Libertarianism From the Ground Up
In Common Law Liberalism, legal scholar John Hasnas offers a new vision for a free society.
Philosophy
Kamala Harris Is Not an Ideas Candidate
Columnists keep trying to find a coherent philosophy behind Harris' confused and contradictory policy agenda.
The F-Word and Its Consequences
In a new book, left-wing writers debate whether America is going fascist.
A Social Anarchist Issues a Challenge
Jesse Spafford's new book argues that libertarian premises lead to left-anarchist conclusions. Is he right?
Is the Human Brain a Prediction Machine?
In The Experience Machine, philosopher and scientist Andy Clark offers an updated theory of mind.
Comic: The Ever-Evolving Robert Nozick
A young philosopher goes from socialist to reluctant libertarian.
The Best of Reason: The Post-Neoliberalism Moment
Anyone advocating neoliberal policies is now persona non grata in Washington, D.C.
The Post-Neoliberalism Moment
Anyone advocating neoliberal policies is now persona non grata in Washington, D.C.
The Best of Reason Magazine: Love, Trade, and Force: The Machinery of Freedom at 50
David Friedman's anarchism doesn't have the answer for everything. That's the point.
Ideas Have Consequences Turns 75
Richard M. Weaver seemed to question whether liberal order was compatible with human flourishing. By the end of his life, he saw individual liberty as more than incidental to the good society.
Love, Trade, and Force: The Machinery of Freedom at 50
David Friedman's anarchism doesn't have the answer for everything. That's the point.
Free Market Book Misstates the History of Free Market Thought
Author Jacob Soll's commitment to an untenable historical thesis distorts the facts.
Anarchy in Central Park
New York politicians got out of the way for once, and something beautiful happened.
Is the Nonaggression Principle Incoherent?
Economists David Friedman and Gene Epstein debate how best to persuade people toward libertarianism.
An Interview With Adam Smith (No, Not That One)
The so-called father of capitalism was not available for comment, so we talked to another economist, Adam C. Smith.
Adam Smith Understood That We Need Each Other
The thinker's views of human sympathy, beneficence, justice, and the division of labor still resonate.
Adam Smith's Quiet Christianity
The Scottish thinker's famous friendship with David Hume demonstrates his liberalism, not his atheism.
Cody Wilson: The Future of Gun Control and U.S. Politics
The man behind 3D-printed guns talks about beating the ATF, his abiding interest in cyberpunk culture, and what comes next for "practical anarchy."
Liberalism Isn't Rule by Elites
But Patrick Deneen’s “common-good conservatism” almost certainly would be.
Should Libertarians Be Noncombatants in the Pride Wars?
Plus: A listener question considers the pros and cons of the libertarian focus on political processes rather than political results.
Adam Smith Has Something for Everyone
From the American Founders to communist meme creators, people have long claimed Smith's endorsement for their ideas.
The Rise of Right-Progressivism
The post-liberal conservatives who disparage "right-liberalism" are unapologetic proponents of actual left-wing policies.
The Left-Right Spectrum Is Mostly Meaningless
The political landscape doesn’t fit on a simple map.
Libertarian History/Philosophy
Andrew Koppelman: 'Delusion and Greed' Have Destroyed Libertarianism
The Burning Down the House author says the shift from Hayek's classical liberalism to Rothbard's anarcho-capitalism is a moral and practical disaster.
Russ Roberts: Why Economists Suck at Explaining Life
The EconTalk host and Wild Problems author talks about the limits of cost-benefit analyses.
Russ Roberts: Why Economists Are Irrelevant
The host of EconTalk and author of Wild Problems says our biggest decisions don't submit to easy cost-benefit analyses.
Public Schools Will Always Be Political Battlegrounds
Families should be able to put energy into educating kids rather than fighting over what is taught.
Must Libertarians Care About More Than the State?
The tension between two libertarianisms in the big tent
It's the End of the Neoliberal Era, and We Still Don't Know What Neoliberalism Is
Politics is filled with words that mean different things in different mouths, but "neoliberalism" is an especially tangled case.
Against Champagne Socialists
Why Bernie Sanders, Hasan Piker, and Elizabeth Warren should open their wallets before they open their mouths.
Mindfulness Is What's Missing From the Political Arena
Politics isn’t going away, so we can at least try to make it less bad.
False Nostalgia
The "good old days" weren't all that good—but they're still messing with politics.
Foucault in the Panopticon
How Michel Foucault's encounters in Poland's heavily policed gay community informed his ideas
The French Dispatch Is a Profoundly Great Film About the Nature of Art and Freedom
A twee, fussy, brilliant movie from a pathologically twee and fussy director.
Steven Pinker: Rationality Has Made Us Richer, Kinder, and More Free
The Harvard linguist says Enlightenment reasoning and critical thinking are behind massive increases in material and moral progress.
Is It Time for a Boston Tea Party for Vaccines?
Would vaccine vigilantes be justified in stealing and distributing AstraZeneca doses locked up by order of the government?
Happy 100th Birthday, John Rawls!
Today is the 100th birthday of the most influential political philosopher of the second half of the twentieth century.
Libertarian History/Philosophy
Charles Koch and Brian Hooks: Believe in People
The libertarian billionaire and the head of his foundation discuss their new book, leaving partisanship behind, and learning from their critics.
Libertarian History/Philosophy
Charles Koch and Brian Hooks on Learning From Your Critics
The libertarian philanthropist and CEO of Stand Together on their new book, Believe in People: Bottom-Up Solutions for a Top-Down World
Why the "No True Scotsman Fallacy" isn't Always a Fallacy
Philosopher Aeon Skoble provides a helpful explanation.
Is Postmodernism Marxist or Libertarian? A Soho Forum Debate
Thaddeus Russell and Stephen Hicks debate human nature, moral relativism, and the nature of truth.
Do Free Societies Need Postmodernism? A Debate
Thaddeus Russell and Stephen Hicks debate human nature, moral relativism, and the nature of truth.
