|Peter Boettke| Michael Clemens is one of the most powerful voices in the economics profession for the free flow of people throughout the world.  He brings rational analysis and careful empirics to questions that are too often mired in emotion and tribalism.  In my humble opinion, it is precisely because Clemens is so measured in his rational discussion that when he address the morality of these issues his arguments have greater weight. Listen all the way through and to Clemens's summary of the discourse because his analogy of the good things we want from migration being analogous to ..read more

|Peter Boettke| I somehow missed this when first posted.  But this is very much worth reading, as is most everything Tim discusses either here or at the JEP ..read more

|Peter Boettke| Obviously should have posted this much sooner.  I am playing catch-up.   Given the events as they have unfolded since, and still unfolding, Alex's words are more important than ever.  Listen to what he has to say, and most importantly READ the book.   ..read more

|Peter Boettke| This is a lecture from 1987. Rothbard at the time was working on a comprehensive history of economic thought. I published a review of Rothbard's volumes in Economic Affairs.  I cannot recommend this lecture highly enough.  Rothbard was a major influence on me when I started studying economics, and various aspects of his way of viewing things has continued to shape me ever since.  Obviously, I also have some serious disagreements of style and substance.  But listen to this lecture transplanted me back in time, though I was not there for this, I heard a s ..read more

|Peter Boettke| As we get ready for the fall 2022 semester I am preparing to teach PhD courses in the Austrian Theory of the Market Process I and Economic Sociology and Political Economy I.  A common link between these courses is the question of human sociability.  Many years ago, when I taught the Austrian course I assigned John Searle's book Rationality into Action, in addition to Mises and Hayek. Here is Searle discussing the logical structure of human civilization.   What do you think? Bob Subrick and I also dealt with Searle's work in our paper "From the Philosophy of ..read more

|Peter Boettke| a tribute page has been established to honor Geoff, the scholar and the man.  Please do visit it.   ..read more

|Peter Boettke| I attended grad school from 1984-88, and one thing about GMU I so fondly remember was the spirit among my fellow students at CSMP.  Two of the more advanced students Roy Cordato and Karen Palesek were mentors to those of us coming up behind them.   Wonderful people, inspiring and dedicated teachers and exemplary scholars.  They were also highly trained and skilled musicians before becoming economists.  That unique skill set let Roy in a moment of inspired joy to create the first Austrian rap song. Enjoy!    ..read more

|Peter Boettke| Steve passed away a year ago this month.  Still hard for me to process that.  This past year was a year of loss for me — first one of my oldest and dearest friends, and then my brother. This interview with Steve upon receipt of the Julian Simon Award is precious.  It conveys his optimism and his realism, and thus his sense of life. As he says, human beings might be the ultimate resource, but our lives are finite, so make sure you are having fun.     ..read more

|Peter Boettke| Deirdre McCloskey has a new paper circulating which works through a theme she has been stressing a lot lately.  As a social philosophy that begins with the recognition that we are one another’s dignified equals, liberalism demands that we treat each other as adults, not as children.  Yes, we are fallible creatures, but also capable and responsible individuals.  In her latest working paper she reminded me of this great quote from Adam Smith. Read Smith in the context of Biden’s Build Back Better and the Great Reset; or Elizabeth Warren and the indictment of cor ..read more

|Peter Boettke| Last week my second of 2 podcasts with Rosolino Candela on the art and science of economics was released. Listen to part 1 as well.   ..read more