joins us to discuss how the Trump presidency is challenging America’s institutions. Political institutions in America are designed to stop someone like a populist or a demagogue; someone not fit for presidency. We discuss how America’s institutions have fared thus far, with a president that refuses to follow the norms, and if we should expect more celebrity presidents. Show notes and Further Readings Matthew mentions that on Friday, January 12th Trump had just said something dispara...
Jan 19, 2018•49 min
Emma Ashford gives us a primer on Saudi Arabia, the oil-rich Middle Eastern nation that is also one of the last remaining absolute monarchies in the world. We talk about the history of the Saudi royal family, Saudi Arabia’s importance in Islam, the discovery of oil in Saudi Arabia after the first World War, the country’s legal system and culture, American-Saudi relations over the years, and what’s next for the kingdom as its rulership passes to a new generation. Show Notes and Further Reading He...
Jan 12, 2018•45 min
David Kopel joins us again to discuss firearms, gun violence, mass shootings, and whether a gun-free America is possible or desirable. Are there more mass shootings than ever before? What, if anything, can be done about them? We also discuss the differences between mass shootings and spree killings, popular gun control methods in other countries around the world, the definition of an “assault weapon,” gun storage and safety, and we debunk common myths about gun ownership. Show Notes and Further ...
Jan 05, 2018•51 min
George Selgin joins us again on Free Thoughts for a conversation about the origins and role of the Federal Reserve. What is the Federal Reserve? What does it do, and what authority does it have? Why was the Fed created, and what was it’s role in the 2008 financial crisis? Show Notes and Further Reading Here is Selgin’s newest study on the founding of the Federal Reserve . Here are our previous Free Thoughts episodes with Selgin: The Story of Money in the United States The Gold Standard Won’t Be ...
Dec 29, 2017•58 min
Will Duffield joins us this week to talk about the freedom of speech in the internet era. How has the shift to digital communication changed interpretations of the First Amendment? We discuss the implications of lower barriers to entry for ownership of the mechanisms for distribution of speech, draw a distinction between speech gatekeepers and speech enablers, think about whether big web companies are beginning to act like states, and have a conversation about “fake news.” Show Notes and Further...
Dec 22, 2017•53 min
Michael Strong joins us this week to talk about the role that capitalism and social entrepreneurship play in alleviating global poverty. We also discuss special economic zones, startup cities, the right of exit, mechanisms of public choice, and seasteading. Show Notes and Further Reading Strong is the author of Be the Solution: How Entrepreneurs and Conscious Capitalists Can Solve All the World’s Problems (2009) and The Habit of Thought: From Socratic Seminars to Socratic Practice (1997). Strong...
Dec 15, 2017•57 min
Brink Lindsey and Steven M. Teles join us to discuss four pathological policy regimes they say are responsible for the slow growth and high inequality that’s plagued the US economy in the twenty-first century. The case studies presented in Lindsey and Teles’s new book highlight how financial regulation, occupational licensing, intellectual property, and zoning and land use policies have been captured by the powerful and politically-connected to enrich themselves at others’ expense. Show Notes an...
Dec 08, 2017•49 min
Dr. Frank of The Mr. T Experience joins us this week to talk about the politics of punk rock. What is punk rebelling against? Is it inherently political? Why do anti-authoritarian, counter-cultural movements so often reject free markets and libertarianism? Show Notes and Further Reading The Mr. T Experience on Spotify , iTunes , and Amazon Music . Dr. Frank’s young adult novels are King Dork (2006), Andromeda Klein (2009), and King Dork Approximately (2014). The song in this episode’s outro is “...
Dec 01, 2017•56 min
Charles J. Sykes joins us this week for a discussion on the origins of the populist, pro-Trump Right. What happened to the conservative intellectual infrastructure that was so robust in William F. Buckley, Jr.’s time? Why does it seem like politics now is more about attitude and tribal loyalty than ideas and discourse? How do groups like the Tea Party and media personalities like Ann Coulter fit into this narrative? Further Reading Sykes’s new book is How the Right Lost Its Mind (2017). Libertar...
Nov 24, 2017•48 min
Elizabeth Anderson joins us to talk about her new book, Private Government: How Employers Rule Our Lives (and Why We Don’t Talk About It) . How has the nature of employment changed throughout history? Is the typical American workplace a dictatorship? Do we need a worker’s bill of rights? Show Notes and Further Reading Anderson’s book is available here . Here’s our previous episode with Prof. Anderson, on egalitarianism and the distribution of resources in a society . Hosted on Acast. See acast.c...
Nov 17, 2017•54 min
Brock Cusick joins us this week to talk about the decentralized blockchain technology that bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies run on, and about bitcoin itself: how does bitcoin work? What makes it valuable? Why is there a finite amount of bitcoin? What happens when all of the bitcoin is mined? What’s next for cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology? Will the government step in to regulate this? Can it? Show Notes and Further Reading Back in 2014 we invited Timothy Lee on the show to give us a...
Nov 10, 2017•56 min
Peter Van Doren joins us once more on the podcast, this time for a discussion on Richard Thaler’s work in behavioral economics. What’s the difference between behavioral economics and more traditional neoclassical economics? Is the goal of behavioral economics really to implement consumer preferences? Are “nudges” paternalistic and insulting, or do they merely—as behavioral economists would say—create default conditions to correct the influence of cognative biases that stop people from doing what...
Nov 03, 2017•58 min
Jeffrey A. Singer joins us this week to talk about the ongoing opioid overdose epidemic in the United States. Why are there so many opioid users in the US? Specifically, what kinds of drugs are we talking about, fentanyl? Oxycontin? Is the overdose death problem a direct result of doctors over-prescribing opiates to patients for pain management? Show Notes and Further Reading Here’s a Cato briefing event that features Singer: “ A ‘Modern Plague’? How the Federal Government Should Address the Opi...
Oct 27, 2017•49 min
David Schoenbrod shares five specific tricks that politicians from both parties use to avoid public accountability. Is Washington more broken than people think? How can we more properly align our elected representatives’ incentives to keep them accountable? Does Congress have the willpower to change the rules of the game? Show Notes and Further Reading Schoenbrod’s newest book is DC Confidential: Inside the Five Tricks of Washington (2017), and here is the book’s website . Hosted on Acast. See a...
Oct 20, 2017•42 min
John Glaser and Emma Ashford join us this week for a discussion on the “Iran nuclear deal” that’s been in the news lately. What is this deal—what did the US and Iran agree to? How did it happen? Why did Iran agree to limit their nuclear program in the first place? What are their regional goals? Is Iran complying with the deal so far? What will President Trump do? Show Notes and Further Reading Here’s Ashford and Glaser’s Policy Analysis, “ Unforced Error: The Risks of Confrontation with Iran ” a...
Oct 13, 2017•53 min
Richard E. Wagner joins us for a discussion on life and thought of James M. Buchanan, who was one of the founders of public choice theory. Show Notes and Further Reading Wagner’s latest book is James M. Buchanan and Liberal Political Economy: A Rational Reconstruction (2017). A good portion of what we discuss in this episode deals with Nancy MacLean’s account of Buchanan in Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America (2017). Aaron mentions this article b...
Oct 06, 2017•1 hr 3 min
Michael Malice joins us to give a primer on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. What’s North Korea like? Do the people there really believe the popular legends we’ve heard about the Kim family? Which is Kim Jong-un: a spoiled heir to a political dynasty, a paranoid lunatic with a big gun and 25 million hostages, or a coldly rational devious mastermind? Perhaps some combination of all three? Show Notes and Further Reading For more insight on how North Koreans and the Kim family see the wor...
Sep 29, 2017•47 min
