Images
TheAdvocates.org - Wendy McElroy
200x303 JPEG, color
200x303 JPEG, color
Associations
Board of Advisors, Advocates for Self-Government
Advisory Panel member, Center for a Stateless Society
Research Fellow, The Independent Institute
Web Pages
Wendy McElroy - Libertarian
Advocates for Self-Government
Advocates for Self-Government
Writings
A Clarion Call for Health Independence, 31 Jan 2007
Related Topics: Health Care, Marriage, Personal Responsibility
A review of the movie Lorenzo's Oil (1992)
"On a more political level, the overriding theme is 'Question Authority.' ... It is not merely that experts are shown to be fallible and constrained by narrow thinking. It is that ordinary people are shown to be capable of realizing their own self-interest even in 'expert only' areas."
Related Topics: Health Care, Marriage, Personal Responsibility
A review of the movie Lorenzo's Oil (1992)
"On a more political level, the overriding theme is 'Question Authority.' ... It is not merely that experts are shown to be fallible and constrained by narrow thinking. It is that ordinary people are shown to be capable of realizing their own self-interest even in 'expert only' areas."
A Man's Home Is His Castle, Freedom Daily, Jul 2006
Related Topic: Eminent Domain Protections
"The Castle (1997; directed by Rob Sitch) is also a movie about eminent domain: the so-called right of a government to seize private property for a public use, such as a freeway, in exchange for what the government deems to be fair-market value. Thus the movie's title spins off the maxim, 'A man's home is his castle.'"
Related Topic: Eminent Domain Protections
"The Castle (1997; directed by Rob Sitch) is also a movie about eminent domain: the so-called right of a government to seize private property for a public use, such as a freeway, in exchange for what the government deems to be fair-market value. Thus the movie's title spins off the maxim, 'A man's home is his castle.'"
Benjamin Ricketson Tucker, Part 1, Freedom Daily, Aug 2007
Related Topic: Benjamin Ricketson Tucker
Biographical essay on Benjamin Tucker from birth to the early years of the periodical Liberty
"The publisher and author of those words, Benjamin Ricketson Tucker (1854-1939), defined the radical extreme of American individualism from the post-Civil War era to the first decade of the 20th century. ... Through NELRL Tucker came to conclusions that would guide the rest of his career as a radical: economic change was the primary need of society; and electoral politics was not the path to freedom."
Related Topic: Benjamin Ricketson Tucker
Biographical essay on Benjamin Tucker from birth to the early years of the periodical Liberty
"The publisher and author of those words, Benjamin Ricketson Tucker (1854-1939), defined the radical extreme of American individualism from the post-Civil War era to the first decade of the 20th century. ... Through NELRL Tucker came to conclusions that would guide the rest of his career as a radical: economic change was the primary need of society; and electoral politics was not the path to freedom."
Benjamin Ricketson Tucker, Part 2, Freedom Daily, Sep 2007
Related Topics: Benjamin Ricketson Tucker, The State
Biographical essay on Benjamin Tucker from the first issue of Liberty until his death
"Tucker's economic views established him in labor ranks. He staunchly advocated strikes as a strategy as long as force was eschewed. ... His rejection of violence did not spring from a faintness of heart. ... Tucker rejected violence because, until all peaceful avenues of social change had been exhausted, violence only turned the average person away from whatever cause used it."
Related Topics: Benjamin Ricketson Tucker, The State
Biographical essay on Benjamin Tucker from the first issue of Liberty until his death
"Tucker's economic views established him in labor ranks. He staunchly advocated strikes as a strategy as long as force was eschewed. ... His rejection of violence did not spring from a faintness of heart. ... Tucker rejected violence because, until all peaceful avenues of social change had been exhausted, violence only turned the average person away from whatever cause used it."
Benjamin Tucker, Liberty And Individualist Anarchism [PDF], The Independent Review, 1997
Related Topic: Benjamin Ricketson Tucker
"Not until Tucker ... did radical individualism become a distinct, independent movement functioning in its own name toward its own unique set of goals. This was the primary accomplishment of Liberty. It discussed and integrated ethics, economics, and politics to build a sophisticated system of philosophy."
