Kinsella On Liberty

Kinsella on Liberty Podcast: Episode 452. I was asked recently to guest lecture for a course taught to some mechanical engineering students at Colorado University Boulder (EMEN 4100: Engineering Economics) by the lecturer, David Assad. Assad covers some ethics related matters in the latter part of the course and asked me to talk generally about ethics and related matters. I discussed ethics, morality, politics, and science. I discussed ethics and its relationship to science and politics, and discussed about what science is, the types of sciences, ethics and ethical theories and the relationship to specialized ethics and morality in general, and its relationship to political ethics and political philosophy. I then discussed libertarianism in general, the nature and function of property rights, and then explained how the intellectual property issue can be addressed based on the libertarian and private law perspective. The references and notes I gave the class are embedded in the slides and reproduced below. h

Kinsella on Liberty Podcast: Episode 451. My recent appearance on The Rational Egoist. (Spotify) Shownotes: Debating the Nature of Rights with Stephan Kinsella In this episode of The Rational Egoist, host Michael Liebowitz engages in a stimulating debate with libertarian writer and patent attorney Stephan Kinsella on the nature of rights. Drawing from his book Legal Foundations of a Free Society and his extensive work on legal and political theory, Kinsella offers his perspective on the origins, scope, and application of individual rights. Together, they examine differing philosophical interpretations and discuss how rights function in a free society. This thought-provoking conversation invites listeners to question and refine their understanding of one of the most fundamental concepts in political philosophy. https://youtu.be/_rvJ2H8r5Z8?si=890cUejq8lRh4ISj

Kinsella on Liberty Podcast, Episode 450. My discussion/interview by Matthew Sands of the Nations of Sanity project as part of his “Together Strong” debate series. https://youtu.be/igflMs3VJPM?si=3MBYzu9cmeth4LlH  

Kinsella on Liberty Podcast, Episode 449. I was interviewed by Logan Hertz, of Hazeltine LLC, about attempts by the Nelson Nash Institute, they of the poorly-named "Infinite Banking" concept, to use trademark to bully competitors. I discuss the general problem with IP and then apply it to trademark, and provide suggestions as to more "ethical" ways of using trademark and IP in an IP-world. See also Logan's LinkedIn post. For more, see: Do Business Without Intellectual Property. https://youtu.be/EezJNq-FXQc?si=zPY2QdgLqeqqnf0-

Kinsella on Liberty Podcast, Episode 448. This is my discussion with European patent attorney David Pearce, of the Tufty the Cat European IP blog (twitter). He and I were co-founders and members of the Advisory Council for the Open Crypto Alliance (2020–22). We discuss Craig Wright, nChain and bitcoin related patents, and so on (see video below). https://youtu.be/3B1R_aTdQ0I https://youtu.be/AJmPrbQ4NQU?si=yAGKMU590r6Vac4i

Kinsella on Liberty Podcast, Episode 447. This is from the show "Axioms of Liberty," which has another episode about my IP writing. This time, it's a reading of "Law and Intellectual Property in a Stateless Society."

Kinsella on Liberty Podcast, Episode 446. This is from the show "Axioms of Liberty," which has another episode about my IP writing. This time, it's a reading of "Intellectual Property and Libertarianism."

Kinsella on Liberty Podcast, Episode 445. The show "Axioms of Liberty" has an episode about my IP writing, including readings of three early pieces: First, one of my earliest writings, Stephan Kinsella, "Letter on Intellectual Property Rights," IOS Journal 5, no. 2 (June 1995), pp. 12-13, and followed by David Kelley's response. Next, “Is Intellectual Property Legitimate?”, first published in the Pennsylvania Bar Association Intellectual Property Newsletter 1 (Winter 1998): 3 and republished in the Federalist Society’s Intellectual Property Practice Group Newsletter, vol. 3, Issue 3 (Winter 2000). And finally, "In Defense of Napster and Against the Second Homesteading Rule," LewRockwell.com (Sept. 4, 2000). I am not sure who this podcaster is, but he has my gratitude.

Kinsella on Liberty Podcast, Episode 444. I had forgotten about this conversation with "AlexAnarcho" back in May 2024. Here it is. Property rights, ideas & fungibility w/ Stephan Kinsella released 05/02/2024 Stephan Kinsella is a pioneer on the topic of intellectual property (IP). His arguments against IP also carry over to the cyberspace. Can you even "own" Bitcoin? After all, it is just a number on an elliptic curve...

