George H. Smith begins his discussion of David Hume’s moral and social philosophy.

George H. Smith explores two concepts of political philosophy and their respective ideas about justice and a good society.

George H. Smith begins his exploration of self-interest and social order by explaining Lord Shaftesbury’s theory of social psychology.

George H. Smith explores Emile Durkheim’s major objections to Herbert Spencer’s theory of a free society based on voluntary contracts.

George H. Smith explores some features of social holism, as explained and defended by Emile Durkheim.

George H. Smith explores the historical and theoretical roots of methodological individualism and subjectivism.

George H. Smith discusses some controversial features of praxeology, as defended by Ludwig von Mises. 

George H. Smith explains methodological individualism and its implications for the existence of institutions and other social phenomena.

George H. Smith discusses the value of sociology and some misconceptions of methodological individualism.

George H. Smith explains Herbert Spencer’s views of the scientific status of sociology, the nature of social laws, and the practical value of social science.

George H. Smith explores the controversy over whether sociology qualifies as an authentic science.

George H. Smith explains how the methodological monism of modern positivism differs from classical empiricism.

George H. Smith explains methodological subjectivism and how it applies to the study of human action.

George H. Smith discusses Thomas Paine’s welfare proposals in Rights of Man and Agrarian Justice.

George H. Smith explains Paine’s views on paper money, price controls, self-interest, and exploitative governments.

The ideal of individual freedom is more than a will-o’-the-wisp. It was widely appreciated in the past and so may become widely appreciated in the future.

George H. Smith explains some of Thomas Paine’s ideas about the nature of a republic and the benefits of a representative form of government.

George H. Smith explains Edmund Burke’s argument against majority rule and a constitution based on the consent of the governed.

George H. Smith explains Thomas Paine’s constitutional theory and why Paine believed that Britain had no constitution.

How the libertarian ideas of Richard Price motivated Burke to write Reflections on the Revolution in France, and how Paine dealt with the controversy.

George H. Smith continues his discussion of Thomas Paine’s theory of rights and government.

George H. Smith discusses Thomas Paine’s theory of rights.

George H. Smith discusses Thomas Erskine’s ideas on libel laws and freedom of the press, and how he incorporated those ideas during his defense of Thomas Paine.

In 1792, Thomas Paine was tried for seditious libel. In this essay, George H. Smith discusses the prosecution’s case.

George H. Smith discusses some background of the debate between Thomas Paine and Edmund Burke, and the furor created by Paine’s Rights of Man.

George H. Smith concludes this series with more observations about James Mackintosh’s defense of natural rights.

George H. Smith explains why Edmund Burke opposed abstract rights and why James Mackintosh defended them.

George H. Smith explains the defense of rights and other abstract political principles given by James Mackintosh, one of Burke’s most effective critics.

George H. Smith explains why Burke predicted that the French Revolution would end in systematic violence.

After criticizing Murray Rothbard’s interpretation of Edmund Burke’s first book, Smith summarizes Burke’s primary objections to rationalistic intellectuals.

Edmund Burke condemned the French Revolution as a “digest of anarchy.” What relevance does his critique have for the modern libertarian movement?

George H. Smith discusses the role of modern intellectuals in government.

George H. Smith explores F. A. Hayek’s views on intellectuals, whom Hayek called professional secondhand dealers in ideas.

A far-ranging discussion of the meanings of key terms in libertarianism, ideology, and the crucial elements needed for an understanding of individual freedom.

George H. Smith begins his discussion of the need for an interdisciplinary approach to liberty by noting some hazards of academic specialization.

George H. Smith explains Rocker’s theory of why the ideas of classical liberalism were swamped by the rising tide of statism.

In Nationalism and Culture, a classic history of libertarian ideas, Rudolf Rocker uses the struggle of freedom against power as his theoretical framework.

George H. Smith explains how the insatiable desire for power and its corrupting influence have been dominant themes in libertarian theory and history.

George H. Smith examines the problem of whether the human sciences can be value-free, and if so in what sense.

George H. Smith explores various ways in which ideas influence human action, and why ideas are essential to the success of libertarianism.

George H. Smith, drawing from Machiavelli’s The Prince, discusses two essential ingredients of successful states.

George H. Smith explains the meaning of “society” and “institution,” and he discusses the distinction between designed and undesigned institutions.

George H. Smith discusses some preliminary issues involved in the classic libertarian distinction between the spheres of “state” and “society.”

George H. Smith examines the common claim that the mere threat of physical force does not qualify as a type of coercion.

George H. Smith discusses the distinction between freedom and coercion, and explains some of its implications for the human sciences.

George H. Smith presents an overview of the philosophy of the human sciences.

Defending freedom requires an interdisciplinary approach, so George H. Smith turns to the “human sciences”—and also to a definition of science itself.

George H. Smith explores Humboldt’s defense of individuality, written in 1792.

George H. Smith discusses Adam Smith’s views on a standing army and his arguments for competition in education.

George Smith explores Adam Smith’s views on Columbus, smuggling, and education.

George Smith discusses Adam Smith’s views on sin taxes and slavery.

