Austrian Scholars Conference 2006

The Austrian Scholars Conference is the international, interdisciplinary meeting of the Austrian School, and for scholars interested or working in this intellectual tradition, it is the event of the year. 

Over the course of three full days, the Austrian Scholars Conference offers eighty plus presentations on economics, history, philosophy, and the humanities, in addition to named lectures by the leaders in the field. It combines all the opportunities of a professional meeting, with the added attraction of hearing and presenting new and innovative research, engaging in vigorous debate, and interacting with like-minded scholars who share research interests.

Papers and panels cover a wide range of fields that impact on the Austrian paradigm, including: monetary theory; international trade; money and banking; methodology; history of thought; economic history; business cycles; geography; interventionism; literature; political philosophy; philosophy of science; society, culture, and religion; business regulation; environmental political economy; and history and theory of war.

The entire event takes place at the Mises Institute campus in Auburn, Alabama. The campus features spacious seminar rooms, a vast library with the best collection of Austrian School books in North America, and gorgeous gardens. All sessions and breaks take place at the Institute, where socializing and exchanging ideas becomes part of the conference experience.

Named Lectures

Mises Memorial Lecture

• Josepf Sima, Prague School of Economics, “The Quest for a Property-Based, Misesian Economics”

Rothbard Memorial Lecture

• Roderick T. Long, Auburn University, “Rothbard’s Left and Right: 40 Years Later”

Hazlitt Memorial Lecture

• William Anderson, Frostburg University, “An Austrian Analysis of the Fourth Estate”

Hayek Memorial Lecture

• Robert Higgs, Independent Institute, “The Complex Path of Ideological Change”

Lou Church Memorial Lecture

• Robert Murphy, Hillsdale College, “The Tension Between Economics and Religion”

Special Guest

• Michael Rozeff, University of Buffalo, “The State as an Organization”

Schedule

THURSDAY, March 16

8:30am Express-85 Shuttle from AU Hotel and Heart of Auburn to Mises Institute

8:30am Coffee and Juice

9:00-11:30am

Authors Forum

• The Economics and Ethics of Private Property, Hans-Hermann Hoppe
• Anarchism as a Research Paradigm, Edward Stringham
• Wars Then and Now, John Denson
• War, Fear, and Trembling, Robert Higgs
• The Meaning of Rothbard’s History of Thought, Joseph Salerno

11:30-2:00 Lunch on your own

2:00-2:45pm Henry Hazlitt Memorial Lecture:

• William Anderson (Frostburg State University), “An Austrian Analysis of the Fourth Estate”

3:30-4:45: SESSIONS 

• A. Method and Understanding
  • Chairman: Joseph Salerno (Pace University)
  • “The Limits of Probability: Frank H. Knight and Ludwig von Mises and the ‘Frequency Interpretation,’” Hans-Hermann Hoppe (University of Nevada, Las Vegas)
  • “Uncertainty and Advice: An Epistemological Approach,” David Moroz (Troyes Graduate School of Management)
  • “On Praxeology and the Question of Aristotelian Apriorism,” Geoffrey Allan Plauché (Louisiana State University)
  • Commentator: David Gordon (Mises Institute)
• B. Libertarian Theory
  • Chairman: Mark Thornton (Mises Institute)
  •  ”From Virginia to Manchester: The Evolution of Radical Liberalism in the 19th Century,” Ryan McMaken (Arapahoe Community College)
  • “Self-Ownership, Moral Development, and The Death of Plumb-Line Libertarianism,” Kevin Vallier (University of Arizona)
  • “A Critique of Rawls on Time Preference,” Benjamin Kilpatrick (University of New Orleans)
  • “On the History of Anarchist Thought,” Alexander Villacampa (University of Florida)  

5:00 p.m. O.P. Alford III Prize in Austrian Economics

5:10-6:00 p.m. The Mises Memorial Lecture:

• Josef Sima (Prague School of Economics), “The Quest for a Property-Based, Misesian Economics”

6:00-7:00:  Reception

FRIDAY, March 17

8:00am  Shuttle from hotels

8:00am  Coffee and Juice

8:30-10:00am SESSIONS

• A.  Globalization and Economic Growth
  • Chairman: Peter Klein (University of Missouri)
  • “Institutions of Economic Freedom, Political Competition, and Economic Growth,” Antonio Saravia (American University of Sharjah)
  • “Economic Reform in the Middle East: A Hayekian Perspective,” Amir Azad (George Mason University)
  • “The Political Economic History of Afghanistan: What Changed and Why it Matters,” Mohammand Azizi (Embassy of Afghanistan in Japan)
  • “Global Welfarism and Bureaucracy in East Africa,” Yuri N. Maltsev (Carthage College)
  • Commentator: Sudha Shenoy (Newcastle)
• B. Current Research on Anarchism
  • Chairman: Benjamin Powell (San Jose State University)
  • “Society Without a State: The Experience of Somalia,” Benjamin Powell (San Jose State University)
  • “Does Law Enforcement Need to Be Perfectly Competitive,” Edward Stringham (San Jose State University)
  • “Absolute Economics Laws,” Samuel Bostaph (University of Dallas)
  • “Is Government Really Inevitable?” Randall Holcombe (Florida State University)
  • Commentator: Walter Block

