Free Thoughts
457 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 272 ratingsA weekly show about politics and liberty, featuring conversations with top scholars, philosophers, historians, economists, and public policy experts. Hosted by Aaron Ross Powell and Trevor Burrus.
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Episodes
Does the FDA Save Lives? (with Peter Van Doren)
May 07, 2021 08:00 - 54 minutes - 125 MBSee acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
War is Stupid (with John Mueller)
April 30, 2021 08:00 - 51 minutes - 46.8 MBIt could be said that American foreign policy since 1945 has been one long miscue; most international threats - including during the Cold War - have been substantially exaggerated. The result has been agony and bloviation, unnecessary and costly military interventions that have mostly failed. John Mueller joins the show to explain how, when international war is in decline, complacency and appeasement become viable diplomatic devices and a large military is scarcely required. See acast.com...
Economics in One Virus (with Ryan Bourne)
April 23, 2021 08:00 - 56 minutes - 51.8 MBHave you ever stopped to wonder why hand sanitizer was missing from your pharmacy for months after the COVID-19 pandemic hit? Why some employers and employees were arguing over workers being re-hired during the first COVID-19 lockdown? Why passenger airlines were able to get their own ring-fenced bailout from Congress? Ryan Bourne answers all of these questions in his latest book, Economics in One Virus. He helps to explain everything from why the U.S. was underprepared for the pandemic to ...
How Textiles Made the Modern World (with Virginia Postrel)
April 16, 2021 08:00 - 54 minutes - 49.9 MBThe story of humanity is the story of textiles -- as old as civilization itself. Since the first thread was spun, the need for textiles has driven technology, business, politics, and culture. Virginia Postrel joins the show to discuss how textiles are the most influential commodity in world history. What can the history of textiles teach us about innovation? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Fighting the Foreign Policy Establishment (with Justin Logan)
April 09, 2021 08:00 - 49 minutes - 45.8 MBThe foreign policy establishment in D.C. is stubborn. In fact, there is so much consensus about America's interests' abroad that it's rare that meaningful debate occurs. But, it shouldn't be like that. There should be room for realists and restrainers in foreign policy. Justin Logan comes back on the podcast to discuss how foreign policy should be regularly scrutinized because right now that doesn't happen enough. Who is in the foreign policy establishment? How is the debate on foreign poli...
Who Messed with Texas's Electricity (with Peter Van Doren)
April 02, 2021 08:00 - 48 minutes - 44.3 MBAlternating current electricity systems require that demand equals supply in real-time. Any supply-demand imbalance must be remedied in minutes to avoid collapse of the system that would take weeks to repair. And the Texas system was very close to collapse. So why did the Texas blackouts occur when the weather was bitter cold? Could a free market electricity system work? What is the rate of return on regulated utilities? Why are all power companies monopolies? See acast.com/privacy for pr...
Why It's OK to Want to Be Rich (with Jason Brennan)
March 26, 2021 08:00 - 47 minutes - 43.7 MBIn Jason Brennan's new book, Why It’s OK to Want to Be Rich, he shows that the moralizers have it backwards. He argues that, in general, the more money you make, the more you already do for others, and that even an average wage earner is productively “giving back” to society just by doing her job. In addition, wealth liberates us to have the best chance of leading a life that’s authentically our own. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Making Fun of Dictators (with Bassem Youseff)
March 19, 2021 08:00 - 39 minutes - 36.2 MBBassem Youseff joins the show to talk about his experience hosting the show, El-Bernameg (The Show), a satirical news program in Egypt, from 2011 to 2014. Youseff is often described as the Egyptian Jon Stewart because his program garnered over 40 million viewers. In 2013, Time named Youseff one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Why are dictators humorless? Do you think that America has a healthy political satire climate? What caused the Arab Spring? See acast.com/privacy fo...
GameStop & the Mysteries of the Stock Market
March 12, 2021 09:00 - 1 hour - 55.2 MBA stock market professional joins the show to discuss how investors and hedge fund managers work differently. In recent stock market news, we had a front seat to witness the short-selling of small companies, like Gamestop. We discuss why short-selling happens and how technology has changed accessibility to the stock market. What is a stock? What is a corporation? What is a hedge fund? How has the stock market changed in the last 30 years? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out info...
Does Trade Harm National Security? (with Scott Lincicome)
March 05, 2021 09:00 - 46 minutes - 42.8 MBThe resurgent of “security nationalism" extends far beyond the limited theoretical scenarios in which national security might justify government action, and it suffers from several flaws. “National security” has long been invoked to justify government policies intended to support manufacturing in case of war or another emergency. How are free trade and national security related? What is a trade deficit? How do global supply chains work? Did the U.S. make China in to a dangerous country? S...
