During a time when enslaved Americans sought freedom through escape, Elizabeth Freeman challenged her legal status as property—and won.

In this excerpt from Letter IX of John Rankin’s Letters on American Slavery, Rankin argues that slavery is incompatible with ...

Jefferson explains that the Declaration of Independence sought to capture a particular strain of political thought that was important and prevalent in the time leading up to the American Revolution.

Crypto- anarchism is a philosophy whose advocates think technology can assist them in creating communities based on consent rather than coercion. Crypto- anarchists wish to be free from state ...

Vincent Geloso is an assistant professor of economics at George Mason University. He holds a Ph.D. in Economic History from the London School of Economics. He is the author of Du Grand Rattrapage au ...

Born into a world of constant religious conflicts, Roger Williams believed the key to peaceful coexistence was absolute freedom of religion, a dangerous and new idea he tested in what would become ...

Frédéric Bastiat’s The Law is one of the most incisive attacks on socialists and protectionists. Bastiat was one of France’s most passionate classical liberals. Paul Meany is the editor for ...

Paul Meany is the editor for intellectual history at Lib er tar i an ism .org, a project of the Cato Institute. Most of his work focuses on examining thinkers who predate classical liberalism but ...

The medieval ages are hardly a time renowned for freedom lovers, but the philosophy of John of Salisbury encapsulates a love of freedom and a deep hatred for unchecked power. The 12th- century ...

In this episode we cover Marcus Tullius Cicero, the famed statesman, lawyer, orator, and above all a lover of liberty. Today Cicero is often read only by classical scholars and reluctant students, ...

The classical liberals knew it was unjust for the state to play favorites. Modern libertarians should bring back their conception of “privilege.” Steven Horwitz is Economics Editor at Lib er tar i an ...

Of the different configurations of property rights, only private property provides a workable basis for a free society, a productive economy, and justice. In the 18th century and earlier, the single ...