Kinsella on Liberty Podcast: Episode 473.

https://youtu.be/soyywXASOh4?si=pHKdf6awiCXOqXGV

From The White Pillbox, Stephan Kinsella's Universal Principles of Liberty. This is my discussion with Mark Maresca, of The White Pillbox, about The Universal Principles of Liberty. (Previous episode: Kinsella as “White Pill”: Maresca, “From the White-PillBox: Part 29. Achilles Heel edition 3”.)

Mark's shownotes:

Recently Stephan published an exciting document, the Universal Principles of Liberty: https://stephankinsella.com/principles/

Stephan provides some background that led to the Principles, historical context, use cases, and so much more. As always, Stephan demonstrates why he is a true human White Pill.

He even challenged me to White Pill him, on my reasoning behind why true free societies may be coming sooner than we think.

Some of his key publications:

International Investment, Political Risk, and Dispute Resolution (Oxford, 2020): http://www.kinsellalaw.com/iipr/

Against Intellectual Property (Mises Institute, 2001): http://c4sif.org/aip/

Legal Foundations of a Free Society (Papinian Press, 2023): https://stephankinsella.com/lffs/

Links to other topics we covered in this episode...

The Law, by Frederic Bastiat: https://store.mises.org/The-Law-P408....

For a New Liberty, by Murray N. Rothbard: https://store.mises.org/For-a-New-Lib...

Human Action, by Ludwig von Mises: https://store.mises.org/Human-Action-...

The Remnant, from Isaiah's Job, by Albert J. Nock: https://mises.org/mises-daily/isaiahs...

The Property and Freedom Society: https://propertyandfreedom.org/

Grok shownotes and transcript below.

Grok Shownotes

Overview of the Discussion

The episode of the White Pillbox features host Mark Maresca interviewing Stephan Kinsella, a prominent intellectual property attorney and libertarian writer from Houston. Recorded on September 06, 2025, the conversation delves into Kinsella's latest work, the "Universal Principles of Liberty," a document aimed at articulating a coherent framework for libertarian principles. This discussion provides listeners with an insightful exploration of libertarian thought, emphasizing practical applications and philosophical underpinnings in the context of transitioning to a freer society.

Background on Universal Principles of Liberty

Kinsella explains the genesis of the "Universal Principles of Liberty," highlighting his involvement in various libertarian projects, including attempts to draft constitutions for new nations like Liberland. He critiques the traditional concept of constitutions as state-authorizing documents, advocating instead for a statement of principles that avoids legitimizing governmental authority. The project evolved from his earlier work, such as the "Fundamental Principles of Justice," and was collaboratively refined with contributions from attorneys Pat Tinsley, Aleandro Fusillo, David Durr, and oversight from Hans-Hermann Hoppe, reflecting a broad consensus on core libertarian values.

Core Libertarian Principles

The core of the "Universal Principles of Liberty" rests on four key principles: self-ownership, original appropriation (homesteading), contract, and rectification. Kinsella argues these principles, derived from Roman and English common law, offer a decentralized, organic approach to law that contrasts with statutory legislation. He emphasizes that libertarianism, as a consistent application of these private law principles, rejects state-imposed exceptions like taxation or sovereign immunity, providing a foundation for a free society that can adapt through judicial interpretation rather than legislative fiat.

Practical Applications and Flexibility

Kinsella discusses the document's practical use as a "guard rail" for free territories or communities, such as Liberland or Prospera in Honduras, where it could guide development and judicial decisions without mandating a top-down structure. The principles are designed to be flexible,