Immigration's Economic Impact (with Alex Nowrasteh)
February 26, 2021 09:00 - 44 minutes - 41 MBEconomic arguments favoring increased immigration restrictions suggest that immigrants undermine the culture, institutions, and productivity of destination countries. But is this actually true? Alex Nowrasteh breaks the economic impact of immigration down for us by pulling data from history as well as from policies that other countries use to control immigration. What happens if we open up immigration? What is a founder effect? Why do people want to come to America? See acast.com/privacy ...
Drug Use for Grown Ups (with Carl Hart)
February 19, 2021 09:00 - 46 minutes - 42.5 MBCarl Hart is one of the world’s preeminent experts on the effects of so-called recreational drugs on the human mind and body. Dr. Hart is open about the fact that he uses drugs himself, in a happy balance with the rest of his full and productive life as a colleague, husband, father, and friend. What is the difference between an illicit drug and medicine? Who decides which drugs are illicit and which are not? Why do we treat drugs users, depending on the drug, differently? How is alcohol dif...
Did the New Deal End the Great Depression? (with George Selgin)
February 12, 2021 09:00 - 55 minutes - 50.8 MBGeorge Selgin believes that the New Deal failed to bring recovery because, although some New Deal undertakings did serve to revive aggregate spending, others had the opposite effect, and still others prevented the growth in spending that did take place from doing all it might have to revive employment. What does it mean when the economy shrinks? What were some goals of the New Deal? How did the New Deal fail to reach its goals? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Trust in a Polarized Age (with Kevin Vallier)
February 05, 2021 09:00 - 45 minutes - 42 MBAmericans today don't trust each other and their institutions as much as they once did. The collapse of social and political trust has arguably fueled our increasingly ferocious ideological conflicts and hardened partisanship. But, Kevin Vallier explains how all is not hopeless. restores faith in our power to reduce polarization and rebuild social and political trust. What is social trust? Do we still have trust in democracy? How do you develop your sense of trust? What's a democratic norm?...
The 2020 Election and the Capitol Insurrection (with Walter Olson)
January 29, 2021 09:00 - 50 minutes - 46.2 MBWalter Olson, senior fellow at the Cato Institute’s Center for Constitutional Studies, comes on the show to discuss the fallout of the 2020 election culminating with the Capitol insurrection on January 6, 2021. They discuss how institutions like congress faired during the Trump administration, how and when election fraud concerns should be addressed, as well as the 'whataboutism' of people comparing the capitol insurrection to 2020 protests. What is objective morality? How could we improve ...
How Technology is Changing Education (with Andy Matuschak)
January 22, 2021 09:00 - 51 minutes - 47.5 MBAndy Matuschak joins the show to discuss how different learning models will help students in different ways. They discuss how students best remember material and how we should consider cognitive science when constructing a teaching technique. What is the purpose of primary school? Why do we group children by age for learning in school? What is the best way to learn from flashcards? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Are Monopolies a Problem? (with Peter Van Doren)
January 15, 2021 09:00 - 50 minutes - 46.2 MBFan favorite, Peter Van Doren, comes back to the show to discuss how the concept of a monopoly has changed throughout history. People certainly don't like the idea of a monopoly, but before we claim a company as a monopoly we need to make sure we know what market they exist in. There is always competition that exists, but sometimes it's hard to nail down. What is a trust? What are the technical concerns of a monopoly? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Open Societies & Human Progress (with Johan Norberg)
January 08, 2021 09:00 - 46 minutes - 42.9 MBThe freedom to explore and exchange - whether it's goods, ideas or people - has led to stunning achievements in science, technology and culture. As a result, we live at a time of unprecedented wealth and opportunity. So why are we so intent on ruining it? Johan Norberg explores these ideas and more throughout this episode. How new is openness? Were early civilizations open? How do open societies progress faster than closed? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
(Re-Release): The Story of Money in the United States
January 01, 2021 09:00 - 1 hour - 58.3 MBGeorge Selgin joins Aaron and Trevor for a discussion on money and banking in the United States. What is money? How did the government become so deeply ingrained in the production and supply of our money, and why? What is the Federal Reserve, and what does it actually do? What would the U. S. look like with a competitive currency system? And what about Bitcoin? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
(Re-Release): Equality of Capabilities, or Equality of Outcomes?