Related Topic: Benjamin Ricketson Tucker
"Not until Tucker ... did radical individualism become a distinct, independent movement functioning in its own name toward its own unique set of goals. This was the primary accomplishment of Liberty. It discussed and integrated ethics, economics, and politics to build a sophisticated system of philosophy."
Étienne de La Boétie, Part 1, Freedom Daily, Apr 2003
Related Topic: Étienne de La Boétie
Provides biographical background on La Boétie and begins examination of his "Discourse"
"La Boétie did not believe that the state ruled primarily through force. For one thing, there were many more slaves than agents of the state: if even a small percentage of the populace refused to obey a law, that law became unenforceable. Moreover, most people obeyed without being forced to do so. La Boétie evolved an alternate explanation that he called 'voluntary servitude.'"
Related Topic: Étienne de La Boétie
Provides biographical background on La Boétie and begins examination of his "Discourse"
"La Boétie did not believe that the state ruled primarily through force. For one thing, there were many more slaves than agents of the state: if even a small percentage of the populace refused to obey a law, that law became unenforceable. Moreover, most people obeyed without being forced to do so. La Boétie evolved an alternate explanation that he called 'voluntary servitude.'"
Étienne de La Boétie, Part 2, Freedom Daily, May 2003
Related Topic: Étienne de La Boétie
Examines major themes in the "Discourse:" custom, control of information, buying off the people and withdrawal of consent
"If La Boétie is right, if freedom is a natural human urge, then nature itself argues the logic of not cooperating with tyranny. There is something within man and beast that resists the tension of a leash. Rather than break the tension by attacking those who hold the reigns, La Boétie told people to let the tension go slack. People should refuse either violence or submission. They should simply say No."
Related Topic: Étienne de La Boétie
Examines major themes in the "Discourse:" custom, control of information, buying off the people and withdrawal of consent
"If La Boétie is right, if freedom is a natural human urge, then nature itself argues the logic of not cooperating with tyranny. There is something within man and beast that resists the tension of a leash. Rather than break the tension by attacking those who hold the reigns, La Boétie told people to let the tension go slack. People should refuse either violence or submission. They should simply say No."
Henry David Thoreau and "Civil Disobedience," Part 1, Freedom Daily, Mar 2005
Related Topic: Henry David Thoreau
"'Civil Disobedience' ... is one of the most influential political tracts ever written by an American. [It] is an analysis of the individual's relationship to the state that focuses on why men obey governmental law even when they believe it to be unjust. ... the real cost of paying his poll tax ... would have meant quarreling with his owns conscience ..."
Related Topic: Henry David Thoreau
"'Civil Disobedience' ... is one of the most influential political tracts ever written by an American. [It] is an analysis of the individual's relationship to the state that focuses on why men obey governmental law even when they believe it to be unjust. ... the real cost of paying his poll tax ... would have meant quarreling with his owns conscience ..."
Henry David Thoreau and "Civil Disobedience," Part 2, Freedom Daily, Apr 2005
Related Topic: Henry David Thoreau
"It is a secular call for the inviolability of conscience on all issues, and this aspect may account for some of the essay's enduring legacy. ... Thoreau denies the right of any government to automatic an unthinking obedience. Obedience should be ... withheld from an unjust government."
Related Topic: Henry David Thoreau
"It is a secular call for the inviolability of conscience on all issues, and this aspect may account for some of the essay's enduring legacy. ... Thoreau denies the right of any government to automatic an unthinking obedience. Obedience should be ... withheld from an unjust government."
Lysander Spooner, Part 1, Freedom Daily, Oct 2005
Related Topic: Lysander Spooner
"At 25 ... a growing passion for legal theory led him to the law offices of John Davis and Charles Allen ... Three years later, Spooner launched his first attack on an unjust law. ... Spooner's writings became campaign material for the Liberty Party ... formed in 1840 from the memberships of the American and foreign anti-slavery societies."
Related Topic: Lysander Spooner
"At 25 ... a growing passion for legal theory led him to the law offices of John Davis and Charles Allen ... Three years later, Spooner launched his first attack on an unjust law. ... Spooner's writings became campaign material for the Liberty Party ... formed in 1840 from the memberships of the American and foreign anti-slavery societies."