10:15-11:45am SESSIONS

• A. Enterprise, Free and Unfree
  • Chairman: Rich Grimm (Grove City College)
  • “Entrepreneurial Planning in a Regulated Environment: the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission and the Maritime Industry” Robert F. Mulligan (Western Carolina University) and Gary A. Lombardo (United States Merchant Marine Academy)
  • “Space, Environmentalism, Property Rights, and the Law,” J.H. Huebert and Walter Block (University of Loyola, New Orleans)
  • “Singing from the Same Hymnal: Oil and Environmentalism,” Robert K. Merting and Jonathan W. Puryear (Wofford College)
• B. Microeconomic Foundations
  • Chairman: Tom DiLorenzo (Loyola College, Maryland)
  •  ”The Behavioral Foundations of Welfare Economics,” Randall G. Holcombe (Florida State University)
  • “Marshall and Menger on Time: A Synthesis of Derived Demand and Imputation,” Scott A. Kjar (Georgia Perimeter College) and Barry Dean Simpson (University of South Alabama)
  • “Are Residual Economic Relationships Normally Distributed? Testing a Foundation of Neoclassical Economics,” Thomas Bundt (Hillsdale College) and Robert Murphy (Hillsdale College)
  • “Rothbard’s Theory of Money Prices,” Joseph Salerno (Pace University)

11:45am - 1:00pm  Lunch on your own

1:00-2:30pm SESSIONS

• A. The History of Thought
  • Chairman: Shawn Ritenour (Grove City College)
  • “Bernardino of Siena: Early Defender of the Entrepreneur,” Joseph A. Weglarz (Walsh College)
  • “Where Did Adam Smith Get the Invisible Hand,” Mark Thornton (Mises Institute)
  • “What’s Wrong With the Conservative Mind?” Marcus Epstein (William and Mary College)
• B. War and State Theory
  • Chairman: Robert P. Murphy (Hillsdale College) 
  • “Stealing and Killing: A Property Rights Theory of Mass Murder,” Stephen Carson (Mises Institute)
  • “Heroism, Despair, and Some Last Stands in the History of Western Imperialism,” Hunt Tooley (Austin College)

3:00-4:30pm SESSIONS  

• A. Academic Freedom Under Fire
  • Chairman: Peter Klein (University of Missouri)
  • Timothy Terrell (Wofford College)
  • Walter Block (University of Loyola, New Orleans)
  • Hans-Hermann Hoppe (University of Nevada, Las Vegas)
• B. The Austrians as a School of Thought
  • Chairman: Jeff Herbener (Grove City College)
  • “Fritz Machlup and Connecting Principles: Machlup as a Mentor” Carol M. Connell (City University of New York)
  • “How Austrian was Thomas Hodgskin” Fred Day (Machester Metropolitan University)
  • “Austrians in the AER: A Documentary History” Greg Kaza (Arkansas Policy Foundation)
  • “Simeon Demostenov (1886-1968): Bulgaria’s First Austrian Economist” Valentin Petkantchin (Montreal Economic Institute)
• C. Macroeconomic Controversies
  • Chairman: Shawn Ritenour (Grove City College)
  • “International Trade in a World of Capital Mobility: A Review of Global Trade and Conflicting National Interests” Mark Brandly (Ferris State University)
  • “A Multi-agent Model of the Austrian Business Cycle” Michael Makowsky (George Mason University) and Robert F. Mulligan  (Western Carolina University)
  • Commentator: John Levendis (University of New Orleans, Loyola)

5:00 p.m. Announcement of the Douglas E. French Prize

5:10-6:00 p.m. Murray N. Rothbard Memorial Lecture

• Roderick T. Long (Auburn University), “Rothbard’s Left and Right: 40 Years Later”

6:00pm Reception Honoring Doug French 

7:30pm  Express-85 Shuttle from Mises to AU Hotel/Heart of Auburn

SATURDAY, March 18

• 8:00am  Express-85 Shuttle from AU Hotel/Heart of Auburn
• 8:00am  Coffee and Juice
• 8:30-9:15am: Lou Church Memorial Lecture in Religion and Economics
• Robert Murphy (Hillsdale College), “The Tension Between Economics and Religion”