December 25, 2020 09:00 - 1 hour - 57 MBIn this episode Aaron Ross Powell and Trevor Burrus talk about egalitarianism with Professor Elizabeth Anderson. Should we be concerned about an equal distribution of resources in a society? An equal distribution of outcomes? Is it a bad thing for some people to be worse off than others through no fault of their own? And whose job is it to enforce such distributions—government or markets? This was originally released on May 5th, 2014. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out informat...
Fixing Supreme Court Nominations (with Ilya Shapiro)
December 18, 2020 09:00 - 53 minutes - 49.3 MBIlya Shapiro joins the show to take us through the various eras of the Supreme Court. He also explains how the process of nominating someone to the Supreme Court has changed since the founding. What does the Constitution say about the Supreme Court? Did Marbury v. Madison in 1803 and the rise of judicial review change some of the calculus for confirmation hearings? What is judicial review? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
America's Revolutionary Mind (with C. Bradley Thompson)
December 11, 2020 09:00 - 1 hour - 55.8 MBC. Bradley Thompson's work is inspired by John Adams and his reflection on the nature of the American Revolution. Adams answered the question “What was the revolution?” by saying, “The Revolution was not the war for independence. The Revolution was in fact a revolution in the minds of the American people". Learning this, Thompson discusses the moral revolution that occurred in the minds of the people in the fifteen years before 1776. How did Isaac Newton and Francis Bacon, two scientists, i...
The Comedy of Politics (with Andrew Heaton)
December 04, 2020 09:00 - 53 minutes - 49 MBAndrew Heaton is a comedian, author, and political satirist. On this episode he explains how, in the last four years, many funny & talented individuals have stepped away from comedy because they do not feel it is an appropriate moment in time to make jokes. But, the power of laughter is often underestimated. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The Property Species (with Bart Wilson)
November 27, 2020 09:00 - 46 minutes - 42.9 MBBart J. Wilson explores how humans acquire, perceive, and know the custom of property, and why this might be relevant to understanding how property works in the twenty-first century. What is experimental economics? How does property work? What chaos ensues when property rights do not exist? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The Conservative Liberalism of Burke, Smith, and Hume (with Dan Klein)
November 20, 2020 09:00 - 50 minutes - 46.3 MBDaniel Klein explains how on regular issues of policy reform—presupposing a stable integrated polity— Hume, Smith, and Burke were liberal in the original political meaning of “liberal.” Thus, on policy reform, although they accorded the status quo a certain presumption (as any reasonable person must), the more distinctive feature is that they maintained (even propounded, most plainly in Smith’s case) a presumption of liberty in matters of policy reform. How are Hume, Smith, and Burke simila...
The Art of Gender (with Jason Kuznicki)
November 13, 2020 09:00 - 45 minutes - 42.1 MBJason Kuznicki describes two common theories of gender, both of which have viable critiques. He goes on to describe a theory of gender that is neither essentialist nor constructivist, but something else entirely – a liberal and individualist account of gender. What is the difference between sex and gender? What’s an essentialist account of gender? What’s a constructionist account of gender? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The Ethics of Capitalism (with John Thrasher)
November 06, 2020 09:00 - 54 minutes - 50 MBJohn Thrasher discusses a framework for comparing the economic systems of capitalism, feudalism, and socialism, and their roles in a range of contemporary issues, such as climate change, competitive consumption, unemployment, taxation, social inequality, global trade, and intrusion of markets into taboo areas. Why do people dislike capitalism? Why did people think capitalism was a good idea to begin with? What is the difference of capitalism and free markets? See acast.com/privacy for pri...
The Politics of Genetic Enhancement (with Jonathan Anomaly)
October 30, 2020 08:00 - 51 minutes - 47.1 MBJonathan Anomaly takes seriously the diversity of preferences parents have, and the limits of public policy in regulating what could soon be a global market for reproductive technology. He argues that once embryo selection for complex traits happens it will change the moral landscape by altering the incentives parents face. What will happen in the next 10-20 years with CRISPR? What is embryo selection? Is there a way to enhance morality genetically? Should there be mandatory enhancements? ...
The Free Spirits of Liberalism (with Steven Pittz)
October 23, 2020 08:00 - 49 minutes - 45.6 MBSteven Pittz defines what a free spirit is in addition to detailing how liberalism affects our ability to connect to our spirituality. Some argue that liberalism has detached us from a sense of meaning, but is that true? Has liberalism made us detached from spiritualism? What is spiritual fullness? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
How America Could Fall (with David French)
October 16, 2020 08:00 - 53 minutes - 49.6 MBTwo decades into the 21st Century, the U.S. is less united than at any time in our history since the Civil War. We are more diverse in our beliefs and culture than ever before. But red and blue states, secular and religious groups, liberal and conservative idealists, and Republican and Democratic representatives all have one thing in common: each believes their distinct cultures and liberties are being threatened by an escalating violent opposition. How has polarization changed in the last ...
