Stephan Kinsella, “The (State’s) Corruption of (Private) Law” (PFS 2012)

by Stephan Kinsella on January 12, 2013

I delivered this speech in September 2012 for the 2012 Annual Meeting of the Property and Freedom Society in Bodrum, Turkey. The audio of my speech was corrupted due to a technical error, so I re-recorded a version of the speech; audio and streaming below. For others, see the links in the Program, or the PFS Vimeo channel. Other speeches will be uploaded presently.

The talk was largely based on two previous papers:

“Legislation and the Discovery of Law in a Free Society,” Journal of Libertarian Studies 11 (Summer 1995), p. 132.¹
Condensed version: Legislation and Law in a Free Society,” Mises Daily (Feb. 25, 2010)

Update: see also Is English Common Law Libertarian?

(Powerpoint; PDF)

Note: I have since changed my mind on the some of the issues regarding the Hayekian “knowledge problem” and Leoni’s work in this regard, as I have noted in subsequent articles, such as the Knowledge, Calculation, Conflict, and Law review above, footnote 5. Oh, that I had heeded Jeff Herbener’s comments on an earlier manuscript, but I either got these comments too late, or did not fully appreciate them at the time. More information on the calculation debate. [↩]

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2013 Annual Meeting of the PFS

The Eighth Annual Meeting of the PFS will be held from Thursday, September 19, to Tuesday, September 24, 2013, in Bodrum, Turkey, at the Hotel Karia Princess. Those interested in attending should contact Dr. Hoppe or Mr. Grözinger, Administrative Secretary, regarding conditions, availability, and requirements. More information about the speakers and topics may be found here. (Please be advised that nearly half of all available places have already been reserved. So don't wait too long.)

[The Seventh Annual Meeting of the PFS was held in Bodrum, Turkey, from Thursday September 27 through Monday October 1, 2012. The list of speakers and topics may be found here. ]
Speakers for PFS 2013
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“Property does not exist because there are laws, but laws exist because there is property.” — Frédéric Bastiat

The Property and Freedom Society (PFS; Facebook) stands for an uncompromising intellectual radicalism: for justly acquired private property, freedom of contract, freedom of association—which logically implies the right to not associate with, or to discriminate against—anyone in one's personal and business relations—and unconditional free trade. It condemns imperialism and militarism and their fomenters, and champions peace. It rejects positivism, relativism, and egalitarianism in any form, whether of "outcome" or "opportunity," and it has an outspoken distaste for politics and politicians. As such it seeks to avoid any association with the policies and proponents of interventionism, which Ludwig von Mises identified in 1946 as the fatal flaw in the plan of the many earlier and contemporary attempts by intellectuals alarmed by the rising tide of socialism and totalitarianism to found an anti-socialist ideological movement. Mises wrote: "What these frightened intellectuals did not comprehend was that all those measures of government interference with business which they advocated are abortive. ... There is no middle way. Either the consumers are supreme or the government."

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