Murray Rothbard was the most important libertarian theorist of the twentieth century.In this course, we’ll examine his unique synthesis of Austrian economics and individualist anarchism, which has set the agenda for much of the contemporary libertarian movement.

The course will cover both Rothbard’s life and works. Students who complete the course will learn how Rothbard arrived at his libertarian views and his main activities in advocating them. We will also look at his life as a scholar and cover his main contributions to economic theory, political philosophy, and history.

The course will be based on readings from Rothbard’s main works and also on my The Essential Rothbard. In addition, throughout the course I will refer to what I learned from Rothbard in my conversations with him over many years.

The course consists of six weekly lectures of one hour, followed by a half-hour for questions and discussion. Weekly quizzes will be available for those who wish to take the course for credit.

Lectures

The video lectures are online.  Lectures will be Tuesday evenings, 5:30-7:00 pm Eastern time. You do not need to be able to attend live, as the lectures will be recorded and made available for enrolled students to download.

Reading

All readings for the course will be free and available online.

Grades and Certificates

The final grade will depend on quizzes.  Taking the course for a grade is optional.  The Mises Academy is currently not accredited, but this course is worth 3 credits in our own internal system.  Feel free to ask your school to accept Mises Academy credits.  You will receive a digital Certificate of Completion for this course if you take it for a grade, and a Certificate of Participation if you take it on a paid-audit basis.

Refund Policy

If you drop the course during its first week (7 calendar days), you will receive a full refund, minus a $25 processing fee.  If you drop the course during its second week, you will receive a half refund.  No refunds will be granted following the second week.