Can We Evolve Beyond Government? (with Max Borders)
October 09, 2020 08:00 - 54 minutes - 49.8 MBMax Borders is a futurist who believes humanity is already building systems that will “underthrow” great centers of power. He believes that decentralization holds great promise. This decentralization will revolutionize we live and interact with eachother. Was the movement in to hierarchy part of human nature? What is holacracy? What is the social singularity? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Can We Evolve Beyond Government?
October 09, 2020 08:00 - 54 minutes - 49.8 MBMax Borders is a futurist who believes humanity is already building systems that will “underthrow” great centers of power. He believes that decentralization holds great promise. This decentralization will revolutionize we live and interact with eachother. Was the movement in to hierarchy part of human nature? What is holacracy? What is the social singularity? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
It’s Okay to Ignore Politics
October 02, 2020 08:00 - 47 minutes - 43.4 MBChris Freiman addresses new objections to political abstention. Because participating in politics is not an effective way to do good, Freiman argues that we actually have a moral duty to disengage from politics and instead take direct action to make the world a better place. Is abstaining from politics permissible? Is it impossible to ignore politics? Why should we care about the quality of someone's vote if it doesn't matter anyway? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out informati...
It’s Okay to Ignore Politics (with Chris Freiman)
October 02, 2020 08:00 - 47 minutes - 43.4 MBChris Freiman addresses new objections to political abstention. Because participating in politics is not an effective way to do good, Freiman argues that we actually have a moral duty to disengage from politics and instead take direct action to make the world a better place. Is abstaining from politics permissible? Is it impossible to ignore politics? Why should we care about the quality of someone's vote if it doesn't matter anyway? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out informati...
The Philosophy of Gerald Gaus (with Kevin Vallier and Chad Van Schoelandt)
September 25, 2020 10:00 - 52 minutes - 48.3 MBWe invited Kevin Vallier and Chad Van Schoelandt to the show to talk about their teacher and mentor, Gerald Gaus. Gerry was not like a lot of public reason types who are just trying to identify the conditions for something as abstract and distant as a well‐ordered society. Gaus started very much from where we are in a way that is much more like Hayek than Rawls. How do you justify rules? How do you understand morality in order to make rules? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out i...
The Philosophy of Gerald Gaus
September 25, 2020 10:00 - 52 minutes - 48.3 MBWe invited Kevin Vallier and Chad Van Schoelandt to the show to talk about their teacher and mentor, Gerald Gaus. Gerry was not like a lot of public reason types who are just trying to identify the conditions for something as abstract and distant as a well‐ordered society. Gaus started very much from where we are in a way that is much more like Hayek than Rawls. How do you justify rules? How do you understand morality in order to make rules? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out i...
Zoning Ruins Everything
September 18, 2020 08:00 - 51 minutes - 47.3 MBWhen you drive through any major U.S. city you will notice that there are areas filled with shops, restaurants, and office buildings, but one block over is solely single-family residential housing. Zoning regulations have stopped the redevelopment process in many of the highest demand parts of the country. But cities like Houston are finding that without zoning regulations there is more affordable housing. What is market urbanism? Are people fleeing cities? Why did the interstate highway sy...
Zoning Ruins Everything (with Emily Hamilton)
September 18, 2020 08:00 - 51 minutes - 47.3 MBWhen you drive through any major U.S. city you will notice that there are areas filled with shops, restaurants, and office buildings, but one block over is solely single-family residential housing. Zoning regulations have stopped the redevelopment process in many of the highest demand parts of the country. But cities like Houston are finding that without zoning regulations there is more affordable housing. What is market urbanism? Are people fleeing cities? Why did the interstate highway sy...
The Experience of Policing (with Renée Mitchell)
September 11, 2020 08:00 - 59 minutes - 54.4 MBRenee J. Mitchell is an expert in policing research with a professional background in law enforcement. As a 22‐year member of the Sacramento Police Department, she served in patrol, detectives, recruiting, schools, and the Regional Transit System. Trevor and Aaron ask her about her experience as a police officer and how police culture varies widely throughout the United States. What is the purpose of the police union? What is police culture like and how does it vary across the United State...
The Experience of Policing
September 11, 2020 08:00 - 59 minutes - 54.4 MBRenee J. Mitchell is an expert in policing research with a professional background in law enforcement. As a 22‐year member of the Sacramento Police Department, she served in patrol, detectives, recruiting, schools, and the Regional Transit System. Trevor and Aaron ask her about her experience as a police officer and how police culture varies widely throughout the United States. What is the purpose of the police union? What is police culture like and how does it vary across the United State...