George H. Smith discusses Adam Smith’s social, political, and moral objections to governmental interference in the economy as found in the Wealth of Nations.

George H. Smith explains what Adam Smith meant by the “invisible hand” and how he used this explanatory method throughout his writings.

George H. Smith discusses the significant role played by John Chapman in the lives of Herbert Spencer, George Eliot, and G. H. Lewes.

George H. Smith criticizes an influential book by Mark Francis, Herbert Spencer and the Invention of Modern Life.

George H. Smith discusses the complex personal relationships among three leading classical liberals in Victorian England.

Smith compares the positions of Hodgskin and Smith on the history of landownership, and their opposition to the political power of the landed aristocracy.

George H. Smith continues his series on the thought of Thomas Hodgskin by explaining his belief in natural property rights.

George H. Smith discusses the common allegation that Herbert Spencer took many of his ideas from Thomas Hodgskin without acknowledging their source.

George H. Smith concludes his in-depth examination of Spencer’s fundamental objection to the private ownership of land.

George H. Smith discusses some criticisms by Auberon Herbert and Thomas Hodgskin of Spencer’s position on land.

George H. Smith explains and criticizes two more of Spencer’s arguments against private property in land.

George H. Smith explains Herbert Spencer’s fundamental objection to the private ownership of land.

George H. Smith discusses the mutual misunderstandings of Spencer and George, and George’s effective criticism of Spencer’s weak defense of private property.

George H. Smith discusses Henry George’s allegation that Spencer’s later views on land ownership were intellectually dishonest.

George H. Smith discusses Buckle’s claim that Adam Smith was one of the most brilliant and influential thinkers in the history of the modern world.

George H. Smith explores Buckle’s claim that the “protective spirit” of governments has hindered the progress of civilization.

George H. Smith discusses Buckle’s stress on the importance of ideas in the progress of civilization.

After discussing some implications of early works on international law for libertarian theory, Smith concludes with a defense of Ayn Rand’s theory of rights.

George H. Smith discusses the meaning of “natural rights” and some historical aspects of this theory.

George H. Smith begins his discussion of one of the most libertarian works on history ever written.

George H. Smith discusses various formulations of the non-aggression principle and concludes with some remarks about the problem of pollution.

George H. Smith presents the rudiments of a theory of children’s rights.

George H. Smith criticizes Zwolinski’s discussions of risk, fraud, and the relationship between aggression and property rights.

George H. Smith criticizes Zwolinski’s discussions of risk, fraud, and the relationship between aggression and property rights.

George H. Smith examines the claim that the non-aggression principle should be viewed as a defeasible presumption.

George H. Smith explains why Mises predicted that “planned chaos” would emerge in a socialist economy and how F.A. Hayek elaborated on that insight.

Smith discusses the theory of value that provided the foundation for the argument that rational economic calculation is impossible in a socialistic economy.

George H. Smith explores some of the traditional biblical arguments for and against religious persecution.

George H. Smith discusses Acton’s thesis that the conflict between church and state in medieval Europe was vital to the progress of freedom.

George H. Smith discusses some common criticisms of Lord Acton and other classical liberal historians.

George H. Smith discusses some of Lord Acton’s ideas about freedom and their relevance to the modern libertarian movement.

George H. Smith explores some theoretical aspects of a rights-based conception of freedom.

George H. Smith discusses a metaphor that was widely used by early libertarian writers who defended the natural equality of humankind.

Smith discusses the distinction between political obligation and political allegiance, and how the problem of allegiance was the major concern of John Locke.

George H. Smith discusses the major criticism of natural rights and the consent theory of government – that these doctrines will land us in anarchy.

George H. Smith broadens his discussion of a rights-based theory of freedom with an overview of modern political philosophy.

George H. Smith considers the different conceptions of freedom defended by Thomas Hobbes and John Locke.

George H. Smith discusses his ideas about “strategic Taoism.”

George H. Smith discusses some of the problems in libertarian theory caused by the many different conceptions of liberty.

George H. Smith criticizes Jason Brennan’s defense of positive liberty and his attempt to make positive liberty an essential part of libertarian theory.

George H. Smith criticizes Jason Brennan’s view of the origin of “hard libertarianism” and his treatment of Ayn Rand.

Smith begins his critical examination of Jason Brennan’s recent book with a discussion of the label “libertarianism” and its relationship to classical liberalism.

George H. Smith discusses why Ayn Rand believed that altruism is incompatible with benevolence and charitable actions.

George H. Smith discusses Ayn Rand’s notion of self-sacrifice and the crucial role that duty played in her theory of altruism.

George H. Smith explores Ayn Rand’s contention that altruism plays an indispensable role in the justification of political collectivism.

George H. Smith discusses one of Rand’s major objections to both altruism and the traditional concept of egoism.

George H. Smith begins his series on Ayn Rand’s critique of altruism with a discussion of the ideas of Auguste Comte, the man who coined the word “altruism.”

George H. Smith concludes the series with a look at Roy Childs’s evolving views on anarchism.

