Mises Institute

Congratulations to RALPH RAICO, the winner of the Gary G. Schlarbaum Prize for Lifetime Achievement in the Cause of Liberty ... Professor Raico was a 17-year-old high school student when he first knocked on Ludwig von Mises's door. He studied economics at Mises's famed New York seminar, learned German upon his advice, and translated Mises's Liberalism into English. Raico became a close friend and colleague of Murray Rothbard, and took his PhD at the University of Chicago under the tutelage of F.A. Hayek.

The 2001 Schlarbaum Laureate is Antony G. N. Flew, emeritus professor of philosophy at the University of Reading, England. ... He has been a leading light in British philosophy for the past half-century. Throughout his long career, he has stressed conceptual clarity in philosophy and has resolutely defended human freedom against its detractors ... Flew has taught at universities all over the world, including England, Scotland, Australia, the United States, and Canada ... Among the many subjects he has philosophically illuminated are psychoanalysis, psychical research, crime, and evolutionary ethics.

For lifetime defense of liberty, given annually 1999 - 2013, $10,000 and a medallion, to a public intellectual or distinguished scholar.

It is no wonder that the Mises Institute is not popular with the beltway crowd. It is easy to understand why those associated with this organization are not regularly interviewed by the New York Times, and do not regularly appear on major network television. It is totally comprehensible that this group limps along with an extremely (get that!?! poetic justice, here) small budget, compared to other "free market" think tanks that have caved in, no, no, I meant, taken on a more moderate position. It is all because of Rockwell's unmitigated disaster of an extremist policy!

[T]hink of Lew Rockwell and the Ludwig von Mises Institute, which in a very short time has attracted 14,000 contributors, begun an extensive teaching, fellowship, and publications program, held a very successful conference on the gold standard in Washington, DC, and become integrated with Auburn University ... I can see more universities asking the ... Institute for assistance in choosing professors to teach the economics of the free market. And I can see ... establishment of fellowships to permit young journalists to enjoy a full year of study in Austrian economics ...

Why is it then that the Mises Institute is nearly alone in championing such a policy? After all, it is part of the conventional apparatus of received opinion in this country that people who love free enterprise also love war, while those who love peace are also friendly to socialism and people-impoverishing ideologies like environmentalism. Why is it that the Mises Institute position on this is so rare? ... And today we stand out among institutions for upholding this ideal. And yes, this opinion is still rare ... Never has the work of the Mises Institute been more essential.

In 1982, Llewellyn H. Rockwell Jr., who had worked for Arlington House Publishers, founded the Ludwig von Mises Institute, now affiliated with Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama. He persuaded Rothbard to become vice president for academic affairs. He provided Rothbard with research support, and Rothbard taught at Mises Institute seminars. Rothbard edited The Review of Austrian Economics, the first journal which focused on Austrian economics. Rothbard contributed essays to the Mises Institute's monthly newsletter Free Market. They covered a wide range of topical issues.

In 1982, Rothbard became vice president for academic affairs at the Ludwig von Mises Institute, formed by former Ron Paul staff member Llewellyn Rockwell, Jr. The Mises Institute became Rothbard's main berth for activism and movement education during the remainder of his life. Under the auspices of the Mises Institute, in 1985 Rothbard founded and edited an academic journal dedicated to Austrian economics research, The Review of Austrian Economics, which he edited until his death.

[My] acquaintances had spent time at the Ludwig von Mises Institute, an unaffiliated think tank located just off-campus [of Auburn University] that preaches the works of Friedrich Hayek, Murray Rothbard and other economists from the Austrian School — including, of course, the institute's namesake ... [The] Institute opened its doors [in 1982], publishing free-market texts in a variety of languages and drawing scholars for research sabbaticals and formal programs such as its week-long Mises University every summer ... [It] counts free-marketers from more than 30 states and at least 23 countries among its faculty.

