Posts

Showing posts from September, 2013

Cultivating Liberty at Home

I believe the biggest impact that voluntaryists can make is within the walls of our homes, among the relationships with our spouses and children. We might be overwhelmingly few in number in larger society, but at home we have a real voice and our actions have real consequences. If we truly value liberty, then we must raise our children in liberty. Cultivating liberty at home requires that we respect our children's self-ownership, abolish parental aggression, and ensure that our children do not develop the close-mindedness that is the usual result of indoctrination. Read the rest of my latest column at EVC.

The Primal Insight: A Question of Needs

Two weeks ago in "Anti-Human Memes and Institutions," I analyzed a number of cultural memes and institutions under the insight of our evolution as a species. This week, I'd like to take a different approach by using this "primal insight" to determine our needs as human beings, from infancy onward. My purpose is not to romanticize or "long for" simpler times, but instead to provide a framework by which we can each individually judge how well our needs and the needs of our loved ones are being met. Such a task is really no small feat. Much research and many books have been written using the primal insight in the areas of childhood development, diet and exercise, and mental well-being. Let's see if we can condense some of that. Read the rest of this week's column at EVC .

The Worst Holiday of the Year

Tomorrow, September 17th, is Constitution Day in the United States. Many will either gather to or independently pay homage to the United States Constitution. This document ostensibly created and gave the necessary authority to the Federal government. It was believed that its predecessor, the Articles of Confederation, created a federal government that was too weak to accomplish anything meaningful. Though the drafters of the Constitution were originally tasked with amending the Articles, and proceeded instead to replace it entirely, that the Constitution went through a ratification process ensured everyone that it did indeed give the requisite authority to the newly formed government. But did it really? Did the new government have proper authority to exercise its delegated powers over the then territorial boundary of the thirteen colonies? After considering a few important facts, I think it's claim to authority is just that, a claim, but one which no one is really bound to honor.

Anti-Human Memes and Institutions

Perhaps one way to begin a conversation on human ethics is to start at the beginning of humanity. Homo sapien , our species, has been around for two hundred thousand years, and our closely-related ancestral species lived as far back as two millions years. For the great majority of their evolution, our primitive ancestors were hunter-gatherers. It wasn't until very recently (in the grand scheme of things, ten thousand years ago) that we adopted agriculture, and there are still hunter-gatherers around today. What can we learn from them about human relations? About property norms? About parenting? About education? About nutrition and exercise? Using the evolution of h. sapien as a guide, we can determine a number of patently anti-human memes and institutions. Read the rest of my column at EVC.

A Living Testament of My Convictions

In my last column of this series, I shared my family culture and its evolution over the last two years. My purpose in doing so was to demonstrate how, in order to change our larger culture, we must first change ourselves. While our actions will have an immediate effect on those we have the most influence over, namely our spouses and children, they will also affect others that we interact with. In order to affect positive change, then, we must continually pose as a living testament to the convictions that we hold. Read the rest at EVC.

LPL - August 2013 Update

In August 2013, LPL sold 263 books across North America and Europe. Here are the top 5: 24 copies,  For a New Liberty  - Murray N. Rothbard 22 copies,  Our Enemy, the State - Albert Jay Nock 19 copies, Principles of Economics - Carl Menger 15 copies, The Anti-Capitalistic Mentality - Ludwig von Mises 15 copies, Liberty & Property  - Ludwig von Mises LPL's all time top 5 bestsellers are: 518 copies, For a New Liberty - Murray N. Rothbard 330 copies, Our Enemy, the State - Albert Jay Nock 200 copies, Principles of Economics - Carl Menger 118 copies, Great Wars and Great Leaders - Ralph Raico 104 copies, The Anti-Capitalistic Mentality  - Ludwig von Mises