Rothbard Graduate Seminar 2002

The idea of freedom encompasses more than economics. It must also consider philosophy, law, religion, history, and culture. These were themes dealt with in the work of Murray N. Rothbard, who was surely one of the great creative forces in the history of libertarian ideas.

This seminar, designed for graduate students from a variety of disciplines, is devoted to examining Rothbard’s contributions to political philosophy. The text under consideration in this conference is Rothbard’s Ethics of Liberty.

FACULTY

Walter Block (Loyola University, New Orleans)

David Gordon (Mises Review)

Hans-Hermann Hoppe (University of Nevada, Las Vegas)

Jörg Guido Hülsmann (Mises Institute)

N. Stephan Kinsella (Applied Optoelectronics)

Roderick Long (Auburn University)

Ralph Raico (Buffalo State College)

Joseph T. Salerno (Pace University)

Mark Thornton (Columbus State University)

SCHEDULE

Sunday July 28

• 10:00am-9:00pm (Central Time): Check-in at Commons Dorm
• 6:30-9:30pm: Registration and Reception at the Mises Institute (bus between dorm/AU Hotel/Mises Institute every half hour)

Monday July 29

• 9:00-10:15am Ethics: Nozick versus Rothbard (pp. xi-xxx; pp. 231-256), Hoppe
• 10:30-11:45am Critics of Rothbard (pp. xxxi-xliii), Hoppe
• 12:00pm Lunch
• 1:00-2:15pm Natural Law and Reason (p. 3-16), Long
• 2:30-3:45pm Natural Law and Positive Law (pp. 17-20), Kinsella
• 4:00-5:15pm Natural Rights (pp. 21-24; 113-120), Raico
• 5:30pm Dinner
• 7:00pm Piano Concert in Conservatory
• 8:00pm Reception

Tuesday July 30

• 9:00-10:15am Task of Political Philosophy (pp. 25-28), Gordon
• 10:30-11:45am Crusoe Social Philosophy (pp. 29-50), Salerno
• 12:00pm Lunch
• 1:00-2:15pm Property and Criminality (pp. 51-84), Hülsmann
• 2:30-3:45pm Self Defense, Punishment, and Proportionality (pp. 77-96), Kinsella
• 4:00-5:15pm Children and Rights (pp. 97-112), Block
• 6:00pm Dinner and discussion at Mr. Gatti’s

Wednesday July 31

• 9:00-10:15am Knowledge, Bribery, Boycotts (pp. 121-132), Block
• 10:30-11:45am The Theory of Contracts (pp. 133-154), Kinsella
• 12:00pm Lunch
• 1:00-2:15pm Rights of Animals (pp. 155-160), Long
• 2:30-3:45pm Nature of the State (pp. 161-174), Hülsmann
• 4:00-5:15pm Inner Contradictions of the State (pp.175-182), Block
• 5:30pm Dinner
• 8:00pm Movie: Rob Roy (Amphitheater)

Thursday August 1

• 9:00-10:15am Moral Status of Relations to and Between States (pp. 183-200), Hoppe
• 10:30-11:45am Utilitarian Economics (pp. 201-205), Hülsmann
• 12:00pm Lunch
• 1:00-2:15pm Value Freedom in Economics (pp. 206-214), Salerno
• 2:30-3:45pm Isaiah Berlin and F.A. Hayek on Freedom (pp. 215-256), Gordon
• 4:00-5:15pm Rothbard on War (pp. 190-197), Raico
• 6:00pm Dinner and discussion at Mr. Gatti’s

Friday August 2

• 9:00-10:15am Toward a Theory of Strategy for Liberty (p. 257-276), Hoppe
• 10:30-11:45am New Issues in Libertarian Ethics, Long
• 12:00pm Lunch
• 1:00-2:15pm Ethics and Economics: The Current Debate, Salerno
• 2:30-3:45pm The Unknown Rothbard, Stromberg
• 4:00-5:15pm Rothbard’ s Ethics in Economics and History, Raico
• 5:30-6:30pm Mündliche Prüfung (optional exams for honors credit)
• 7:00-8:00pm Closing Dinner
• 8:00pm The Matrix (Amphitheater)