Critics of Austrian economics often condemn Mises as dogmatic, but in fact he advocated a very commonsense method of procedure for economics. He developed his views in reaction to criticisms of economics by the German Historical School, on the one hand, and the logical positivists, on the other. Both of these movements sought to undermine economic
Ayn Rand polarizes people. To her enemies, she was a vicious person who taught a gospel of unconcern for others. One of her critics says that she was “eerily ignorant of all the interesting problems of ontology, epistemology, or logic.” Her followers, by contrast, rank her as one of the foremost philosophers of all time. Her system of Objectivism
Many people would like to learn economics but are discouraged when they look at difficult textbooks filled with mathematics. Fortunately, the basic principles of Austrian economics are easy to learn. Austrian economics uses a common-sense method of reasoning, and once you see it in action, you will be able to understand why popular policy measures
“ I support Rothbard, so students may enjoy the conflicts sure to arise between Danny and me.” In The Ethics of Liberty , Murray Rothbard proposed a natural-law foundation for libertarianism. In doing so, he rejected as not fully adequate the distinctive brand of utilitarian ethics defended by his teacher Ludwig von Mises. Was he correct in his
“War is the health of the state.” These famous words of Randolph Bourne have been confirmed throughout the course of American history. This course will examine the origins of a number of America’s wars. In each case, we will study the real origins of the war and compare this with the officially circulated mythology. All too often, America’s wars
[David Gordon will teach Economic Thought Through the Ages , a 6-week online course, February 8 – March 20, at the Mises Academy.] An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought , the capstone of Murray Rothbard’s career, is one of the greatest works of intellectual history written in the 20th century. It is a massive book, over
An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought , the capstone of Murray Rothbard’s career, is one of the greatest works of intellectual history written in the 20th century. It is a massive book, over 1,000 pages of small print, and students often find it hard to read. This course will cover the second volume. Students who take it will
[David Gordon will teach Political Thought through the Ages , a 6-week online course at the Mises Academy, starting June 7, 2012.] In a famous essay , Benjamin Constant distinguished between the “liberty of the ancients” and the “liberty of the moderns.” Ancient political thought subordinated the individual to the community, Constant argued, while
What Tower? What Babel? Mises Review 3, No. 4 ( Winter 1997) CULTIVATING HUMANITY Martha C. Nussbaum Harvard University Press, 1997, 338 pgs. Conservatives and leftists often characterize the struggle over the contemporary university in the same way, though of course accompanied by opposing value judgments. On the one side stands the traditional
Island of Sanity Mises Review 3, No. 4 (Winter 1997) LITERATURE LOST John M. Ellis Yale University Press, 1997, x + 262 pgs. Like Martha Nussbaum, whose Cultivating Humanity is addressed above, John M. Ellis is concerned with multiculturalism. His excellent book, taken together with her less than excellent one, enables readers to gain a firm grasp
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.