Kinsella on Liberty Podcast, Episode 443. “Abortion: A Radically Decentralist Approach,” 2024 Annual Meeting, Property and Freedom Society, Bodrum, Turkey (Sep. 22, 2024). https://youtu.be/v9bDRDD2wWU Panel discussion: https://youtu.be/vFCZLT4tMY4 Notes below. Abortion: A Radically Decentralist Approach Stephan Kinsella Property and Freedom Society 2024 Annual Meeting Bodrum, Turkey September 19–24, 2024 Alright, let’s have as much fun as we can with a topic like this. Contentious issues among libertarians: Anarchy vs. Minarchy Forms of state: monarchy vs. democracy Open borders vs. mass immigration Intellectual Property (we are winning this one) Israel vs. Gaza Ukraine vs. Russia Abortion: Pro-choice and Pro-Life I’ve changed my own mind a bit on this issue, after becoming a parent: from pro-choice. to more sympathetic to pro-life arguments, and to my current decentralist view Traditionally libertarians have tended to be pro-choice, including virtually all Objectivists, though the

Kinsella on Liberty Podcast, Episode 442. This is a debate between me and Walter Block about voluntary slavery contracts, hosted by Matthew Sands of the Nations of Sanity project as part of his "Together Strong" debate series. (See previous episode KOL426) Unedited transcript (from Youtube) below. https://youtu.be/x6ecMmBpGs8?si=veUW9EnXhwujEAo1 Notes: For further discussion of this topic, see: chapters 9–11, from Legal Foundations of a Free Society (2024; LFFS), namely "A Libertarian Theory of Contract: Title Transfer, Binding Promises, and Inalienability," "Inalienability and Punishment: A Reply to George Smith," and "Selling Does Not Imply Ownership, and Vice-Versa: A Dissection" Re the "Zombicide" comments, see ch. 10, text at n.37 My paper, The Title-Transfer Theory of Contract (Papian Press Working Paper #1) KOL004 | Interview with Walter Block on Voluntary Slavery and Inalienability Other than Block and Nozick, Gerard Casey also seems to favor voluntary slavery: “Can You Own Yourself

Kinsella on Liberty Podcast, Episode 441. This is Episode 238 of The Bitcoin Standard Podcast, with Dr. Saifedean Ammous, author of The Bitcoin Standard. From his shownotes: Legal Scholar Stephan Kinsella joins to discuss his new book, Legal Foundations of a Free Society, in which he discusses libertarianism as a system for determining legitimate property rights, why property rights are important, and the problem with intellectual property rights.. https://youtu.be/l-0IG38raGw?si=NNCOa3-AKn1YkQl-

Kinsella on Liberty Podcast: Episode 440. My appearance on The Rational Egoist: Debating the Moral Status of Intellectual Property with Stephan Kinsella: Part IIb.  (Spotify) Shownotes: The Rational Egoist: Concluding the Intellectual Property Debate with Stephan Kinsella (Part 2 of 2) In this final episode of a two-part series, host Michael Liebowitz concludes his engaging debate with Stephan Kinsella, a libertarian patent attorney and author, on the moral and legal status of intellectual property. Building on the groundwork laid in the previous discussion, Michael and Kinsella delve further into the core arguments surrounding IP rights, examining their effects on creativity, innovation, and property law. The episode offers compelling insights into both sides of the debate, providing a thorough exploration of one of the most contested issues in legal and economic theory. Tune in for the conclusion of this thought-provoking exchange that challenges established viewpoints and offers fresh perspectives

Kinsella on Liberty Podcast: Episode 439. My appearance on The Rational Egoist: Debating the Moral Status of Intellectual Property with Stephan Kinsella: Part IIa.  (Spotify) Michael will release the second half, PartIIb, later. Shownotes: The Rational Egoist: Resuming the Intellectual Property Debate with Stephan Kinsella (Part 1 of 2) In this episode of The Rational Egoist, host Michael Liebowitz resumes his debate with Stephan Kinsella, a libertarian patent attorney and author, on the contentious issue of intellectual property. Picking up from their conversation a couple of weeks ago, Michael and Kinsella dive even deeper into the philosophical and legal arguments concerning IP rights. This is part one of a two-part series that explores the impact of intellectual property on innovation, individual rights, and economic systems. Join them for a rigorous exchange of ideas that challenges conventional thinking and sets the stage for the next episode's continuation. Michael Leibowitz, host of The Rational