George H. Smith turns to what may be Roy Childs’s most recognized role in the libertarian movement: book reviewer.

George H. Smith tackles several misconceptions about the theory of anarchism—and contrasts it with the condition of anarchy.

George H. Smith discusses the influence of Robert LeFevre on the developing anarchism of Roy A. Childs, Jr.

George H. Smith begins his series on Roy A. Childs, Jr., with the impact Childs’s anarchism had on his own thinking.

George H. Smith analyzes two kinds of freedom, pragmatic and moral, and gives examples of how this distinction has been used in the history of libertarian thought.

Herbert Spencer feared granting suffrage to women – at least during his time – would diminish “real” liberty. Was this a justifiable concern?

George H. Smith discusses how Herbert Spencer’s analyses of nineteenth-century Germany and France contributed to his pessimistic outlook on the future of freedom.

George H. Smith discusses some of Spencer’s concerns about the intellectual and moral obstacles to achieving a free society.

George H. Smith discusses Spencer’s theory of social progress, while calling attention to some of its theoretical problems.

George H. Smith discusses Spencer’s opposition to the Boer War—a cause that dominated the last several years of his life.

George H. Smith discusses the controversy about Spencer’s use of opium and its possible effect on his later pessimism.

George H. Smith begins his series on Spencer’s pessimistic outlook on the future of freedom and the reasons behind it.

George H. Smith discusses Thomas Hodgskin’s critique of utilitarianism and his contention that the primary concern of legislators is to preserve their own power.

George H. Smith discusses the utilitarianism of Jeremy Bentham and why it so alarmed the defenders of natural rights.

Smith continues his discussion of Thomas Hodgskin by exploring some of the key arguments in his neglected book,Popular Political Economy.

George H. Smith begins his discussion of the free-market theories of Thomas Hodgskin.

George H. Smith discusses Thomas Hodgskin’s most controversial work, Labour Defended Against the Claims of Capital.

Smith begins his series on Thomas Hodgskin, one of the most remarkable, if little known and unjustly neglected, libertarian thinkers of the nineteenth century.

George H. Smith explores the ideas of Irving Kristol and Robert Bork on culture. He begins with a discussion of the anti-jazz crusade of the 1920s.

George H. Smith tells the story of how a disagreement with Roy Childs over the ideas of Irving Kristol resulted in a serious argument.

George H. Smith begins his series on neoconservatism by exploring some of its fundamental differences with libertarianism.

Smith explores Thomas Jefferson’s belief in the value of history, and his plan for public universities.

George H. Smith concludes this series with a close look at Herbert Spencer’s views on charity and the poor.

Smith continues his discussion of Herbert Spencer and William Graham Sumner, explaining how they explicitly repudiated the ideas associated with social Darwinism.

George H. Smith interrupts his series on education with a discussion of social Darwinism.

George H. Smith discusses Jefferson’s ideas about education and his plan for a decentralized system of public schools.

George H. Smith explores the Voluntaryist critique of those who support free trade in religion and commerce but advocate state interference in education.

George H. Smith explores some more Voluntaryist arguments against state education.

George H. Smith turns to the philosophy of Voluntaryism, discussing how its proponents fought against state control of education in the nineteenth century.

George H. Smith begins his series on the critics of state education with a discussion of Joseph Priestley, the Englishman who discovered oxygen.

George H. Smith continues his examination of the intellectual roots of state education by turning to the views of Plato’s most famous student.

History’s first great philosopher wasn’t a fan of educational freedom.

George H. Smith discusses how the educational system of Sparta influenced later advocates of state education.

George H. Smith offers a glance at a few economic regulations throughout history.

The Coercive Acts led Americans to blame the king for the conspiracy to strip them of their rights and liberties.

The Coercive Acts—the British response to the Boston Tea Party—was the true catalyst that led to the American Revolution.

The British response to the Boston Tea Party stiffened American resolve for revolution. George Smith tells the story of that event.

The story of the American Revolution’s prelude continues with the emergence of Committees of Correspondence among the colonists.

George H. Smith continues his look at the events leading up to the American Revolution by telling the story of the Boston Massacre.

George H. Smith uses some of the crucial events that led to the American Revolution as background to explain the theory of resistance and revolution that emerged.

George H. Smith turns his attention to events after the Boston riots. As violence spread throughout the colonies, America moved ever closer to revolution.

George H. Smith recounts the violent reaction to the Stamp Act, a tax on paper goods levied against the American colonies in 1765.

George H. Smith explores America’s proud history of smuggling in the colonies—and the disastrous attempts by the British to put an end to it.

George H. Smith examines two instances of curious wording in the Declaration of Independence.

George H. Smith continues his series on the Declaration of Independence by looking to the intellectual history behind its famous reference to unalienable rights.

Jefferson drew on a rich intellectual tradition when he drafted the Declaration of Independence. But did he draw directly from contemporary works, as well?

George H. Smith begins a series of essays on the Declaration of Independence by examining colonial reaction to its list of grievances.

George H. Smith distinguishes “tolerating” religious difference from recognizing a genuine right to religious freedom.