The Liberty Exchange
The Liberty Exchange is a podcast from Libertarianism.org that explores the theories, history, and practice of liberty. It features discussions and interviews with thinkers and activists about libertarian ideas and their application to current issues. The show aims to puzzle through the meaning of freedom and how it shapes society and politics.
Episodes
A Radical Experiment in Liberty: A conversation with Brad Birzer
Jonathan Fortier talks with Brad Birzer about his recent book, “The Declaration of Independence: A Radical Experiment in Liberty”.About the author:Bradley J. Birzer holds the Russell Amos Kirk Chair in American Studies at Hillsdale College, where he has taught for over two decades. A graduate of Notre Dame and Indiana University, he specializes in American history, Catholic intellectual tradition,
Foucault and Liberal Political Economy: A conversation with Mark Pennington
Jonathan Fortier and Mark Pennington discuss whether Michel Foucault’s work shares commonalities with the liberal tradition. In a conversation that covers theories of knowledge, human identity, and social and political thought, Pennington argues that Foucault’s concerns about abusive power and its effects on individual liberty open his work to
Free Speech is for Losers: A Conversation with Bruce Pardy
In this episode, Jonathan Fortier talks with Bruce Pardy about the assaults on free speech in Canada, the UK and Europe. These moves to censor and control speech, especially online content, are ominous indicators of multiple assaults on free expression and political liberty more generally. Pardy outlines the various developments, the legal implications, and argues that our liberty won’t be reclaim
David Beito on his book FDR: A New Political Life
In this episode, Jonathan Fortier talks with David Beito about FDR's rise to the American presidency, and the negative consequences for civil, political and economic liberty. The conversation explores the ways in which Roosevelt was influenced by Wilson, who had promulgated a new formulation of freedom, and Teddy Roosevelt, whose nationalism, coupled with the ideas imported from Bismarck's Ge
You Don’t Own Me: Individualism and the Culture of Liberty with guest Tim Sandefur
In this episode, Jonathan Fortier talks with Tim Sandefur about his recent book, You Don’t Own Me, published by Libertarianism.org in 2025. The conversation explores themes of liberty, individualism and personal autonomy as they find expression in novels, films, blues music and architecture, to name just a few of the genres up for discussion.Important note: Tim notes that it was Bernard Taupi
Peak Human: Lessons from the Rise and Fall of Golden Ages with Johan Norberg
In this episode Jonathan Fortier talks with Johan Norberg about his new book Peak Human, which explores seven golden ages to reveal the common thread that makes societies thrive. Their conversation explores not only what went wrong when these civilizations collapsed, but the lessons to be learnt about what was done right. Openness, Norberg argues, has historically triumphed over withdrawal fr
I, Smartphone: The Power of the Free Market with Lawrence W. Reed
In this episode Jonathan Fortier talks with Lawrence Reed about his essay, "I, Smartphone", which revisits the themes of Leonard Read's famous essay, "I, Pencil" for contemporary audiences. Their conversation explores the incredible complexity and power of free markets and the foundational principles that allow those markets to function most successfully. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for
Talking Liberty and Milton Friedman: A Conversation with Brad Lips, CEO of Atlas Network
Jonathan Fortier talks with Brad Lips, CEO of Atlas Network, about a network of over 500 liberty-advancing think tanks around the world. Their conversation explores the necessity of decentralized knowledge and local efforts as essential elements in promoting free societies in different cultures with unique circumstances. Jonathan and Brad discuss the recent issue of the Atlas magazine, “Freedom’s
The Capitalist Manifesto: A Conversation with Johan Norberg
Jonathan Fortier talks with Johan Norberg, author of The Capitalist Manifesto: Why the Global Free Market Will Save the World. The conversation explores how a simple coffee shop can illustrate the complexity of international trade, why capitalism is a "double thank you" system in which we may all get what we need more efficiently, and much more. Norberg delves into everyday examples that help us a
Modern Libertarianism: A Conversation with Brian Doherty
Jonathan Fortier talks with Brian Doherty, author of Modern Libertarianism: A Brief History of Classical Liberalism in the United States. The conversation explores some of the main themes in Doherty’s book, including figures like Mises and Hayek, Ayn Rand, Leonard E. Read and many others. Doherty muses on the nature of the libertarian movement and the many strains of thought animated by fractious
Open Borders: A Conversation about Immigration with Bryan Caplan
Jonathan Fortier and Bryan Caplan discuss the reissue of Open Borders a graphic non-fiction novel published by Libertarianism.org. Caplan argues for the tremendous power of open migration to unleash economic potential and generate much greater overall human flourishing. The episode explores some of the common objections to immigration, considering both the American and European context, and conclu
The Freedom Convoy: The Case of the Canadian Truckers with Bruce Pardy
In this episode, Jonathan Fortier and Bruce Pardy discuss some of the ways that the government response to COVID (both in Canada and abroad) revealed the fragility of individual freedom in the face of political power and explore the various reasons that political, legal and civic institutions failed to protect individual liberty in a time of apparent crisis. The conversation explores aspects of th
Creative Destruction: A Conversation with John Dalton
Jonathan talks with John Dalton, Professor of Economics at Wake Forest University in North Carolina, about his book, Creative Destruction, published by Libertarianism.org in 2024. Jonathan and John discuss the work of Joseph Schumpeter, an Austrian economist who popularized the idea of creative destruction, and the important ways that Vienna served as a stimulating backdrop for early theorizing ab
Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Hayek’s Nobel Prize: A Conversation with Don Boudreaux
