Free Thoughts

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Free Thoughts episodes

April 20, 2018 Ayn Rand: An Introduction (with Eamonn Butler)
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 fascinating life and history.
Further Readings/References:
Find Ayn Rand: An Introduction now available on www.libertarianism.org
More about Eamonn Butler.
More about Ayn Rand.
More on Objectivism.
Excursions into Libertarian Thought - Series on Ayn Rand and Altruism
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51 min
April 13, 2018 Speak Freely (with Keith E. Whittington)
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 Keith E. Whittington
Campus Freedom - Free Thoughts Podcast
Campus Censorship and the End of American Debate
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47 min
April 06, 2018 WTF?! Economics (with Peter T. Leeson)
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
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49 min
March 30, 2018 Understanding Common Law (with John Hasnas)
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
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48 min
March 23, 2018 Forensics, Pseudoscience and Criminal Injustice (with Radley Balko and Tucker Carrington)
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
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39 min
March 16, 2018 Frederick Douglass: Self-Made Man (with Timothy Sandefur)
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
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50 min
March 09, 2018 Why Are Cops Unaccountable? (with Jay Schweikert and Clark Neily)
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
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55 min
March 02, 2018 Is the DEA Trippin'? (with Rick Doblin)
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
Illicit Drugs - Encyclopedia of Libertarianism.org
Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs - Free Thoughts Podcast
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57 min
February 23, 2018 The Pope’s Politics
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’
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44 min
February 16, 2018 The Case Against Education
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 Thoughts Podcast: The State of State Education
More about Bryan Caplan’s work
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52 min

About Free Thoughts

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A weekly show about politics and liberty, featuring conversations with top scholars, philosophers, historians, economists, and public policy experts. Hosted by Trevor Burrus.

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