Lecture series · recorded 2006
Foundations of Libertarian Ethics
Foundations of Libertarian Ethics is a free lecture series (20 recordings, 30 hours) you can stream or download at freecapitalists.org, with Roderick T. Long.
Presented by Roderick T. Long, this ten-lecture seminar surveys the praxeological foundations of libertarian ethics. Hosted at the Mises Institute, 26-30 June 2006.
Legal SystemWar and Foreign PolicyMedia and Culture
Cover painting: lawspeaker Thorgeir proclaims Iceland's conversion to Christianity from the Law Rock at Thingvellir, AD 1000. See every painting in the art gallery.
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01
1:27:26 Download MP3
Objective and Subjective Value 2006
Praxeology is a set of conceptual tools about the theory of action. It is the basis of economic theory. Whereas much has been fleshed out about the economics of human action, there is little about the ethics and natural rights of human action.
Philosophy and MethodologyValue and Exchange
Read the transcript 13,313 words
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02
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Objective and Subjective Value (video) 2006
Read the transcript 11,284 words
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03
1:30:19 Download MP3
The Praxeological Case for an Ultimate End 2006
Claims of ultimate ends, like happiness or well-being, are impossible, says Hobbes. In this life, the fact that you are still acting shows that you have not achieved any ultimate end. Does action really express dissatisfaction? You can act to keep something happening, rather than to try to change things.
Philosophy and MethodologyPraxeology
Read the transcript 14,663 words
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04
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The Praxeological Case for an Ultimate End (video) 2006
Read the transcript 11,347 words
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05
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Free Will: Two Paradoxes of Choice 2006
Economics deals with the preferences you are actually acting on. The judgment you are not acting on could still be around. So, action does not imply total judgment.
Philosophy and Methodology
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06
1:29:31 Download MP3
The Moral Standpoint 2006
Why should I care about anyone else but myself? We each have our own values to pursue. Is all valuation relative or neutral? The values we actually use seem to be agent neutral. We endorse these values both for ourselves and for others. Hobbes says that in a state of nature it is legitimate for everybody to do what they want. Socrates said that once you recognize that something is worth admiring, you will integrate it into your life.
Philosophy and Methodology
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07
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Free Will: Two Paradoxes of Choice (video) 2006
Read the transcript 11,724 words
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08
1:31:16 Download MP3
An Aristotelian Ethics of Virtue 2006
Everyone has an ultimate end. What should the content of this end be? No concept of happiness exists without integrating the interest of others. Being an agent is being a living organism. Living organisms have needs. Aristotle feels humans are neither beasts nor God. Morality requires a minimum of prudence (self) and benevolence (others).
Philosophy and Methodology
Read the transcript 14,552 words
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09
1:29:18 Download MP3
Justice, Rights, and Consequences 2006
Now we go from ethics to liberty. Justice, narrowly, is a legitimately enforceable claim. What is the consideration between justice, rights and utility? Justice seems more rule-oriented than rights. Libertarian rights theory can consider consequences.
Philosophy and MethodologyLegal System
Read the transcript 13,578 words
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10
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The Moral Standpoint (video) 2006
Read the transcript 11,185 words
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11
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An Aristotelian Ethics of Virtue (video) 2006
Read the transcript 11,338 words
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12
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Justice, Rights, and Consequences (video) 2006
Read the transcript 9,945 words
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13
1:31:51 Download MP3
Property, Land, Contract 2006
We have a right not to be aggressed against. Any other right has to be an application of my right not to have force initiated against me. Now, we need to do this with property rights. We need to treat the violation of property as aggression against self.
Philosophy and MethodologyPolitical TheoryPrivate PropertyLegal System
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14
1:26:55 Download MP3
Punishment and War 2006
When can you respond to force? The four response positions range from “never” to “impose by force some further penalty on them”. A person’s capacity must be considered. Compensation instead of punishment is generally a libertarian society’s choice.
Philosophy and MethodologyLegal SystemWar and Foreign Policy
Read the transcript 13,485 words
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15
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Punishment and War (video) 2006
Read the transcript 10,170 words
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16
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Property, Land, Contract (video) 2006
Read the transcript 11,444 words
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17
1:30:32 Download MP3
Culture and Liberty 2006
Does libertarianism require widespread acceptance of certain cultural values? One end of the spectrum says yes [thick libertarianism]. The other end says libertarianism does not require any other set of values except the non-aggression principle – the right not to have force initiated against them [thin libertarianism].
Philosophy and MethodologyMedia and Culture
Read the transcript 13,430 words
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18
1:28:56 Download MP3
An Anarchist Legal Order 2006
A legal system is an institution to provide dispute resolution through judicial, legislative and executive functions. The state is that which maintains in large part a monopoly over force, geography and the legal system.
Philosophy and MethodologyPolitical TheoryLegal System
Read the transcript 13,900 words
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19
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Culture and Liberty (video) 2006
Read the transcript 11,012 words
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20
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An Anarchist Legal Order (video) 2006
Read the transcript 10,626 words
People in this series
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Recording dates, summaries and topics for 20 of these 20 lectures come from the Mises Institute's page for Foundations of Libertarian Ethics, checked 2026-09-27.
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About this series
- Is Foundations of Libertarian Ethics free to listen to?
- Yes. All 20 mirrored recordings stream in the browser or download as video and audio, at no cost and with no signup.
- How long is Foundations of Libertarian Ethics?
- 20 recordings, 30 hours in total.
- Who lectures in Foundations of Libertarian Ethics?
- Roderick T. Long.
- When was Foundations of Libertarian Ethics recorded?
- 2006, per the recording dates recovered for this series.
- Is there a transcript of Foundations of Libertarian Ethics?
- Yes. Every lecture in the series has one, 249,076 words in total, free to read on each lecture's page and searchable in the browser.
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