The
Rational Argumentator
The Rational Argumentator Audio
The following books, essays, and treatises are available for free download in mp3 format. Click on the link relevant to each work to access mp3 files to which you can listen and download.
Audio Books and Essays* An Introduction to Austrian Economics by Thomas C. Taylor
* "Austrian School Arguments on the Free-Market Origin of Money" by G. Stolyarov II
* The Austrian Theory of the Trade Cycle compiled by Richard M. Ebeling
* "The Candlemakers' Petition" by Frederic Bastiat
* "Compulsory Social Insurance" by Ludwig von Mises* "Dispelling Popular Great Depression Myths" by G. Stolyarov II
* Economic Calculation in the Socialist Commonwealth by Ludwig von Mises
* Economic Science and the Austrian Method by Hans-Hermann Hoppe
* "The Historical Setting of the Austrian School of Economics" by Ludwig von Mises
* "Liberation by Internet: How Technology Destroys Tyranny" by G. Stolyarov II
* "Liberty and Property" by Ludwig von Mises
* "Middle-of-the-Road Policy Leads to Socialism" by Ludwig von Mises
* "Mises and the Role of the Economist in Public Policy" by Murray N. Rothbard
* "The Philosophical Origins of Austrian Economics" by David Gordon
* "Praxeology and Understanding: An Analysis of the Controversy in Austrian Economics" by George A. Selgin
* “Realism and Abstraction in Economics: Aristotle and Mises versus Friedman” by Roderick T. Long
* "Should the State Support the
Arts?" by Frederic Bastiat
* "Social Science and Natural
Science" by Ludwig von Mises
* "Sustainability: An Assault on Economics" by Tyler A. Watts
* "What is Austrian Economics?" by the Ludwig von Mises Institute
* "What Has the Government Done to Our Money?" by Murray N. Rothbard* "What Price a Planned Economy?" by Friedrich A. Hayek
* "Why a Socialist Economy is Impossible" by Joseph T. Salerno
* "Writers Can Prosper Without Intellectual Property" by G. Stolyarov II
***
Audio Files of YouTube Videos by Mr. Stolyarov(in Reverse Chronological Order)
* "A Libertarian Transhumanist Critique of Jeffrey Tucker’s 'A Lesson in Mortality'" - by G. Stolyarov II; read by Wendy Stolyarov - May 15, 2011
* "Progress: Creation and Maintenance" by G. Stolyarov II; read by Wendy Stolyarov - June 7, 2011
* "A Saulte to WikiLeaks: On the Diplomatic Cable Releases of November 28, 2010" by G. Stolyarov II - November 28, 2010
* "TSA Tyranny: Hopeful and Disappointing Developments" by G. Stolyarov II - November 26, 2010* "John Tyner and TSA Tyranny" by G. Stolyarov II - November 15, 2010
* "The Transcendent Tofu" by G. Stolyarov II - June 14, 2010
* "A Complete Denunciation of War" by G. Stolyarov II - March 28, 2010
* "Refuting the 'Lord, Liar, or Lunatic' Argument" by G. Stolyarov II - December 6, 2009* "Ten Principles of Classical Liberalism" by G. Stolyarov II - November 8, 2009
* "Commonly Misunderstood Concepts: Education, Health Care, Wealth, Employment, Happiness" by G. Stolyarov II - October- November 2009
* "'Human Nature' is Tautological" by G. Stolyarov II - September 26, 2009
* "Eden is an Illusion" by G. Stolyarov II - September 4, 2009
* "A Rational View of Love" by G. Stolyarov II - April 18, 2009
* "Atheism and Liberty: Compatible and Mutually Reinforcing" by G. Stolyarov II - April 4, 2009
* "Against Pop-Conservatism" by G. Stolyarov II - April 1, 2009
* "How to Measure Government Oppression" by G. Stolyarov II - February 13, 2009
* "The Victory of Truth is Never Assured!" by G. Stolyarov II - February 6, 2009
* "Eliminating Death" by G. Stolyarov II - December 2008 - January 2009
* "How to Approach Unjust Laws" by G. Stolyarov II - December 18, 2008
