[From “ Concepts of the Role of Intellectuals In Social Change Toward Laissez Faire “ in The Journal of Libertarian Studies , Fall 1990] Why, La Boétie cries out in anguish, why, when reason teaches us the justice of natural rights and equal liberty for all, why, when even animals display a natural instinct to be free, is man, “the only creature
“Germany has plunged into unprecedented political chaos,” a headline dramatically proclaimed in the prestigious international Foreign Policy magazine in the wake of the German elections in fall 2017. As different parties negotiated for months to find a majority to govern, the writer of the piece, Paul Hockenos from Berlin, felt that the bad
Luxembourg citizens voted in an election last year. But as The Economist has noted , “48% of those who live there were not allowed a ballot-paper.” This is because a great many immigrants live in Luxembourg, but few of them quickly become citizens — which means few can vote. According to the Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX): LU remains one
In the United States, the newest model of any cell phone is usually going to be sold as faster and smaller. Even as large-screen phones have gained popularity, they depend on being thin and light to attract customers. Bulky phones don’t fit well in the back pocket of skinny jeans, and they aren’t as fun to hold while mindlessly scrolling through
Listen to the Audio Mises Wire version of this article. Recently the nominally conservative, but increasingly populist firebrand Tucker Carlson joined self-proclaimed socialists Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders in calling for a federally-imposed 15 percent cap on interest rates. In a livestream video introducing
A certain nostalgic view of the Roman Empire has helped to push the idea the European Union is essential to the prosperity and success of Europe. But a closer look at the continent invalidates the link between prosperity and affiliation to Brussels’ Europe. Among the richest European countries are the countries outside the Union. This is the case
If we consider economics to be an objective science, its rules should also have universal significance and use, despite differences in societal order. However, socialists of the materialist camp are committed to the idea that common ownership of the means of production would change the way economic laws unfold under socialism. Basically, they
There are lots of ways to kill off a civilization. Wars, politics, economic collapse. But what are the actual mechanics? It might be a useful thing to know whether or not we are killing ourselves off. Ancient Rome is a good place to start. They had an advanced civilization . They had running water, sewers, flush toilets, concrete, roads, bridges,
Confucian Capitalism: Shibusawa Eiichi, Business Ethics, and Economic Development in Meiji Japan by John H. Sagers Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan, 2018, xvi + 245 pp. Jason Morgan (jmorgan@reitaku-u.ac.jp) is an associate professor at Reitaku University in Chiba, Japan. Quarterly Journal of Austrian Economics 22, no. 1 (Spring 2019), for
Those that passionately advocate for political decentralization are often portrayed as fringe carpers whose ideas are entirely unworthy of consideration. Indeed, the mainstream media and ruling class has repeatedly alleged that events like Brexit and Calexit would cause chaotic political shifts, and routinely deem supporters of such causes radical
What is the Mises Institute?
The Mises Institute is a non-profit organization that exists to promote teaching and research in the Austrian School of economics, individual freedom, honest history, and international peace, in the tradition of Ludwig von Mises and Murray N. Rothbard.
Non-political, non-partisan, and non-PC, we advocate a radical shift in the intellectual climate, away from statism and toward a private property order. We believe that our foundational ideas are of permanent value, and oppose all efforts at compromise, sellout, and amalgamation of these ideas with fashionable political, cultural, and social doctrines inimical to their spirit.