Portraits of Liberty

Libertarianism.org

  • 15 minutes 59 seconds
    Jeannette Rankin: The Peaceful Outlier
    Jeannette Rankin, the first woman elected to Congress, remains one of the most principled pacifists in American political history. She was a vocal opponent of US intervention in European affairs in World War I and was the lone vote against US entry into World War II. Rankin endured harsh criticism for her choice for the rest of her political career. Rankin’s lifelong advocacy for women’s suffrage, social reform, and nonviolence cemented her legacy as a politician guided by conscience rather than political expediency.

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    4 March 2025, 12:50 pm
  • 20 minutes 48 seconds
    Olaudah Equiano: The Man Who Transformed the Abolitionist Movement

    Born in west Africa and kidnapped into slavery at age eleven, Olaudah Equiano endured the horrors of the Middle Passage before being sold to British and American masters. As an enslaved seaman, he traveled the world, gaining skills and knowledge that would later shape his abolitionist message. After purchasing his freedom, Equiano settled in London, where he became a leading voice against slavery. His autobiography, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, defied racist assumptions, advocating for economic prosperity through free trade rather than human bondage. By blending personal testimony with political and economic arguments, Equiano helped redefine abolitionist thought, paving the way for the eventual end of the transatlantic slave trade.



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    4 February 2025, 12:50 pm
  • 19 minutes 45 seconds
    Revisiting Frédéric Bastiat
    From his critique of state-controlled education in “Baccalaureate and Socialism,” to his extensive correspondence with free-trade advocate Richard Cobden, to his independent political career in a tumultuous France, Bastiat’s insights are still applicable today. In this episode, we explore his lesser-known works and his reflections on freedom, self-ownership, and the dangers of state intervention.

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    14 January 2025, 1:00 pm
  • 18 minutes 15 seconds
    The Father of the School of Salamanca: Francisco de Vitoria
    The 16th-century Dominican theologian Francisco de Vitoria has been hailed as the father of international law. Vitoria's teachings at the University of Salamanca shaped the foundation of modern natural law and human rights, from his pioneering defense of indigenous rights in the New World to his profound contributions to political theory.

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    10 December 2024, 7:09 pm
  • 14 minutes 36 seconds
    The Forgotten Austrian: Eugen von Böhm-Bawerk
    Born in 1851, Eugen von Böhm-Bawerk distinguished himself as an economist, writing on theories of capital and interest. His work, Karl Marx and the Close of His System, remains one of the most thorough rebuttals of the labor theory of value. But beyond his work as an economist, Eugen von Böhm-Bawerk put theory into practice as a statesman arguing against the rapid fiscal expansion of the Austrian state.

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    12 November 2024, 1:00 pm
  • 26 minutes 28 seconds
    The Law of Equal Freedom: Herbert Spencer
    Over his 60-year career, English philosopher Herbert Spencer discussed a myriad of topics, including ethics, political philosophy, sociology, and psychology. Central to his intellectual journey, however, was his exploration of evolution—a concept that shaped his vision for a freer world. Though his name may not be widely recognized today, Spencer was once one of the foremost advocates for liberalism across the globe.

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    8 October 2024, 2:40 pm
  • 17 minutes 38 seconds
    The German Economic “Miracle”: Ludwig Erhard
    Following World War II, Germany's economy was in ruins and was made even worse by ongoing price controls implemented by the state. Ludwig Erhard, an economist from a humble background, immediately abolished all price controls when elected director of economics in occupied Germany. The result is what economists and historians call an economic miracle, but what Erhard himself believed was the natural result of an economy freed from bureaucracy and state intervention.

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    10 September 2024, 2:23 pm
  • 46 minutes 24 seconds
    Redefining the Enlightenment: Namık Kemal (with Mustafa Akyol)
    An episode interviewing senior fellow Mustafa Akyol about the life and legacy of Namık Kemal, the Ottoman journalist and author. Born into the Ottoman Empire during the 19th century, Namık Kemal became a prolific journalist and reformer who advocated for constitutional government within the Ottoman Empire. His outlook was defined by his commitment to individual rights that are applied equally to everyone. Though exiled by the Ottoman state numerous times, Namık Kemal helped pave the way for constitutional government to take hold.

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    13 August 2024, 8:17 pm
  • 20 minutes 39 seconds
    Liberty Further Extended: Lemuel Haynes
    Born into poverty and indentured servitude, Lemuel Haynes became the most prominent black preacher of 18th-century America. He combined his experiences as a soldier of the American Revolution and a devout Calvinist to expound the philosophical principles of liberty. From the pulpit, he condemned slavery and upheld the principles of the American Revolution and the Declaration of Independence, that all men are created equal.

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    4 July 2024, 11:04 am
  • 17 minutes 1 second
    The Violent Genesis of the State: Franz Oppenheimer
    Though obscure today, the German sociologist Franz Oppenheimer crafted a radical theory of the state. In his book The State, he argued that the state's origins were not in public justice or establishing laws but in the reign of a conquering group over their defeated foes. His work influenced libertarian theorists such as Albert Jay Nock, Walter Block, and Murray Rothbard.

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    18 June 2024, 7:32 pm
  • 15 minutes 44 seconds
    The Medieval Case Against Taxes: William of Pagula
    Despite its reputation as a dark age, the Medieval period was not devoid of intellectual substance. An example of this is William of Pagula, a 14th-century English priest and scholar who wrote The Mirror of King Edward III, a political treatise condemning the king's practice of purveyance and excessive taxation. Using a mixture of Biblical and Classical authorities, William made the moral case against interfering with property rights.

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    14 May 2024, 9:31 pm
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