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?

Governing Least: A New England Libertarianism, written by Dan Moller

Locke and Nozick on the Justification of Property, written by Matt Zwolinski

A Libertarian Model of the Social Safety Net, written by David S. D’Amato

Government Money and Bureaucratic Control, written by Grant Babcock

A Libertarian Perspective on the Modern American Welfare State, written by Michael D. Tanner

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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?

The Ascent of Jacob Bronowski: The Life and Ideas of a Popular Science Icon, written by Timothy Sandefur

Frederick Douglass: Self-Made Man, written by Timothy Sandefur

The Ascent of Man, BBC Documentary

The Disestablishment of Science: I, written by John Bronowski

Science Doesn’t Need Public Funding, Free Thoughts Podcast

Bias in Scientific Research, Free Thoughts Podcast

What Role Should Science Play in Public Policy?, Free Thoughts Podcast

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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?

Dunbar’s Number: A Key To Networking, written by Ken Makovsky

Book Forum on the Three Languages of Politics Held at the Cato Institute

Media Bias and Asymmetric Insight, written by Arnold Kling

[The Three Languages of Politics](The Three Languages of Politics, Free Thoughts Podcast), Free Thoughts Podcast

The Three Languages of Politics, Third Edition, written by Arnold Kling

How We Polarize Ourselves, written by Arnold Kling

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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’?

Animal Farm, written by George Orwell

The Terrifying Rise of Authoritarian Populism, written by Tom G. Palmer

The Virtue of Nationalism, written by Yoram Hazony

What’s Wrong with National Conservatism?, Free Thoughts Podcast

Vice in The Virtue of Nationalism, written by Akiva Malamet

Is Liberalism in Danger?, Free Thoughts Podcast

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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?

The Beautiful Tree: A Personal Journey Into How the World’s Poorest People are Educating Themselves, written by James Tooley

Low-Cost Schools Are Transforming Africa, written by Tom Vander Ark

The Education Apocalypse: How It Happened and How to Survive It, Free Thoughts Podcast

Private Lives and Public Education, written by Jason Kuznicki

The State of State Education in America, Free Thoughts Podcast

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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?

America’s Epicurean Liberalism, written by Joshua D. Hawley

Planned Parenthood v. Casey

The Man Behind National Conservatism, written by Daniel Luban

Social Media’s Moral Panic (with Milton Mueller), Free Thoughts Podcast

What Senator Hawley Gets Wrong about American Identity, written by Aaron Ross Powell

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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?

Panic Attack: Young Radicals in the Age of Trump, written by Robby Soave

Penn law professor faces backlash, petition to resign over ‘repugnant’ comments on race and immigration, written by Owen Daugherty

Do controversial figures have a right to speak at public universities?, written by Holly Epstein Ojalvo

Campus Rights, FIRE

The Coddling of the American Mind (with Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff), Free Thoughts Podcast

Campus Freedom, Free Thoughts Podcast

Conformist Students Fear Disagreement, written by Natalie Dowzicky

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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?

Challenging the Social Media Moral Panic: Preserving Free Expression under Hypertransparency, written by Milton Mueller

False Assumptions Behind the Current Drive to Regulate Social Media, written by John Samples

What Senator Hawley Gets Wrong about American Identity, written by Aaron Ross Powell

What Made the Internet Possible?, Building Tomorrow Podcast

Free Speech Online: Unfriended, Building Tomorrow Podcast

The Problem with “Fake News”, written by Ryan Khurana

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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?

Suicide of the West, written by Jonah Goldberg

Teaching Economics (with Steve Horwitz), Free Thoughts Podcast

The Dismal Science, Liberty Chronicles Podcast

The Two Sides of Every Regulated Economic Exchange, written by Steve Horwitz

The Best Work/Family Arrangements Come from Families, Not Governments written by Steve Horwitz

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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 system

What 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?

Our Enemy, the State, written by Albert Jay Nock

Education in the Marketplace: An Intellectual History of Pro-Market Libertarian Visions for Education in Twentieth Century America, written by Kevin Currie-Knight

The Case against Education: Why the Education System Is a Waste of Time and Money, written by Bryan Caplan

The Case Against Education, Free Thoughts Podcast

Private Lives and Public Education, written by Jason Kuznicki

The State of State Education in America, Free Thoughts Podcast

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