Lysander Spooner, Part 2, Freedom Daily, Nov 2005
Related Topics: Lysander Spooner, Government, Magna Carta, Right to Trial by Jury
"The right of people to defend themselves against the usurpation of government was the central theme of Spooner's next major work, An Essay on the Trial by Jury ... Spooner believed that a jury should judge the justice of laws as well as the facts of cases and then base its verdict on either judgment."
Related Topics: Lysander Spooner, Government, Magna Carta, Right to Trial by Jury
"The right of people to defend themselves against the usurpation of government was the central theme of Spooner's next major work, An Essay on the Trial by Jury ... Spooner believed that a jury should judge the justice of laws as well as the facts of cases and then base its verdict on either judgment."
Murray N. Rothbard: Mr. Libertarian, 6 Jul 2000
Related Topic: Murray N. Rothbard
A tribute to Rothbard as a "system builder," an integrator of multiple disciplines into a "philosophy of freedom"
"Following in the footsteps of his mentor, the pioneering Austrian Economist Ludwig von Mises, Rothbard grounded human liberty in human nature. Developing an explicit philosophy of Liberty, he drove his insights through history to re-examine the real implications and meaning of events, such as the American Revolution. He laid a moral foundation for freedom, then used it to springboard into a strategy by which to achieve it. The integration was a stunning accomplishment."
Related Topic: Murray N. Rothbard
A tribute to Rothbard as a "system builder," an integrator of multiple disciplines into a "philosophy of freedom"
"Following in the footsteps of his mentor, the pioneering Austrian Economist Ludwig von Mises, Rothbard grounded human liberty in human nature. Developing an explicit philosophy of Liberty, he drove his insights through history to re-examine the real implications and meaning of events, such as the American Revolution. He laid a moral foundation for freedom, then used it to springboard into a strategy by which to achieve it. The integration was a stunning accomplishment."
Neither Bullets nor Ballots [PDF], The Voluntaryist, Oct 1982
Related Topics: Voluntaryism, Libertarian Party
First editorial, describing the two major goals of The Voluntaryist
"A goal of The Voluntaryist is to construct a cohesive theory of anti-political libertarianism, of Voluntaryism, which will investigate such issues as whether moral or legal liabilities adhere to the act of voting someone into power over another's life. ... Those who embrace political office hinder the efforts of Voluntaryists who are attempting to throw off this institution of force."
Related Topics: Voluntaryism, Libertarian Party
First editorial, describing the two major goals of The Voluntaryist
"A goal of The Voluntaryist is to construct a cohesive theory of anti-political libertarianism, of Voluntaryism, which will investigate such issues as whether moral or legal liabilities adhere to the act of voting someone into power over another's life. ... Those who embrace political office hinder the efforts of Voluntaryists who are attempting to throw off this institution of force."
Sophie Scholl: A Life of Courage, Freedom Daily, May 2007
Related Topics: Sophie Scholl, Freedom of Speech
Review of the 2005 German film Sophie Scholl: The Final Days
"Sophie and her brother, Hans, were leading members of a nonviolent resistance group called the White Rose. ... The White Rose soon became infamous for a leaflet campaign that called for the removal of Hitler from power and an end to the insanity of World War II. The group subsequently became famous as martyrs to freedom and as proof that tyranny cannot destroy man's passion for justice."
Related Topics: Sophie Scholl, Freedom of Speech
Review of the 2005 German film Sophie Scholl: The Final Days
"Sophie and her brother, Hans, were leading members of a nonviolent resistance group called the White Rose. ... The White Rose soon became infamous for a leaflet campaign that called for the removal of Hitler from power and an end to the insanity of World War II. The group subsequently became famous as martyrs to freedom and as proof that tyranny cannot destroy man's passion for justice."
The Bathtub, Mencken, and War, The Freeman: Ideas on Liberty, Sep 1999
Related Topic: Henry Louis Mencken
Related Topic: Henry Louis Mencken
The Colonial Venture of Ireland, Part 1, Freedom Daily, May 2004
Related Topic: Ireland
"On January 1, 1801, an Act of Union joined Ireland and England under a single Parliament in London. ... Some Irish became committed to repealing the Act. ... By calling on future generations to fight for Irish freedom, Emmet converted his failure into legend."
Related Topic: Ireland
"On January 1, 1801, an Act of Union joined Ireland and England under a single Parliament in London. ... Some Irish became committed to repealing the Act. ... By calling on future generations to fight for Irish freedom, Emmet converted his failure into legend."
