Boaz Intro

Boaz traces the history of libertarian ideas from the earliest known instances of libertarian thought to the Medieval period.

Boaz outlines the development of libertarian thought from the Renaissance through the 19th century.

Boaz talks about the reemergence of libertarian ideas after the start of the 20th century.

Rights are one of the central moral concepts in libertarian thought. Boaz lays out the basics.

Boaz describes the importance of analytical and ethical individualism to libertarianism.

We need only a few basic rules to live together in society, says Boaz, and shouldn’t use the law to make everyone conform to one view of the best way to live.

Boaz gives a brief introduction to libertarian thinking on law, including topics like English common law and the United States Constitution.

The most important cooperative institutions are nongovernmental, says Boaz. Socialism destroys those institutions, along with our sense of community.

Market institutions can help us trust and cooperate with strangers, says Boaz, and the institutions of civil society, based on trust and reputation, often deliver social services better than governments can.

The knowledge of how markets operate is a cornerstone of libertarian thought. Boaz goes over key concepts in economics including prices, profit and loss, the division of labor, trade, and entrepreneurship.

Boaz discusses Frederic Bastiat’s parable of the broken window, with an extended digression about international trade.

How does government really work? Boaz talks about special interests, electoral politics, and lobbying.

Public choice economics applies economic reasoning to decisions made in a governmental context, rather than a market context. Building on the last lecture, Boaz talks about how incentives influence government action, with a special emphasis on the relationship between big government and war.

Might there be private alternatives to government products? Some people say we need government to provide public goods. Boaz argues that very often governments don't do a very good job of that, and that the private sector very often can do better.