* "Arguments for Bills of Rights" by G. Stolyarov II - November 28, 2008
* "Why I Voted for a Third-Party Candidate and You Should, Too" by G. Stolyarov II - November 1, 2008
* "Against John McCain's Foreign Policy" by G. Stolyarov II - October 19, 2008
* "Why the Right Should Stop Attacking Homosexuality" by G. Stolyarov II - September 4, 2008
* "Bob Barr versus Chuck Baldwin on Immigration" by G. Stolyarov II - August 21, 2008
* "Life as the Origin and Basis of Morality" by G. Stolyarov II - August 21, 2008
* "True and False, Right and Wrong, Good and Evil" by G. Stolyarov II - August 15, 2008
* "Why You Will Disagree With Me and Why This is Not a Problem" by G. Stolyarov II - August 15, 2008
* "The First Atheists" by G. Stolyarov II - August 10, 2008
* "How Big Government Breeds Vice" by G. Stolyarov II - August 7, 2008
* "How to Solve the Social Security Crisis: Refuse Payments!" by G. Stolyarov II - August 6, 2008
* "Civility: A Powerful Weapon" by G. Stolyarov II - June 24, 2008
* "Message to YouTube: Stop Banning Users Without Due Process!" by G. Stolyarov II - June 4, 2008
* "Arguing That Atheists are Immoral is Un-Christian and Wrong" by G. Stolyarov II - May 30, 2008
* "A Victory Against Book-Burning and Intolerance" by G. Stolyarov II - April 1, 2008
* "Rights Precede Morality" by G. Stolyarov II - March 24, 2008
* "Objective, Inalienable Natural Rights - Without Authority" by G. Stolyarov II - March 24, 2008
* "Arguments Against Censorship of Free Speech" by G. Stolyarov II - March 22, 2008
* "How to Deal With Intolerance - The Classical Liberal Way" by G. Stolyarov II - March 18, 2008
* "Franklin Roosevelt and the Fascists" by G. Stolyarov II - February 25, 2008
* "The Illusion of Success Through Luck" by G. Stolyarov II - February 25, 2008
* "Power Symmetries and Asymmetries" by G. Stolyarov II - February 2008
* "Classical Liberal Tolerance - A Defense" by G. Stolyarov II - January 27, 2008
* "Why Wealth is Good" by G. Stolyarov II - January 22, 2008
* "Ron Paul Wins 2nd Place in Nevada - Future of the Revolution" by G. Stolyarov II - January 19, 2008
* "Common Reasons for Atheism" by G. Stolyarov II - January 17, 2008
* "Why I Choose Atheism Over Agnosticism" by G. Stolyarov II - January 14, 2008
* "Government Health Regulation is Unhealthy" by G. Stolyarov II - January 14, 2008
* "PETA: People for the Evil Treatment of Animals" by G. Stolyarov II - January 14, 2008
* "Why I Call Myself an Atheist" by G. Stolyarov II - January 11, 2008
* "New Republic Slanders Ron Paul, Engages in Vile Dishonesty" by G. Stolyarov II - January 8, 2008
* "Atheism Facts and Myths" by G. Stolyarov II - January 2008
* "Insist on Being Treated Like an Adult -- Support Ron Paul" by G. Stolyarov II - January 2, 2008
* "An Atheist's Response to Pascal's Wager" by G. Stolyarov II - December 31, 2007
* "Why the Government Should Regulate the Weather" by G. Stolyarov II - December 28, 2007
* "Socialized Healthcare: When Money Trumps Life" by G. Stolyarov II - December 28, 2007
* "My Endorsement of Ron Paul for President" by G. Stolyarov II - December 27, 2007
Audio Books and Essays
An Introduction to Austrian Economics
by Thomas C. Taylor; Read by G. Stolyarov II
Thomas C. Taylor’s “An Introduction to Austrian Economics” was written in 1980. The text of this work is available for free on the website of the Ludwig von Mises Institute.
With the Mises Institute’s permission, Mr. Gennady Stolyarov II has made an audiobook of this treatise. You can download and listen to free mp3 files of each section of this work here.