Jonathan Fortier talks with Don Boudreaux, Professor of Economics at George Mason University, about the legacy of F.A. Hayek. Don provides a quick overview of the background and context of Hayek’s Nobel Prize, the intellectual rivalry with Keynes, and a general survey of Hayek’s important insights and their ramifications for understanding free societies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for
The Individualists: A Conversation with Matt Zwolinski about the history of Libertarianism
In this episode, Jonathan Fortier talks with Matt Zwolinski about his recent book, The Individualists: Radicals, Reactionaries, and the Struggle for the Soul of Libertarianism (co-authored with John Tomasi, Princeton, 2023). They discuss various approaches to understanding the foundational principles of libertarianism, dominant historical differences in the evolution of libertarian thought, and so
Sustaining and Revitalizing Democracies: A Conversation with Brook Manville and Josiah Ober
In this episode, Jonathan Fortier talks with Brook Manville and Josiah Ober about their recent book, The Civic Bargain: How Democracy Survives (Princeton, 2023). Manville and Ober identify essential qualities for robust democracies, and explore how Ancient Athens, Republican Rome, Parliamentary Britain and the American Founding each struggled to develop and maintain key practices and institutions
FDR’s War on the Bill of Rights
In this episode, Jonathan Fortier speaks with David T. Beito, Senior Fellow at the Independent Institute and Professor Emeritus in the Department of History at the University of Alabama. Together they discuss his new book The New Deal’s War on the Bill of Rights, particularly focusing on FDR’s use of censorship and the implementation of Japanese internment camps during World War II. His book
Liberty in our Lifetime: A Conversation with Jason Sorens
In this episode, Jonathan Fortier talks with Jason Sorens, Senior Research Fellow at the American Institute of Economic Research and Founder of the Free State Project. They discuss the origins and purposes of the Free State Project, the question of secession, the lessons that other American states might learn from the FSP, analogues with other secessionist movements around the world, and then turn
Adventures in Hayek: A Conversation with Bruce Caldwell
In this episode, Jonathan Fortier talks with Professor Bruce Caldwell, the general editor of the Collected Works of F. A. Hayek (University of Chicago Press) and Director of the Center for the Study of the History of Political Economy at Duke University. They discuss the challenges and rewards of editing Hayek, reflect on the perennial significance of Hayek’s “Road to Serfdom” and discuss the rece
Executive Power: The Cult of the Presidency with Gene Healy
In this episode Jonathan Fortier talks with Gene Healy about the growth in the scope and power of the office of the American President, and some of the ways that this has negative consequences for political accountability and individual liberty. Healy’s book, The Cult of the Presidency, first published in 2008 by the Cato Institute, will be reissued this coming autumn in advance of the American pr
Liberty in Review: A Conversation with Todd Zywicki
As part of our “Janus Week” in which we look back on 2023 and forward to 2024, Jonathan Fortier and Todd Zywicki discuss the recent high points for liberty and potential threats on the horizon. Zywicki distinguishes between positive wins and defensive moves as they discuss the election of Milei, the rolling back of Covid restrictions, the Supreme Court’s apparent moves to rein in the administrativ
Classical Liberalism and the Higher Things
For a philosophy that seeks to allow us the choice in how we pursue our own interests, some argue liberalism leaves us unmoored or adrift. Dan Klein thinks differently. In a wide-ranging conversation with Libertarianism.org Director Jonathan Fortier, they discuss the transcendence of the divine, joy, beauty, community, and virtues such as benevolence and friendship. They also explore the concept o
America's Founders, Christianity, and the Path to Liberty
As terms like Christian nationalism and Catholic integralism are bandied about regarding their place (or lack thereof) in modern American politics, it becomes important to ask; what role did Christianity play in the founding and early life of the United States of America? To answer this question, Libertarianism.org Director Jonathan Fortier is joined on this episode of The Liberty Exchange by gues
A City Cannot Be a Work of Art: Sanford Ikeda on Jane Jacobs and Spontaneous Complexity
Our Centers of Progress theme this week has revolved around the history and nature of cities, and their role in promoting values central to free societies –including a respect for liberty, individual rights, free speech, and cosmopolitanism. But putting those values into action is much more complicated than it sounds. Sanford Ikeda, Professor Emeritus at the State University of New York, Purc
How Cities Can Change the World
When you imagine a city what comes to mind? Is it a crumbling locale jampacked with residents yet devoid of any sense of community? Or is it a densely populated but vibrant network of people coexisting in a kind of chaotic harmony? While we may take for granted cities as institutions, their development has fundamentally changed the way humans live, work, and come together to pursue their goals.In
Havel on Authenticity, Responsibility, and Freedom
When ideology overtakes thinking for oneself—who is to blame? Is the state solely responsible, or do many of us outsource our moral responsibility to ideology? According to Václav Havel, the line between ruler and ruled might be less apparent than we think.To close out this week celebrating the 10th anniversary of Havel’s Place, Libertarianism.org Director Jonathan Fortier is joined by Flagg Taylo
The Velvet Revolution and Václav Havel
Welcome to the first ever episode of The Liberty Exchange!No matter what your thoughts may be on any particular topic, it can be hard to feel comfortable expressing those ideas in today’s highly charged social climate. But, as dangerous as words can seem, they are a powerful tool as well, one we should all be more willing to utilize over more coercive means, especially in the face of actual totali
Coming Soon: The Liberty Exchange
Coming soon, a brand new podcast from Libertarianism.org... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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