In 1949, the first year of Harry S. Truman's only elective presidential term, three things happened that were of huge importance ... at least to me. Ludwig von Mises (1881-1973) published Human Action. Gilbert Ryle (1900-1976) published The Concept of Mind. And, oh...
Sheldon Richman

TGIF: Replace Your Divots
by Sheldon Richman | May 22, 2020 | Libertarianism, Sheldon Richman, TGIF
I am not, nor have I ever been, a golfer. I did golf once, just before the turn of the century, and I disliked it. Nevertheless, I live by a cardinal principle in golfer etiquette: Replace your divots. A divot, of course, is a chunk of turf that is dislodged by a golf...

TGIF: Is Self-reliance a Libertarian Ideal?
by Sheldon Richman | Apr 17, 2020 | Economics, Libertarianism, Sheldon Richman, TGIF
An Associated Press article published a few days ago reported on disagreements among libertarians over what, if anything, the government may properly do about the coronavirus pandemic. My purpose here is not to comment on the quotes from the various libertarians. I...

TGIF: Libertarianism in Emergencies
by Sheldon Richman | Mar 27, 2020 | Economics, Featured Articles, Libertarianism, Sheldon Richman, TGIF
Libertarians have always acknowledged that emergencies -- severe extraordinary conditions of limited duration -- can justify actions that would be unacceptable under normal circumstances. This doesn't mean that all the rights-based rules disappear, only that some...
TGIF: Despite Appearances, ‘Price Gouging’ Helps People in Distress
by Sheldon Richman | Mar 20, 2020 | Economics, Libertarianism, Sheldon Richman, TGIF
[This article originally appeared on the American Institute for Economic Research website on September 12, 2017.] Critics of the free economy often complain that the market fails to “behave” as economic theory predicts. Hence the voluminous literature on “market...
TGIF: Democracy Can’t Fix Socialism
by Sheldon Richman | Mar 6, 2020 | Economics, Sheldon Richman, TGIF
However you feel about democracy, it can’t fix what’s wrong with socialism. In theory, modern representative democracy -- unlike ancient Greek direct democracy -- means that people vote for so-called representatives to fill various executive and legislative...
TGIF: Might You Be a Libertarian?
by Sheldon Richman | Feb 28, 2020 | Libertarianism, Sheldon Richman, TGIF
If you're like most people, you don't go around killing or assaulting others. You probably would never think of torturing, raping, kidnapping, or confining your fellow men and women. I doubt if you'd think that stealing or vandalizing their belongings would be a good...
TGIF: The Nonintervention Principle
by Sheldon Richman | Feb 21, 2020 | Foreign Policy, Sheldon Richman, TGIF
Anyone old enough to think about "America's" role in the world ought to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time. For example, one ought to be able to argue firmly against U.S. intervention in other countries without feeling obliged to downplay or deny the real...