***
Section 1: Introduction:
Introduction
URL for download: http://rationalargumentator.com/Taylor1.mp3
***
Section 2: Social Cooperation and Resource Allocation:
Social Cooperation and Resource Allocation
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/Taylor2.mp3
***
Section 3: Economic Calculation:
Economic
Calculation
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/Taylor3.mp3
***
Section 4: The Subjective Theory of Value:
The Subjective Theory of Value
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/Taylor4.mp3
***
Section 5: The Market and Market Prices:
The
Market and Market Prices
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/Taylor5.mp3
***
Section 6: Production in an Evenly Rotating Economy:
Production in an Evenly Rotating Economy
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/Taylor6.mp3
***
Section 7: From an Evenly Rotating Economy to the Real
World: From
an Evenly Rotating Economy to the Real World
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/Taylor7.mp3
***
Section 8: Inflation and the Business Trade Cycle:
Inflation
and the Business Trade Cycle
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/Taylor8.mp3
***
"Austrian School
Arguments on the Free-Market Origin of Money"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read
by G. Stolyarov II
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/StolyarovASAFMOM.mp3
***
The Austrian Theory of the Trade Cycle
compiled by Richard M. Ebeling; Read by G. Stolyarov II
The Austrian Theory of the Trade Cycle was compiled in 1996 by Richard M. Ebeling. The text of this work is available for free on the website of the Ludwig von Mises Institute. The book includes essays by Roger W. Garrison, Ludwig von Mises, Gottfried Haberler, Murray Rothbard, and Friedrich Hayek.
With the Mises Institute’s permission, Mr. Gennady Stolyarov II has made an audiobook of this collection. You can download and listen to free mp3 files of each section of this work here. Thanks are in order to Mr. Chad Parish for editing these recordings.
***
“Introduction: The Austrian Theory in Perspective” by Roger W. Garrison. Listen and Download.
URL for Download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/Garrison1.mp3
***
“The ‘Austrian Theory of the Trade Cycle” by Ludwig von Mises. Listen and Download.
URL for Download: http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/MisesATTC.mp3
***
“Money and the Business Cycle” by Gottfried Haberler. Listen and Download.
URL for Download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/HaberlerMBC.mp3
***
“Economic Depressions: Their Cause and Cure” by Murray N. Rothbard. Listen and Download.
URL for Download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/RothbardEDTCC.mp3
***
“Can We Still Avoid Inflation?” by Friedrich A. Hayek. Listen and Download.
URL for Download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/HayekCWSAI.mp3
***
“The Austrian Theory: A Summary” by Roger W. Garrison. Listen and Download.
URL for Download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/Garrison2.mp3
***
"The Candlemakers' Petition"by Frederic Bastiat; Read by G. Stolyarov II
This classic 1845 satire by French economist and free-market advocate Frederic Bastiat (1801-1850) illustrates the follies of protectionism via a petition of the makers of artificial light for government barriers against their major competitor: the sun.
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/BastiatCandleMakers.mp3
***
"Compulsory Social
Insurance"
by Ludwig von Mises; Read
by G. Stolyarov II
This essay by Ludwig von Mises is an excerpt from his 1922 book, Socialism. In it, the great economist critiques the concept of social insurance, which ultimately aimed at giving every citizen adequate care and the best medical treatment in sickness and adequate sustenance if he should become incapable of work through accident, sickness or old age, or if he should fail to find work on conditions he considered necessary. Mises argues that compulsory social insurance -- much like what is being proposed for health care today -- has the potentialto increase the prevalence of the perils being insured against.
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/MisesSocialInsurance.mp3
***
"Dispelling Popular Great Depression Myths"by G. Stolyarov II; Read by G. Stolyarov II
Robert P. Murphy's The Politically Incorrect Guide
to the Great
Depression and the New Deal
debunks the myth of the Great Depression
being caused by laissez-faire capitalism - and being solved by either
the New Deal, World War II, or both. In 2009, Mr. Stolyarov reviewed
this
insightful work, which has the potential of coveying accurate
understandings of economics and history to large segments of the
general public.
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/DepressionMyths.mp3
***
Economic Calculation in the Socialist Commonwealth
by Ludwig von Mises; Read by G. Stolyarov II
Ludwig von Mises’s groundbreaking 1920 treatise, Economic Calculation in the Socialist Commonwealth, is available for free on the website of the Ludwig von Mises Institute.
