This episode features an audio essay written by personal development coach Gregory Diehl from 2011, and which comprises Chapter 17 of Everything Voluntary: From Politics to Parenting, edited by Skyler J. Collins and published in 2012.
Category: Podcast
Mutual Interdependence & Efface Opinions (28m) – Episode 051
Episode 051 looks at two Stoic topics: the first from Marcus Aurelius who wrote, “Meditate often on the interconnectedness and mutual interdependence of all things in the universe. For in a sense, all things are mutually woven together and therefore have an affinity for each other—for one thing follows after another according to their tension of movement, their sympathetic stirrings, and the unity of all substance.”; and the second from r/Stoicism, a post by Anderson Silver (yourusermanual), which began with another Marcus Aurelius quote, “Efface the opinion, I am harmed, and at once the feeling of being harmed disappears; efface the feeling, and the harm disappears at once.”
The Many Capitalisms, and Socialisms (28m) – Episode 442
Episode 442 has Skyler giving follow-up commentary on Episode 433, his response to Richard Wolff after his debates with David Friedman and Gene Epstein. This episode picks apart definitions for capitalism and socialism and shows how even the most horrible dictators and slaveowners in human history can be considered capitalists if we pervert words and concepts thoroughly enough.
Aphorisms in Honor of Liberty, Part Nine (24m) – Episode 441
Episode 441 has Skyler giving his commentary on the following aphorisms written by Jakub Bożydar Wiśniewski: “A good economist believes that the ones best suited to deal with the problem of scarcity are entrepreneurs. A bad economist believes that it’s the economists.”; “A fool believes that individual liberty can be established by means of political power. A person of reason believes that political power can be abolished by means of individual liberty.”; “A ‘just tax’ is something akin to an ‘affectionate rape’.”; “If the best thing you can say about something is that it is a “necessary evil”, then it is as obviously evil as it is unnecessary.”; “Border: the geographical expression of tribal parochialism.”; “A wise person is someone who is grateful for being called a fool when he’s wrong, indifferent to being called a fool when he’s right, embarrassed at being called a sage when he’s right, and troubled by being called a sage when he’s wrong.”
John Hasnas: Have Markets Failed? (25m)
This episode features a talk by law and business professor John Hasnas from 2013. He talks about the failures of “market-failure” arguments so often used by bureaucrats to justify government regulation. He explained why he believes that the internal regulatory mechanisms of free markets prove to be far more powerful than anything that politicians can attempt.
Fallacy of Accent & Expectations (19m) – Episode 050
Episode 050 looks at the Fallacy of Accent and Expectations as a cognitive bias.
Post-Punitive Parenting & Markets Aren’t Miraculous (21m) – Episode 440
Episode 440 has Skyler giving his commentary on the following topics: an article he wrote in August 2011 titled, “Post-Punitive Parenting”; and an article he wrote in May 2018 titled, “Markets aren’t Miraculous; God Bless the World”.
Patrick’s Journey, Harassing People, & Peaceful Parenting University (51m) – Episode 439
Episode 439 welcomes Patrick Smith to the podcast to chat with Skyler on the following topics: growing up in the Dallas area, his Corvette and run-ins with cops; training to be a voluntary police officer in order to keep the cops off his back, and learning on ride-alongs that cops mostly just harass peaceful people all day long; studying the American founding fathers to answer the question of authority; delving deeper into Judge Napolitano and (old) Stefan Molyneux; his Not Governor campaign; creating Peaceful Parenting University; why communism even at the home/family level doesn’t work; why child dependency on their parents creates a positive obligation; spanking as a protective use of force; Walter Block’s evictionism theory of abortion; his search for practical peaceful parenting tools; was homeschooled for a year as a youth and always wanted that for his own kids; how he “unschooled” himself after hours as a youth; his unique experiences of raising separate sets of kids both traditionally and peacefully; responding to tantrums; how authoritarian parenting creates the expectation of authoritarianism; and more.
Stephan Kinsella: Property, What It Is and Isn’t (1h31m)
This episode features a lecture by libertarian theorist and patent attorney Stephan Kinsella from 2017. This talk sets out the framework for how to view property rights in general and then finally turns to intellectual property. The main talk lasted for about the first 30 minutes; the final hour is questions and answers.
Mental Health over Wealth, Good Friends, Difficult Situations, & Uncomfortable Truths (26m) – Episode 049
Episode 049 looks at choosing to protect your mental or physical health over choosing a higher paycheck; why being a good friend probably means holding your friends accountable for their poor decisions; some advice on dealing with difficult situations; and becoming comfortable in the face of uncomfortable truths.