Take the Mises Institute as a case in point. Yes, it has attracted quite a number of world class Austro-libertarian scholars. But there is also an entirely different cast of financial supporters who work behind the scenes to make the Mises Institute as it is presently constituted possible. Those, preeminently businessmen, are also responsible for the great success of the Institute. So, why do I not join my colleague in recommending finance and ... a career in business ..., so that, eventually, they too can contribute financially to groups like the Mises Institute?

The Mises Institute is honored and thrilled to be entrusted with the literary legacy of Robert LeFevre and the Freedom School, and grateful to Ross and Charlotte Anderson for making it possible. There are 10,000 books, and among the papers are transcripts of lectures by many giants of the libertarian cause, Mises among them. What a collection it is. Come visit us in Auburn and see the new Freedom School. Here is one piece of his legacy.

[O]ne cannot much fault Doherty when he says:

These days, war revisionism is ignored by most mainstream libertarian institutions. Arguing against the Leviathan state seems far enough beyond the pale ... Nowadays, only some writers associated with the Ludwig von Mises Institute and and the libertarian-run website Antiwar.com are apt to link libertarianism and revisionism. (p. 63)

... What exactly counts as a "mainstream" libertarian organization? Doherty keeps his criteria of selection to himself nor does he tell us why the Mises Institute fails to meet them.

Johnsson: How did the Mises Institute get started?
Rockwell: I founded the Mises Institute in 1982 in cooperation with Mises's widow Margit. The idea was to provide an infrastructure of support for Misesian thought, primarily in economics but also in other areas. Rothbard was an enormous help. We ended up as his main publisher at a time when others found him to be too radical, just as people found Mises to be too radical. The Mises Institute is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. It has become a major force in the world of ideas. I'm thrilled at the progress we've made.

What drew you to the Austrian school and the Ludwig von Mises institute?
... After 9-11, ... while most of ... of the United States, including much of the libertarian movement, became crazed by war fever, the Mises Institute stood resolute and unyielding in its devotion to the Rothbardian view of war, peace, and the State ... I began visiting the Mises.org website ... I learned that the ... Institute is one of the most important institutions of the modern libertarian movement, especially in its devotion to the task of keeping libertarians conversant with and dedicated to ... the "plumb line"—the basic, underlying principles of libertarianism.

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 ... [T]he Mises Institute had the immediate appeal of being home to Murray; and, where the 'bow tie' went, a lot of us followed. Mises also had (and has) the rare talents of Lew Rockwell, who combines an eloquent understanding of the ideas with unusual administrative skill. This makes for a principled and well-oiled institute. I do not always agree with those principles–for example, I am adamantly anti-voting–but Mises has always tolerated such disagreements.

The Austrian is unapologetically radical and politically incorrect. Each issue features provocative articles by cutting-edge libertarian and Austrian thinkers, conversational interviews with leading business people and intellectual entrepreneurs, reviews by David Gordon, and cultural commentary by guest writers. It is published six times a year and replaces The Free Market (1983–2013).

The Free Market [was] the monthly newsletter of the Mises Institute featuring articles of application of the Austrian and market viewpoint.

The Journal of Libertarian Studies was founded by Murray N. Rothbard in 1977 and is the premiere venue for the advancement of liberterianism, anarcho-capitalism, the individualist society, and non-interventionism as the first principle of political theory and practice.

The Mises Daily presents relevant short articles from the perspective of an unfettered free market and Austrian economics. Written for a broad audience of laymen and students, the Mises Daily features a wide variety of topics including everything from the history of the state, to international trade, to drug prohibition, and business cycles.

[T]he Ludwig von Mises Institute was formed in 1982 ... Through an annual scholarly journal, The Review of Austrian Economics, a quarterly Austrian Economics Newsletter, a monthly periodical The Free Market, a growing publication program of books, occasional papers, and working papers, annual instructional seminars, policy conferences, numerous non-residential graduate fellowships, and resident fellowships at Auburn University and other universities across the country, the Mises Institute has finally established Austrianism not only as a viable new paradigm for economics but as truly Austrian.

In addition to the gold standard, the hard-money camp also has an ideological foundation in free-market Austrian economics.