With the Mises Institute’s permission, Mr. Stolyarov has made an audio recording of this treatise. Special thanks are in order to Mr. Chad Parish for editing this recording to improve its quality. You can download and listen to a free mp3 file of this essay here.
***
Introduction and Section 1: Listen
and Download.
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/MisesECSC1.mp3
***
Section 2: Listen
and Download.
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/MisesECSC2.mp3
***
Section 3: Listen
and Download.
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/MisesECSC3.mp3
***
Section 4: Listen
and Download.
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/MisesECSC4.mp3
***
Section 5: Listen
and Download.
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/MisesECSC5.mp3
***
Conclusion: Listen
and Download.
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/MisesECSC6.mp3
***
Economic Science and the Austrian Method
by Hans-Hermann Hoppe; Read by G. Stolyarov II
Hans-Hermann Hoppe wrote Economic Science and the Austrian Method in 1995. This work is one of the best in explaining the philosophical foundations of Misesian Austrian economics and the wider philosophical relevance of the discipline of praxeology. The text of this work is available for free on the website of the Ludwig von Mises Institute.
With the Mises Institute’s permission, Mr. Stolyarov has made an audiobook of this treatise. You can download and listen to free mp3 files of each section of this work here.
***
Praxeology and Economic Science: Section I: Listen
and Download.
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/Hoppe1.mp3
***
Praxeology and Economic Science: Section II: Listen
and Download.
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/Hoppe2.mp3
***
On Praxeology and the Praxeological Foundation of
Epistemology: Sections I, II: Listen
and Download.
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/Hoppe3.mp3
***
On Praxeology and the Praxeological Foundation of
Epistemology: Sections III, IV: Listen
and Download.
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/Hoppe4.mp3
***
“The Historical Setting of the Austrian School of Economics”
by Ludwig von Mises; Read by G. Stolyarov II
Ludwig von Mises’s “The Historical Setting of the Austrian School of Economics” is available for free on the website of the Ludwig von Mises Institute.
With the Mises Institute’s permission, Mr. Stolyarov has made an audio recording of this treatise. Special thanks are in order to Mr. Chad Parish for editing this recording to improve its quality. You can download and listen to a free mp3 file of this essay here.
***
“The Historical Setting of the Austrian School of Economics”: Listen.
URL for download: http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/MisesHSAS.mp3
***
"Liberation by
Internet: How Technology Destroys Tyranny"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read
by G. Stolyarov II
As a decentralized communication system facilitating the sending and receiving of messages by billions of people, the Internet has greatly shifted the balance of power away from governments and toward sovereign individuals. Even in its early days, the Internet played a vital role in bringing about the downfall of the Soviet Union’s government. Since then, it has catalyzed tremendous economic, social, and political liberation in countries ranging from Cuba to the United States. In this 2008 essay, Mr. Stolyarov describes the power and impact of the Internet as an agent of liberation.
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/StolyarovLiberationInternet.mp3
***
by Ludwig von Mises; Read by G. Stolyarov II
Ludwig von Mises’s “Liberty and Property” was written in 1958. The text of this work is available for free on the website of the Ludwig von Mises Institute.
With the Mises Institute’s permission, Mr. Stolyarov has made an audio recording of this essay. You can download and listen to a free mp3 file containing it here.
***
Liberty and Property: Listen.
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/MisesLP.mp3
***
“Middle-of-the-Road Policy Leads to Socialism”
by Ludwig von Mises; Read by G. Stolyarov II
Ludwig von Mises’s “Middle-of-the-Road Policy Leads to Socialism” was written in 1950. The text of this work is available for free on the website of the Ludwig von Mises Institute.
With the Mises Institute’s permission, Mr. Stolyarov has made an audio recording of this essay. You can download and listen to a free mp3 file containing it here.
***
Middle-of-the-Road Policy Leads to Socialism: Listen and Download.
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/MisesMRPLS.mp3
***
“Mises and the Role of the Economist in Public Policy”
by Murray N. Rothbard; Read by G. Stolyarov II
Murray Rothbard’s “Mises and the Role of the Economist in Public Policy” was written in 1993. The text of this work is available for free on the website of the Ludwig von Mises Institute.