9:30-11:00am SESSIONS

• A. Austrians and Finance
  • Chairman: Mark Brandly (Ferris State University)
  • “Fundamental Analysis and the Austrian View of Investment,” Rich Grimm (Grove City College)
  • “The Decline and Fall of the US Auto Industry,” Harry Veryser (Walsh College)
• B. The Political Economy of Mark Twain
  • Chairman: Timothy Terrell (Wofford College)
  • “Free Trade Theory in Connecticut Yankee,“ Paul Cantor (University of Virginia)
  • “Hidden Economics in Three Twain Novels,” Jeffrey Tucker (Mises Institute)
• C. Economics and Ethics
  • Chairman: Tom DiLorenzo (Loyola College, Maryland)
  • “Rights, Liberation and Interests: Is there a Sound Case for Animal Rights or Liberation,” Tibor R. Machan (Chapman University)
  • “Why Libertarians Should Believe in Positive Rights,” Nico Maloberti (Bowling Green State University)
  • “Collectivism and Immorality,” Jayant Bhandari (Vancouver, Canada)
  • “The Catholic Conscience of Robert Lowell,” Myles Kantor (PurePlay Press)
  • Commentator: David Gordon (Mises Institute)

11:15-12:15  F.A. Hayek Memorial Lecture

• Robert Higgs (Independent Institute), “The Complex Path of Ideological Change”

12:15-1:30: Lunch on your own

1:30-3:00pm SESSIONS 

• A. Money and Banking
  • Chairman: Hans Hoppe (University of Nevada, Las Vegas)
  • “The Ethics of Money Production,” Guido Hülsmann (University of Angers, France)
  • “The Political Economy of the French Francs Zone,” Nikolay Gertchev (University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas )
  • “North America’s First Experience with Paper Money: New France 1680s,” Martin Masse (Le Québécois Libre)
  • “Preventing Currency Crises: The Currency Board Versus the Currency Principle,” Joseph Salerno (Pace University)
• B. Freedom and Association
  • Chairman: William L. Anderson (Frostburg State University)
  • “The Boy Scouts and the Right to Discriminate,” Roy Whitehead (University of Central Arkansas) and Walter Block (Loyola University, New Orleans)
  • “Christianity and Victimless Crimes,” Laurence M. Vance (Pensacola Junior College)
  • Commentator: David Gordon (Mises Institute)
• C. Education and the Austrians
  • Chairman: Mark Brandly (Ferris State University)
  • “Teaching Social Coordination Problems through Simulations,” Timothy Terrell (Wofford College)
  • “Austrian Economics and Entrepreneurship Education,” Peter G. Klein (University of Missouri)

3:15-4:45pm SESSIONS  

• A. The Blockians are Back
  • Chairman: Walter Block (Loyola University, New Orleans)
  • Andrew Young (University of Mississippi)
  • Bill Kosteas (Ohio University)
  • Patrick Tinsley (Suffolk University)
  • Ed Stringham (San Jose State University) 
• B.  Sustainable Development
  • Chairman: Steven Yates (USC-Upstate and Greenville Technical College)
  • “The Destruction of Free Enterprise in Public-Private Partnerships,” Steven Yates (USC-Upstate and Greenville Technical College)
  • “Sustainable Development: American Transformed,” Michael Shaw (Freedom 21 Santa Cruz)
  • “Agenda 21 and the United Nations,” Henry Lamb (Environmental Conservation Foundation)
  • “Sustainable Health,” Madeleine Cosman

5:00pm Special Guest Lecture

• Michael Rozeff (University at Buffalo), “The State as an Organization”

6:00-7:30pm Reception and live band

7:30pm Express-85 Shuttle to hotels

NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR

The Austrian Scholars Conference draws outstanding papers and participants from all parts of the world. It is the most important annual international meeting for everyone who works within the Austrian tradition.

The conference opens on Thursday with a forum on new books, with presentations by the authors of the main ideas in their books, how they came to be published, their experiences in marketing, and how they have been reviewed and received.

A second forum will cover published articles. Because the remainder of the conference covers articles in process, this session fills a gap present in previous ASCs. The conference continues on Thursday with panels on finance and the police state. Friday and Saturday are devoted to paper presentations in concurrent sessions, as in the past.

In addition to nearly 100 presentations, the conference also includes receptions, all to be held on the beautiful campus of the Mises Institute, which features a library of 30,000 books along with Mises and Rothbard archives. You will find research materials available here that are otherwise inaccessible, so plan to use some of your time to advance your own research.

If you have never been to the ASC, I encourage you to attend this year. Papers and books that advance the Austrian School are presented here for the first time, which gives you the chance to discuss ideas with presenters and participants and make an important contribution to impacting the future of the School. If you are looking for comments on a paper, or just a chance to bounce some ideas off others who know something other than the latest mathematical wizardry of the profession, this is the place.

This is also the ideal setting for making professional contacts that will help you through the years. Your expertise and interests are highly valued by others. In addition, we always have a great time. There is no substitute for the intellectual stimulation and personal camaraderie that the Austrian Scholars Conference combines into one event. The price of the conference is $200, the same as last year.

Jeffrey Herbener
Grove City College
jmherbener@gcc.edu