SFL is excited to announce the latest in our symposium series in partnership with The Liberty Fund titled “The Institutions of Liberty.” This three-day symposium is built around a Socratic discussion of the topic between fifteen student participants and an academic discussion leader.  Over the past fifty years, scores of aspiring intellectuals have attended Liberty Fund events to discuss and debate the ideas of liberty with their brightest peers.

Application to these events is very competitive.  The ideal candidate is eager to contribute to a lively intellectual discussion on the topic at hand.  Each attendee will be required to complete a set of readings leading up to the symposium (readings provided by SFL).  Participation in the entire symposium is mandatory, so do not apply unless you can attend all sessions. Click here to apply today!  (more…)

I have been somewhat quiet on the SFL blog lately, party because of spending time on the road but also because I’ve bee preparing for this Cato Unbound series on Conservative-Libertarian Fusionism: The State of the Debate. Frequent visitors to this site will have an idea where I am coming from. For a refresher check out previous posts on the history of fusionism and a recap from the Ann Coulter fallout at the ISFLC.

Check out the full Cato Unbound post: http://www.cato-unbound.org/2013/05/10/clark-ruper/death-fusionism

And here is a teaser:

Beyond these shifting dynamics and demographics, it is worth stating with emphasis that libertarians are not “on the right,” and it is harmful for us to think so. Our ideas are accepted across the traditional spectrum and inform elements of any political philosophy. From gay marriage to the drug war to the failure of social security to a respect for individualism and entrepreneurship, Americans hold pro-liberty positions. What makes libertarians unique is that while others may hold these beliefs casually, we advocate them absolutely. We are not left or right, but occupy the radical center of political discourse.

Always looking for good feedback on the topic. Let me know what you think in the comments or on the Facebook threads.

Students For Liberty is thrilled to announce this year’s free book project in conjunction with the Atlas Network: Why Liberty.

For 3 years, SFL has published The Economics of Freedom, The Morality of Capitalism, and After the Welfare State and distributed them free to pro-liberty student groups each fall. Year after year, these books provide student groups with the intellectual ammunition they need to advance the ideas of liberty on campus.

Why Liberty broadens the focus and acts as a multidisciplinary introduction to the ideas of liberty. It examines liberty through the lens of culture, entrepreneurship, health, art, technology, philosophy, and the transformative power of freedom. Edited by Dr. Tom G. Palmer, the book features articles from experts in the fields of policy, academia, business, media, and student organizing. This new collection emphasizes students talking to students, showing that freedom is not an old antiquated idea, but a modern, dynamic and liberating force with the power to change the world. Students can request up to 500 books for their group! Currently requests are only open to students in the United States, but will be expanding internationally in the coming months.

Request your shipment of Why Liberty today! Click through below to see a list of those contributing material to the book, as well as details on how to order.

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Our friends at Students For Sensible Drug Policy are hosting a Federal Marijuana Lobbying Day on June 16-17. The anti-drug war movement faces a critically limited window of time between now and this summer, when the U.S. House of Representatives may vote on an amendment that would seek to curtail DEA enforcement activities in states with legal marijuana markets. Join SSDP for a day of lobbying training, then head to Capitol Hill to make your voice heard. Register today!

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There is a long standing debate within the libertarian movement over how to go about making our vision of society a reality. It is a tall task to be sure, and to get there we need a plan. There are not very many of us, so we should all get on the same page and work under one strategy, right? Well, not really. Libertarians love to argue over how to change society almost as much as over what the end product looks like. But the thing is there is no “right” answer to this question. In fact we can and must turn to a multitude of strategies to change the world.

These debates are usually framed as politics versus principles, pragmatism versus idealism, boots on the ground activism versus ivory tower naval gazing. However, these are false distinctions, a debate without a victor. That is because these theories are not competitive, but complementary. Both, and many more, are necessary pre-requisites for a libertarian revolution.

It is a constantly running debate, one that is healthy to have within a movement, but a little context can be helpful. These arguments are not new nor are they limited to the forums of Facebook and late night happy hour festivities. They have been going on for decades and have been fleshed out by brilliant thinkers time and again. In my mind the two who best exemplify the sides are Saul Alinsky and F. A. Hayek. First, I will give a little background on each and their works, then analysis on how their theories complement each other.

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