Kinsella on Liberty Podcast: Episode 437. My appearance on The Rational Egoist: Debating the Moral Status of Intellectual Property with Stephan Kinsella. We focused here mostly on property rights and other precursor concepts. We plan to have a followup discussion to get into the nitty gritty of the application of these more basic concepts and principles to the topic of IP. (Spotify) Shownotes: In this episode of The Rational Egoist, host Michael Liebowitz engages in a thought-provoking discussion and debate with Stephan Kinsella, a libertarian writer and patent attorney, on the moral status of intellectual property. The complexity of the issue sparks a deep dive into the ethical and legal dimensions of IP rights, leading to a conversation so rich that it had to be continued in a future episode. Kinsella, known for his critical views on intellectual property, challenges conventional notions, while Michael offers his own perspective. This episode promises to be a captivating exploration of one of the mo

Kinsella on Liberty Podcast: Episode 436. I was interviewed today by Kelly Patrick of the Kelly Patrick Show ep. 777. I fielded questions from his The Kelly Patrick Show Political Chat facebook group, mostly questions from nonlibertarians or people critical of libertarianism. We discussed the prospects of liberty, activism, why people are not persuaded by libertarian arguments, the prospects of the Libertarian Party, intellectual property, anarchism, and so on.

Kinsella on Liberty Podcast: Episode 435. I was interviewed by Daniel Morena Vitón and Luis Abram for a Spanish libertarian podcast, as he initially told me: "The interview is about some legal questions of libertarianism, for a new libertarian association in Spain founded by Jesús Huerta de Soto, the 'Austrian Libertarian Association.'" I believe there were technical problems with the recording of the first question or two, so I was asked to repeat my answer near the end; sure how they ended stitching this together or editing this. From their shownotes (Google autotranslate): Stephan Kinsella will give the keys regarding various topics from intellectual issues that concern libertarianism such as intellectual property and the challenges that it entails, as well as more current topics such as libertarians in politics or the current libertarian parties that the political landscape houses. https://youtu.be/L78827aNHR0?si=g3rv2hkfcDJnt79m

Kinsella on Liberty Podcast: Episode 434. My appearance on The Rational Egoist: Exploring The Objectivist Ethics with Stephan Kinsella. (Spotify) https://youtu.be/Dzv1euK5XKg?si=vcvjrh3XZ9sCRx9Y Join host Michael Liebowitz for a thought-provoking episode of The Rational Egoist as he engages in a stimulating discussion with Stephan Kinsella, a prominent libertarian writer and patent attorney, on The Objectivist Ethics. In this enlightening conversation, Michael and Stephan delve into the foundational principles of Objectivism, exploring its ethical framework, implications for individual freedom, and relevance in contemporary society. Drawing on his expertise in libertarian legal theory and intellectual property law, Stephan Kinsella offers valuable insights into The Objectivist Ethics, as formulated by philosopher Ayn Rand. He provides a comprehensive overview of Rand's philosophical system, highlighting its emphasis on reason, individualism, and rational self-interest as the basis for moral conduct. Lis

Kinsella on Liberty Podcast: Episode 433. This is my appearance on The Big Questions with Big John. From his shownotes: Libertarian Stephan Kinsella shares his background as an engineer turned lawyer. A conversation on IP rights delves into arguments against patents & copyrights. https://youtu.be/SpcQUIMsj5k?si=zEnZZXcEM3IY5UL-

Kinsella on Liberty Podcast: Episode 432. My appearance on Adam Haman's podcast and Youtube channel, Haman Nature (Haman Nature substack), episode 27. I have previously argued against "school choice" (KOL419 | Soho Forum Debate vs. Corey Deangelis: School Choice). Adam wrote an article promoting school choice and I objected to it. He invited me to come back on his show to discuss and I did and, well, he kinda sorta changed my mind, or at least softened my opposition. I love these kind of real conversations when people actually listen to each other with the shared goal of promoting liberty and reaching the truth, and with no ego or other investments involved that could prevent you from seeing reason or truth or the other guy's position and even being willing to change your mind. And I like when I lose! I mean it rarely happens, but I like it--it means I learned something. Which is also increasingly rare. Enjoy! https://youtu.be/WOcHI4Jtn9s?si=6U-GX8013NJtWYvh Adam's shownotes: Well, "debate" is too strong