property rights – Gus diZerega

Hayekian Insights on Capitalism Part III: Capitalism and Nature

Posted on October 29, 2015October 29, 2015 by Gus

Capitalism undermines the natural systems that support human well-being for the same reason it undermines civil society: the values it elevates above all others are incompatible with human or natural flourishing. Capitalism fails to achieve the minimal ethical standards to … Read more

Turning the Tables: The pathologies and unrealized promise of libertarianism

Posted on June 30, 2015February 19, 2016 by Gus

As a scholar and former libertarian, I have been disappointed at libertarians’ general failure to engage in serious debate with their critics, but I have also been disappointed with most critics’ relatively simplistic attacks on libertarian ideology. I wrote this … Read more

What’s in a Name? Capitalism, Crony Capitalism, and Corporatism: Why Terminology Matters

Posted on March 6, 2015March 7, 2015 by Gus

A number of classical liberals to whom I sent my paper on capitalism and civil society replied there is much with which they agree, but think I should use the term “crony capitalism” rather than “capitalism.” They point out my … Read more

Hayekian Insights on Capitalism and Civil Society

Posted on February 28, 2015April 20, 2015 by Gus

This is the first of a series of essays on capitalism. This, the first, is a very theoretical discussion, one relatively light on examples. However those that follow will have examples aplenty. But the theoretical framework is needed to make … Read more

Libertarian critique II: Property rights

Posted on July 27, 2014 by Gus

If anything sets libertarianism as an ideology off from other more reasonable points of view, along with the ‘nonaggression principle’ it is their doctrine of property rights. As with nonaggression, they take a principle nearly all agree on, and then … Read more

The meaninglessness of the term “free market” in contemporarty political debate

Posted on July 22, 2013July 23, 2013 by Gus

This post argues use of the term “free market” in almost all contemporary political debate is at best inaccurate and often a positive hindrance in understanding contemporary issues.

Advocates of capitalism continually intone the term “free market” and then, with … Read more

New Discussion at W&P: How libertarians can make sense for Pagans (and everyone else)

Posted on April 18, 2013 by Gus

Libertarian Pagans at Witches and Pagans have pretty much avoided my arguments regarding libertarianism and its shortcomings, arguing that libertarianism often seems preferable to what we have now – a position I sometimes agree with. More disturbing is their apparent … Read more