Radical Austrianism, Radical Libertarianism

Mises Institute
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In this ten-lecture seminar sponsored by Steven Berger, the roots and reach of both Libertarian and Austrian theory are covered by a leading authority: Walter Block. The economic theory is value-free, but it takes flight when combined with a theory of natural rights in the Thomist-Rothbardian tradition.Download the complete audio of this event (ZIP) here.

Episodes

  1. 07/30/2005

    10. Reparations

    Libertarian punishment theory is two teeth for a tooth plus cost of capturing plus scaring if appropriate. It is part of reparations. It is necessary to find the rightful owner of property even if many generations have passed. But, the burden of proof of ownership gets harder. Reparation of property is a pro-property right position, not an anti-property position. Reparations for slavery are the ideas that some form of compensatory payment should be made to the descendants of Africans who had been enslaved by the Atlantic Slave Trade. Objections come from conservatives whom you would think would uphold property rights. Block covers ten critiques of reparations. Lecture 10 of 10 from Walter Block's Radical Austrianism, Radical Libertarianism.

  2. 07/29/2005

    8. Abortion

    Libertarians do not favor abortion (pro-choice). Nor are they opposed to it either (pro-life). Rather, libertarianism offers a philosophical compromise, evictionism. When does life begin? A fertilized egg seems the likely beginning. Lecture 8 of 10 from Walter Block's Radical Austrianism, Radical Libertarianism.

  3. 07/29/2005

    9. Monopoly and Anti-Trust, Monopsony

    The Austrians view is that monopoly came about as privilege, usually granted by royalty, given to a particular person or industry. This process is arbitrary and capricious. Free entry is required in capitalism. There cannot be restrictions on entry, as with doctors. Price, quantity, profit, and deadweight loss are four criticisms of monopolies. Lecture 9 of 10 from Walter Block's Radical Austrianism, Radical Libertarianism.

  4. 07/28/2005

    1. Free Trade

    Free trade is "I give you something; you give me something in return". Trade rights are part of property rights. Nosick calls trade a capitalist act between consenting adults. If you trade, you won't fight. It becomes harder to have wars. Trade benefits all parties. Fair trade instead of free trade? If we got rid of absolute advantage and comparative advantage, we'd have zero trade. Free trade is a unilateral declaration of free trade, like Hong Kong. It is not like NAFTA which is managed trade, or mercantilism. Lecture 1 of 10 from Walter Block's Radical Austrianism, Radical Libertarianism.

  5. 07/28/2005

    2. Introduction to Libertarianism I

    Block says he was a pinko commie type at 22 who believed that laissez-faire capitalism would result in mass starvation. Then, he met Ayn Rand and read Atlas Shrugged and Economics in One Lesson. Block says libertarianism is the non-aggression principle. Keep your mitts to yourself. Libertarianism only asks that law incorporate the non-aggression axiom. It is not a religion. It is not a philosophy. It addresses only what the law should be. It concerns what just law is. You can be a libertarian and an Austrian, or one but not the other. The two are not the same. Block’s book, Defending the Undefendable, tries to apply this theory of libertarianism (non-aggression and property rights) to the hard cases. All continuum problems are hard cases. The homesteading theory is a work in progress. A few fallacies about libertarianism include that you must “live libertarianism”, that libertarianism is against authoritarianism, that libertarians are individualists, that libertarians must be tolerant, that religious people cannot be libertarian, or that libertarians cannot be altruists, or that libertarians are libertines. Lecture 2 of 10 from Walter Block's Radical Austrianism, Radical Libertarianism.

  6. 07/28/2005

    3. Minimum Wage

    Minimum wage laws are not only counterproductive, but they make situations worse. All voluntary mutual trade benefits all. Minimum wages and union legislation make it difficult if not impossible for poor youth to get jobs. Lecture 3 of 10 from Walter Block's Radical Austrianism, Radical Libertarianism.

  7. 07/28/2005

    4. Introduction to Libertarianism II

    Block continues to parse all of the cases of libertarianism found in his book, Defending the Undefendable. Privatization solves the tragedy of the commons scenarios. Rent control resulted in nobody building residential units. Lecture 4 of 10 from Walter Block's Radical Austrianism, Radical Libertarianism.

  8. 07/28/2005

    5. Environmentalism

    Environmentalism sees market failure as the cause of environmental problems. Block sees the absence of private property rights and the interference of government as the causes of problems. Libertarianism provides solutions. Man is not a cancer on the planet. Markets have not failed. Endangered Species Acts encouraged negative incentives of shoot, shovel and shut up. Man has not caused catastrophic global warming. Carbon dioxide is not a pollutant; it is food for life itself. The sun and the cosmos have been instrumental in all climates. Lecture 5 of 10 from Walter Block's Radical Austrianism, Radical Libertarianism.

  9. 07/28/2005

    6. Ronald Coase: A Libertarian Critique

    There are many enemies of a free society. Some, like Ronald Coase, call themselves libertarians or free enterprisers. Block’s main critique of Coase is that Ronald Coase denies any private property rights. Coase deals with externalities through taxes only, but not with property rights at all. Lecture 6 of 10 from Walter Block's Radical Austrianism, Radical Libertarianism.

  10. 07/28/2005

    7. A Statistical Calculation of Economic Freedom

    Block, Gwartney and Lawson at Frazier Institute of Canada created an annual index of Economic Freedom of the World. It has been more widely used than any other reports. 102 countries were ranked according to factors like life expectancies or income equality. The freest countries in the world from this particular ranking of seventeen different criteria in this year were Hong Kong and Singapore. Frazier wished to counter the ideas of Freedom House at the time which viewed central planning and high taxes as correlations to economic freedom. Lecture 7 of 10 from Walter Block's Radical Austrianism, Radical Libertarianism.

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In this ten-lecture seminar sponsored by Steven Berger, the roots and reach of both Libertarian and Austrian theory are covered by a leading authority: Walter Block. The economic theory is value-free, but it takes flight when combined with a theory of natural rights in the Thomist-Rothbardian tradition.Download the complete audio of this event (ZIP) here.

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  • Creator
    Mises Institute
  • Episodes
    10
  • Rating
    Clean

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