With the Mises Institute’s permission, Mr. Stolyarov has made an audio recording of this essay. You can download and listen to a free mp3 file containing it here.
***
Mises and the Role of the Economist in Public Policy: Listen and Download.
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/RothbardMREPP.mp3
***
“The Philosophical Origins of Austrian Economics”
by David Gordon; Read by G. Stolyarov II
David Gordon’s “The Philosophical Origins of Austrian Economics” was written in 1994. The text of this work is available for free on the website of the Ludwig von Mises Institute.
With the Mises Institute’s permission, Mr. Stolyarov has made an audiobook of this essay. You can download and listen to a free mp3 recording of it here.
***
The Philosophical Origins of Austrian Economics: Listen.
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/Gordon1.mp3
***
“Praxeology and Understanding: An Analysis of the Controversy in Austrian Economics”
by George A. Selgin; Read by G. Stolyarov II
George A. Selgin’s “Praxeology and Understanding: An Analysis of the Controversy in Austrian Economics” is available for free on the website of the Ludwig von Mises Institute.
With the Mises Institute’s permission, Mr. Stolyarov has made audio recordings of this treatise. Special thanks are in order to Mr. Chad Parish for editing these recordings to improve their quality. You can download and listen to free mp3 files of this essay here.
***
Part I: Listen
and Download.
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/Selgin1.mp3
***
Part II: Listen
and Download.
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/Selgin2.mp3
***
Part III: Listen
and Download.
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/Selgin3.mp3
***
“Realism and Abstraction in Economics: Aristotle and Mises versus Friedman”
by Roderick T. Long; Read by G. Stolyarov II
Roderick T. Long’s “Realism and Abstraction in Economics: Aristotle and Mises versus Friedman” was written in 2004. The text of this work is available for free on the website of the Ludwig von Mises Institute.
With the Mises Institute’s permission, Mr. Stolyarov has made an audiobook of this essay. You can download and listen to a free mp3 recording of it here.
***
Realism and Abstraction in Economics: Aristotle and Mises versus Friedman: Listen and Download.
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/Long1.mp3
***
"Should the State
Support the Arts?"
by Frederic Bastiat; Read
by G. Stolyarov II
Ought the state to support the arts? The classical liberal French economist Frederic Bastiat, in 1850, answered this question in the negative, drawing upon economic logic to refute the commonplace fallacies of his time.
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/StateSupportArts.mp3
***
“Social Science and Natural Science”
by Ludwig von Mises; Read by G. Stolyarov II
Ludwig von Mises’s “Social Science and Natural Science” was written in 1942. The text of this work is available for free on the website of the Ludwig von Mises Institute. This essay is also Chapter 1 of the book Money, Method, and the Market Process – a compilation of essays by Mises.
With the Mises Institute’s permission, Mr. Stolyarov has made an audiobook of this essay. You can download and listen to a free mp3 recording of it here.
***
Social Science and Natural Science: Listen and Download.
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/MisesMMMP1.mp3
***
"Sustainability: An
Assault on Economics"
by Tyler A. Watts; Read by
G. Stolyarov II
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/SustainabilityAssault.mp3
***
by the Ludwig von Mises Institute; Read by G. Stolyarov II
The Ludwig von Mises Institute’s “What is Austrian Economics?” provides a brief introduction to the history and distinguishing ideas of the Austrian School. The text of this work is available for free on the website of the Ludwig von Mises Institute.
With the Mises Institute’s permission, Mr. Stolyarov has made an audiobook of this essay. You can download and listen to a free mp3 recording of it here.
***
What is Austrian Economics?: Listen and Download.
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/What_is_Austrian_Economics_Stolyarov_Recording.mp3
***
“What Has the Government Done to Our Money?”
by Murray N. Rothbard; Read by G. Stolyarov II
Murray Rothbard’s “What Has the Government Done to Our Money?” was written in 1980. The text of this work is available for free on the website of the Ludwig von Mises Institute.
With the Mises Institute’s permission, Mr. Stolyarov has made an audio recording of this treatise. You can download and listen to a free mp3 file containing it here.
***
Sections I and II: Introduction and Money in a Free Society: Listen and Download.
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/Rothbard1.mp3
***
Section III: Government Meddling With Money: Listen and Download.
