Nation, State, and Economy

Nationalism, globalism, cosmopolitanism, and immigration are heated topics today—but Mises systematically addressed them 100 years ago, in his seminal work Nation, State, and Economy. What is a nation, and what does the nationality principle mean for liberalism? Mises argues that nations arise spontaneously, predating governments. Liberal nations exist to the extent they respect self-determination, peace, and international trade. But illiberal nations produce war and privation, discriminate against minorities, and distort natural migration. So how do we deal with aggressive nationalism?

Economist Ryan McMaken, editor of Mises.org, joins Jeff Deist to wrestle with this important and relevant book. Don’t miss their great discussion of immigration toward the end of the podcast, referencing Professor Ben Powell’s recent paper “Solving the Misesian Migration Conundrum”. And use the code HAPOD for a discount on Nation, State, and Economy from our bookstore.