For A New Liberty: Spring 2006
Please help the Mises Institute make Rothbard's For a New Liberty available again! Murray N. Rothbard was drawn to impossible tasks, and accepted those that came his way. So in 1971, when a major publisher asked him to sum up all of libertarianism between two covers for the intelligent man and woman, he quickly agreed. The result was a complete libertarian manifesto: ethics, economics, history, politics, law, and society--all in one book. FULL ARTICLE
Comments (11)
What is the deadline for the US$1000 donation? My month ends on the 10th, but I would love to make a donation. Do you accept gold, btw? 2 ounces should more than cover things.
Do we get a copy of the book with that donation? ;)
Published: February 1, 2006 8:24 PM
Well, the problem with giving away the book with the donation has to do with the tax laws: as a 501c3, the value (not used in an Austrian sense!) of the book must be subtracted from your donation as a tax-deductible item (as I understand it). So rather than do that, we decided on the clean and clear approach. By the way, this will be hardbound (like History of Thought) and the price will be low (like History of Thought). This book has been long out of print, so the demand is already quite high, and this new edition will be worthy of the contents.
On in-kind donations, please write our director of development (mail)
Published: February 1, 2006 8:50 PM
So what is the deadline for the $1000 donation to get your name in the book? Do tell, as I'd donate if the date was far off enough so that I'd be fairly sure of having a job by then.
As it is, I'd almost donate the $1000 now, but want to wait (I did donate $50 though!).
Published: February 2, 2006 11:43 AM
If you want to be a patron, the deadline is March 31, 2006.
Published: February 2, 2006 1:08 PM
Hello, I was a friend of Murray Rothbard and have some of his charming and informative letters. Isn't anyone ever going to write a biography? Here we have a facinating life
-think of the chapter on his Ayn Rand days, how much fun he made of her sycophantic followers. How about his opinion of Alan Greenspan, or his early childhood with the influence of his mother who ran around with Emma Goldman-if I am remembering correctly. Ever see the penultimate anarchist sing 'my country tis of thee sweet land of liberty" on Forth of July?! Com-on people if you love liberty and you love Murray then how about getting an excellent playwrite or writer to convey his message.
Published: February 2, 2006 2:08 PM
Dear Sirs,
I fully agree that this title by MNR is great, too.
So, why not put it online, at a fraction of the cost of a printed issue, which will have only a limited and temporary edition???
One of you associates pointed out that the free-on line offers promoted printed editions. So why not start with the online offer and collect advance subscriptions for a printed edition from those still stuck on paper and print??? - To each the government or non-governmental society of his or her choice! - John Zube
Published: February 3, 2006 5:36 AM
For a New Liberty is online here in both text and pdf. It has long been out of print otherwise. The hard copy edition complements the online edition. This will not be a limited edition. It will stay in print, which is one reason the Mises Institute is increasingly drawn to in-house editions. The price is right, the availability is never a question, and we can keep it in print. The frustrations of dealing with academic press houses have taught us this much!
Published: February 3, 2006 6:08 AM
Kit Olivi,
I believe there is a biograph of Rothbard by Justin Raimondo, titled An Enemy of the State: The Life of Murray N. Rothbard.
Published: February 3, 2006 8:07 AM
I salute the institute for the effort to get this book back into print. I had to pay almost $30 to get the original paperback version (with the price of 6.95 in the upper right hand corner mocking me). I'm shocked by how many Libertarians I've met who have never heard of Rothbard and never read this book. At a time when the LP is becoming increasingly overrun with fair tax supporters and constitutionalists, this book is sorely needed, and I'm glad it's coming back into print. If I find a job in the next few months, I'll donate part of my signing bonus.
Published: February 3, 2006 10:28 PM
I've just thought about it some more, and I'm very excited about having this book back in print. However, I do have to express concern that some of it may be dated. Obviously most of the examples are from the 70's, and for the most part it's not a problem, most of them are still relevant and illustrative. However, the last chapter before the epilogue has a long section discussing the USSR, as well as issues like disarmament and such. It seems to me that this is no longer relevant and would bore most people. Could we replace it with a modern anarcho-capitalist analysis of the war in the middle east, including the origins of terror and the injustice of the founding of Israel? I don't think Rothbard would object, as from what I've heard about him, he was a shrewd tactician who believed it important to put forth the most relevant argument that interested the most people. Thoughts?
Published: February 5, 2006 2:13 PM
I too was concerned that some of it was dated, but in going through it in preparation for the release, I was struck by how much is not. The entire apparatus of rights theory, private property, trade, civil liberties, peace, and the integration of these subject--this is the core. The applications in policy are mostly all still applicable. Some examples are data and studies since further illustrate the point but as an integrated treatise, it does seem unsurpassed. It deals with economics, philosophy, history, and politics, and seemlessly so. As we look around for similar books, one gains an appreciation of how rare a thing this is. Also, there is this white-heat burn that runs through the prose that keeps you going, almost like the author can wait to tell you the next thing and the next thing and the next. One thing is for sure about this: a complete read of this book will destabilize anyone with conventional political views. On the final point concerning the Soviet Union: at the time, this section was blasted for its "leftism" but today it is easier to see that his assessment was entirely correct. I'm too young to have read it during the Cold War, but I can imagined that it would have come as quite the shock to anyone on the Right. Yet, even today, it is still rare to find people who favor both peace and capitalism.
Published: February 5, 2006 3:05 PM