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/Rothbard2.mp3
***
Section IV: The Monetary Breakdown of the West: Listen and Download.
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/Rothbard3.mp3
***
"What Price a Planned Economy?"by Friedrich A. Hayek; Read by G. Stolyarov II
In this classic 1938 essay, Friedrich Hayek writes that the link between classical liberalism and present-day Socialism — often still misnamed liberalism — is undoubtedly the belief that the consummation of individual freedom requires relief from the most pressing economic cares. If this seems attainable only at the price of restricting freedom in economic activity, then that price must be paid; and it may be conceded that most of those who want to restrict private initiative in economic life do so in the hope of creating more freedom in spheres which they value higher. Hayek masterfully shows that central planning in the economic sphere cannot be confined to the economic sphere alone and will, unless renounced, eventually spill over into even the realm of individual thought.
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/Hayek_PricePlannedEconomy.mp3
***
“Why a Socialist Economy is Impossible”
by Joseph T. Salerno; Read by G. Stolyarov II
Joseph T. Salerno’s “Why a Socialist Economy is Impossible” is included as a supplement to Ludwig von Mises’s Economic Calculation in the Socialist Commonwealth and is available for free on the website of the Ludwig von Mises Institute.
With the Mises Institute’s permission, Mr. Stolyarov has made an audio recording of this treatise. Special thanks are in order to Mr. Chad Parish for editing this recording to improve its quality. You can download and listen to a free mp3 file of this essay here.
“Why a Socialist Economy is Impossible”: Listen and Download.
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/SalernoWSEI.mp3
***
"Writers Can Prosper Without
Intellectual Property"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read by G. Stolyarov II
Listen and Download.
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/austrianrecordings/WritersIP.mp3
***
Audio Files of YouTube Videos by Mr. Stolyarov
***
"Progress: Creation and Maintenance"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read by Wendy Stolyarov -
June 7, 2011
One frequently encounters the identification of human creativity and inventiveness as driving forces for progress in technology and society. In part, this identification is correct: it is through the human creative faculty―the ability to bring forth new combinations of matter and new ideas―that improvements to the human condition arise. But while creation is a necessary component to progress, it is not a sufficient component. The other required component is maintenance.
Read the essay on which this recording is based here.***
"A Salute to WikiLeaks: On the Diplomatic Cable Releases of November 28, 2010"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read by G. Stolyarov II -
November 28, 2010
Mr. Stolyarov congratulates WikiLeaks for yet another major contribution
to international political transparency. Many of the recent revelations
are amusing, and some describe actual heinous transgressions by the
U.S. government. More revealing, however, is the manner in which the
Obama administration's reaction to the leaks highlights this
administration's utter hypocrisy with regard to free speech and freedom
in general. Sunlight is the best disinfectant, both in this case and
with prior WikiLeaks releases.
Resources:
* WikiLeaks: http://www.wikileaks.org/
* "Black jail" - Wikipedia entry
* Der Spiegel article on the leaked cables
* New York Times article on the leaked cables
(See page 2 for the description of the CIA's kidnapping of an innocent German citizen.)
* The Guardian article on the leaked cables
Articles on the Obama administration's attacks on free speech
* "Feds Seize Websites Suspected of Online Piracy" - FoxNews.com - November 27, 2010
* "ACTA: The War on Progress, Freedom, and Human Civilization" - Essay by G. Stolyarov II -
* "ACTA: The War on Progress, Freedom, and Human Civilization" - Audio Essay on YouTube
"TSA Tyranny: Hopeful and Disappointing Developments"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read by G. Stolyarov II -
November 26, 2010
Listen and Download - Part 2.In the days since the TSA has implemented its invasive, humiliating, new "screening" procedures, both encouraging and disheartening developments have occurred. Mr. Stolyarov is more impressed with the reaction by the mainstream media and politicians than with the docile response of the American people. Mr. Stolyarov reminds his viewers that what is at stake here is nothing less than what it means to be a free individual.