The Colonial Venture of Ireland, Part 2, Freedom Daily, Jun 2004
Related Topic: Ireland
"Captain Boycott was an estate agent who ordered evictions. In protest, all farmhands and servants refused to labor on the Boycott estate. ... A less violent group also emerged under the guidance of Arthur Griffith: Sinn Fein, or 'Ourselves Alone,' emphasized self-reliance."
Related Topic: Ireland
"Captain Boycott was an estate agent who ordered evictions. In protest, all farmhands and servants refused to labor on the Boycott estate. ... A less violent group also emerged under the guidance of Arthur Griffith: Sinn Fein, or 'Ourselves Alone,' emphasized self-reliance."
The Colonial Venture of Ireland, Part 3, Freedom Daily, Jul 2004
Related Topic: Ireland
"Among the defectors were delegates from the IRA, which split into two factions: those who rejected the treaty and those who reluctantly accepted it as granting 'the freedom to achieve freedom.'"
Related Topic: Ireland
"Among the defectors were delegates from the IRA, which split into two factions: those who rejected the treaty and those who reluctantly accepted it as granting 'the freedom to achieve freedom.'"
The Colonial Venture of Ireland, Part 4, Freedom Daily, Aug 2004
Related Topic: Ireland
"... Eddie McAteer declared in the spring of 1972, 'I am not anti-British, but I do complain that the British mind seems incapable of realizing that other countries would wish to deprive themselves of the services of British rule. ...'"
Related Topic: Ireland
"... Eddie McAteer declared in the spring of 1972, 'I am not anti-British, but I do complain that the British mind seems incapable of realizing that other countries would wish to deprive themselves of the services of British rule. ...'"
The Great Writ Then and Now, The Freeman: Ideas on Liberty, Nov 2009
Related Topic: Writ of Habeas Corpus
Chronicles the history of the writ of habeas corpus from the Magna Carta through the American Civil War to Guantanamo Bay and "enemy combatants"
"The key theoretical debate concerns whether habeas corpus is an inalienable natural right that preceded the State or a privilege granted by government. ... If any right can be called 'inalienable,' habeas corpus must be included on that list. As noted earlier, the right not to be imprisoned unjustly is the foundation on which all others rest."
Related Topic: Writ of Habeas Corpus
Chronicles the history of the writ of habeas corpus from the Magna Carta through the American Civil War to Guantanamo Bay and "enemy combatants"
"The key theoretical debate concerns whether habeas corpus is an inalienable natural right that preceded the State or a privilege granted by government. ... If any right can be called 'inalienable,' habeas corpus must be included on that list. As noted earlier, the right not to be imprisoned unjustly is the foundation on which all others rest."
The Post Office as a Violation of Constitutional Rights, The Freeman: Ideas on Liberty, May 2001
Related Topic: Lysander Spooner
Related Topic: Lysander Spooner
The Roots of Individualist Feminism in 19th-Century America
Excerpted from Freedom, Feminism, and the State
Excerpted from Freedom, Feminism, and the State
Interviews
Faculty Spotlight Interview: Wendy McElroy, 3 Feb 2011
Related Topic: Benjamin Ricketson Tucker
"What drew you to the Austrian school and to the Ludwig von Mises Institute? I was drawn to both by the inimitable economist and historian Murray Rothbard. ... I read Murray and, then, I met him. He sparkled. He made economics sparkle. More importantly, his arguments were a perfect marriage of civil rights and economic liberty so that it has become impossible for me to divorce the two from any issue I now examine."
Related Topic: Benjamin Ricketson Tucker
"What drew you to the Austrian school and to the Ludwig von Mises Institute? I was drawn to both by the inimitable economist and historian Murray Rothbard. ... I read Murray and, then, I met him. He sparkled. He made economics sparkle. More importantly, his arguments were a perfect marriage of civil rights and economic liberty so that it has become impossible for me to divorce the two from any issue I now examine."
Videos
The Anarchist Roundtable #1: Ron Paul, 6 Jan 2008
Related Topic: Ron Paul
Stefan Molyneux hosts Wendy McElroy and Brad Spangler, over the phone, to discuss the Ron Paul Revolution