Ep. 81 Jeffrey Rogers Hummel on the Economics of Slavery and Why the Confederate States Lost the Civil War
Jeffrey Rogers Hummel joins Bob for an in-depth discussion of the economics of slavery, touching on subtleties such as the labor/leisure tradeoff, and the recent claims by some historians that slavery was efficient. Then Bob asks Hummel to explain the provocative claim in his book, that the Confederacy would have done much better militarily if…
Ep. 80 Would the Laws of Economics Be True in the Garden of Eden?
Patrick, one of the co-hosts of the “Cave to the Cross Apologetics” podcast, has Bob on the show to discuss Austrian economics, but with reference to a philosophical framework for defending Christianity. It is a fascinating discussion that covers unusual issues, such as: Would the laws of economics be true in the Garden of Eden?…
Ep. 79 Stephan Kinsella and Bob Murphy Debate Hans Hoppe’s “Argumentation Ethics”
By popular demand, Bob brings Stephan back on the podcast, this time to debate Hans Hoppe’s famous “argumentation ethics” case for libertarianism. Stephan defends Hoppe’s claim that any attempt to justify a NON-libertarian system would result in a performative contradiction, while Bob clarifies the argument and raises concerns about it. Mentioned in the Episode and…
Ep. 78 Bob Murphy’s “Lessons for Libertarians”
Bob evaluates four different campaigns where people pushed back against the State: The National Opt Out Day in 2010, Free Keene’s “Robin Hood” parking meter approach, the “Taxation Is Theft” approach to tipping, and the “Epstein Didn’t Kill Himself” meme campaign. He then crystallizes his remarks into 7 Lessons for Libertarians. . . . .…
Ep. 77 Rob Bradley on His Contributions to Energy Economics, Rothbard as Dissertation Chair, and Enron as a Postmodern Corporation
Rob Bradley is the world’s leading expert in energy economics in the Austrian tradition. His treatise Oil, Gas, and Government is the definitive record of U.S. government intervention in the oil & gas markets. Rob chose Murray Rothbard as the chair for his dissertation in Political Economy. At one point in his career, Rob served as a…