KOL161 | Argumentation Ethics, Estoppel, and Libertarian Rights: Adam Smith Forum, Moscow (2014)

Kinsella on Liberty Podcast, Episode 161. This was my (remotely delivered) presentation at the 6th Adam Smith Forum, Moscow, Russia (Nov. 2, 2014): From the programme: "Entitled "Argumentation Ethics, Estoppel, and Libertarian Rights," Kinsella discusses the nature and definition of libertarianism and surveys different arguments and theories for its particular conception of rights and politics, including natural rights, consequentialist, and utilitarian approaches. He concludes with an overview of two more recent and unique approaches to justifying libertarian rights, the "argumentation ethics" approach of Austrian economist and political philosopher Hans-Hermann Hoppe, and Kinsella's own "estoppel" theory of rights." This is my second speech at the Adam Smith Forum; the first was “Why Intellectual Property is not Genuine Property,” 3rd Adam Smith Forum, Moscow, Russia (Nov. 12, 2011), also via remote video. I did not prepare a new powerpoint but I drew heavily on the one linked here, and included below. Here is the transcript. The main resources I drew on, which I mentioned in the lecture, include: New Rationalist Directions in Libertarian Rights Theory Argumentation Ethics and Liberty: A Concise Guide Defending Argumentation Ethics: Reply to Murphy & Callahan A Libertarian Theory of Punishment and Rights How We Come To Own Ourselves [Update: See also: Argumentation Ethics and Liberty: A Concise Guide,” Mises Daily (May 27, 2011) (includes “Discourse Ethics and Liberty: A Skeletal Ebook”), including: Hans Hermann Hoppe, “On The Ethics of Argumentation” (PFS 2016) The A priori of Argumention, video introduction by Hoppe Lecture 3 of my 2011 Mises Academy course, “The Social Theory of Hoppe” (slides here) Lecture 2 of my 2011 Mises Academy course, “Libertarian Legal Theory: Property, Conflict, and Society” (slides here) my “Dialogical Arguments for Libertarian Rights,” in The Dialectics of Liberty (Lexington Books, 2019) Kinsella, The Genesis of Estoppel: My Libertarian Rights Theory, StephanKinsella.com (March 22, 2016) ————, Hoppe’s Argumentation Ethics and Its Critics, StephanKinsella.com (Aug. 11, 2015) ] These issued were also discussed in further detail in previous Mises Academy courses: KOL155 | “The Social Theory of Hoppe: Lecture 3: Libertarian Rights and Argumentation Ethics” (the slides for this lecture are appended below; links for“suggested readings” for the course are included in the podcast post for the first lecture, episode 153) KOL108 | “Why ‘Intellectual Property’ is not Genuine Property,” Adam Smith Forum, Moscow (2011) SLIDES FOR THE SOCIAL THEORY OF HOPPE: LECTURE 3: LIBERTARIAN RIGHTS AND ARGUMENTATION ETHICS Update: As noted here, This talk is from 2014. I was invited to Moscow for the Adam Smith Forum. I decided it would be prudent to deliver my talk remotely. Didn't want to pull a Brittney Griner. Oddly, I was invited a second time to Russia that year, all-expense and paid trip to St. Petersburg & Moscow, to speak for a lecture series by Russian Esquire Magazine in conjunction with http://InLiberty.ru, a Russian NGO. The InLiberty person told me that "unlike its American and British cousins," Russian Esquire magazine "evolved from a men's fashion and lifestyle magazine into more of a public policy and social observer, very libertarian in its editorial policies..." I was skeptical and leery, so ran this by my Adam Smith Institute Moscow contact and he assured me it was legitimate. Still, I let discretion be the better part of valor and declined. I've traveled enough around the world that I have little inclination to go somewhere to "check it off the list," have never had any interest in visiting Asia, the Middle East, Africa, or former commie shitholes. So I declined.