Spoken Mises

To devise a libertarian paternalism seems no more promising an endeavor than to construct a square circle. Our eminent authors, though, are not convinced: libertarian paternalism is exactly the position they wish to defend. Their escape from apparent contradiction is ingenious. Still, Tocqueville long ago warned against the policies of paternalism: "it compresses, enervates, extinguishes, and stupefies a people, till each nation is reduced to nothing better than a flock of timid and industrious animals, of which the government is the shepherd."

(Original Text)

Libertarian Paternalism (2.76 MB)