Capitalism and its Critics (with Michael Munger)
September 04, 2020 08:00 - 53 minutes - 49.2 MBMichael Munger, explains the benefits, and in fact the necessity, of capitalism in organizing human cooperation at scale, and urges the consideration of some problems inherent in capitalism. Munger claims every flaw in markets is worse under socialism. Unless you are willing to advocate monarchism, or actual communist dictatorship, markets and democracy are the only two mechanisms we have for organizing society. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Capitalism and its Critics
September 04, 2020 08:00 - 53 minutes - 49.2 MBMichael Munger, explains the benefits, and in fact the necessity, of capitalism in organizing human cooperation at scale, and urges the consideration of some problems inherent in capitalism. Munger claims every flaw in markets is worse under socialism. Unless you are willing to advocate monarchism, or actual communist dictatorship, markets and democracy are the only two mechanisms we have for organizing society. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Rothbardian Anarchism
August 28, 2020 08:00 - 50 minutes - 46.7 MBMurray Rothbard was, at the very least, one the top three libertarian thinkers in the 20th century. He was a prolific writer as the author of dozens of books, articles, and essays. Cory Massimino joins the show to discuss Rothbard's brand of anarchism. What does it mean to be paleoconservative? What is the New Left? What do they believe? Who influenced Murray Rothbard? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Rothbardian Anarchism (with Cory Massimino)
August 28, 2020 08:00 - 50 minutes - 46.7 MBMurray Rothbard was, at the very least, one the top three libertarian thinkers in the 20th century. He was a prolific writer as the author of dozens of books, articles, and essays. Cory Massimino joins the show to discuss Rothbard's brand of anarchism. What does it mean to be paleoconservative? What is the New Left? What do they believe? Who influenced Murray Rothbard? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
What is Free Speech?
August 21, 2020 08:00 - 51 minutes - 47.3 MBClassically speaking, freedom of speech refers to freedom from state censorship. There are three distinct questions that the current debate over “free speech” runs together in a sloppy fashion: is the state engaging in acts of censorship? Are social sanctions against speech or beliefs too harsh? Is our media ecosystem sufficiently open? Failure to disentangle these questions has resulted in the current abysmal state of the conversation. What is cancel culture? Why has the free speech debate...
What is Free Speech? (with Adam Gurri)
August 21, 2020 08:00 - 51 minutes - 47.3 MBClassically speaking, freedom of speech refers to freedom from state censorship. There are three distinct questions that the current debate over “free speech” runs together in a sloppy fashion: is the state engaging in acts of censorship? Are social sanctions against speech or beliefs too harsh? Is our media ecosystem sufficiently open? Failure to disentangle these questions has resulted in the current abysmal state of the conversation. What is cancel culture? Why has the free speech debate...
Explaining Postmodernism
August 14, 2020 08:00 - 48 minutes - 45.1 MBPostmodernism is a serious view with important implications. Postmodernism can be used to think through questions about nature of morality, science, and social institutions—yielding answers that both challenge and help advance libertarianism and the case for a free society. What is postmodernism? Does postmodernism deny objective reality? How did Kant influence postmodernism? What is consciousness and what is the nature of our experience? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out info...
Explaining Postmodernism (with Akiva Malamet)
August 14, 2020 08:00 - 48 minutes - 45.1 MBPostmodernism is a serious view with important implications. Postmodernism can be used to think through questions about nature of morality, science, and social institutions—yielding answers that both challenge and help advance libertarianism and the case for a free society. What is postmodernism? Does postmodernism deny objective reality? How did Kant influence postmodernism? What is consciousness and what is the nature of our experience? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out info...
Climate Change Panic (with Bjorn Lomborg)
August 07, 2020 08:00 - 55 minutes - 51.4 MBClimate change is real, but it does not pose the apocalyptic threat that we have all been told time and again. When you use bad science, and even worse economics, it creates a panic and that very panic is a problem we see with global warming. What is the problem with climate alarmism? What’s the scientific value in making a model that assumes nobody will respond to incentives? Are there benefits to global warming in some places? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Climate Change Panic
August 07, 2020 08:00 - 55 minutes - 51.4 MBClimate change is real, but it does not pose the apocalyptic threat that we have all been told time and again. When you use bad science, and even worse economics, it creates a panic and that very panic is a problem we see with global warming. What is the problem with climate alarmism? What’s the scientific value in making a model that assumes nobody will respond to incentives? Are there benefits to global warming in some places? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.