Resources:
* "Random Pat-Downs Turn PATCO Into Police State" - Article on pat-down searches in Philadelphia *train* stations
* Congressman Rush Holt's letter to the TSA - November 19, 2010
* "Mica wants airport screenings refined" - Politico Live - November 21, 2010
* "Introducing the American Traveler Dignity Act" by Rep. Ron Paul
* "Are Air Travelers Criminal Suspects?" by Rep. Ron Paul - November 22, 2010
* "Body Scanners Coming to Trains, Subways and Boats, Homeland Security Chief Says" by Rebecca Boyle
* "Michigan Bladder Cancer Survivor Says TSA Search Left Him Covered in Urine" - FoxNews.com - November 22, 2010
* "Why the TSA pat-downs and body scans are unconstitutional" - by Jeffrey Rosen - November 28, 2010
* "Radiation from airport scanners may increase cancer risk" - by Bill Linder - May 23, 2010
* The TSA Blog, boasting about how most Americans support the body scanners (The support for the scanners has since declined but still constitutes a majority).
* John Tyner's videos - Part 1
* John Tyner's videos - Part 2
* John Tyner's videos - Part 3
* John Tyner's commentary
***
"John Tyner and TSA Tyranny"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read by G. Stolyarov II -
November 15, 2010
Listen and Download - Part 2.A reaction to the heroic actions of John Tyner in defying the heinous alternative of being groped or virtually strip-searched.
What has the United States become? The land of the oppressed and the home of the slave? Mr. Stolyarov appeals to liberty, dignity, and morality and urges all reasonable, freedom-loving individuals to take peaceful action to end the massive infringements of rights that occur at airports today.
* John Tyner's videos - Part 1
* John Tyner's videos - Part 2
* John Tyner's videos - Part 3
* John Tyner's commentary
* Article by Mr. Stolyarov: "The 2010 Elections: What Revolution?"
***
"The Transcendent Tofu"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read by G. Stolyarov II -
June 14, 2010
A short story and satire that is not as far from reality as it might seem.***
"A Complete Denunciation of War"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read by G. Stolyarov II -
March 28, 2010
Mr. Stolyarov originally supported the Iraq and Afghanistan occupations. Over the years, his views gradually transitioned from foreign-policy interventionism to a complete condemnation of all war. Mr. Stolyarov discusses some key steps in that transition.Who suffers in war? What is the difference between what war is purported to accomplish and what it actually accomplishes? In this second installment of a two-part series, Mr. Stolyarov argues that war is one of the greatest detriments to human progress and offers superior alternatives to war - alternatives that would much more effectively disable oppressive regimes.
References:
* "Antipolemus, or the Plea of Reason, Religion, and Humanity against War" by Desiderius Erasmus
*"Commonly Misunderstood Concepts: Education" by G. Stolyarov II
- Essay
- Video
***
"Refuting the 'Lord, Liar, or Lunatic' Argument"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read by G. Stolyarov II -
December 6, 2009
Some Christians seek to convince non-believers in the divinity of Jesus Christ that either Christ was mad, a liar, or an actual god. Mr. Stolyarov refutes this argument here.Reference:
* "The Deeds of the Divine Augustus"
***
"Ten Principles of Classical Liberalism"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read by G. Stolyarov II -
November 8, 2009
Mr. Stolyarov was recently asked to attempt a formulation of ten crucial principles of classical liberalism, the worldview which animated the American Revolution, the European Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, and the libertarian revival of free-market thought in the mid-to-late twentiethcentury. Classical liberalism - even when it is not explicitly espoused - still has considerable residual influence on the political and economic institutions of the Western world and is having an increasing impact outside the West as well.
See these principles in essay form here.
***
"Commonly Misunderstood Concepts"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read by G. Stolyarov II -
October-November 2009
Education: Listen and Download
Misunderstandings of the term "education" create massive societal problems where none need exist, and at the same time blind many people to genuine, but oft-overlooked problems. Mr. Stolyarov criticizes the common assumption that formal schooling is necessary and sufficient for education.Health Care: Listen and Download
Health care is not the same as health insurance, which is neither necessary nor sufficient for proper health care. Many people ignore or neglect their own role in providing health care, and misunderstandings of this term threaten many lives.
Some of the fundamental problems with the Obama administration's health care "reform" proposals are also discussed.
Wealth: Listen and Download
Many of the economic and personal fallacies of our time arise from the mistaken belief that wealth and money are identical. In fact, while money is in many cases an important gateway to wealth, it does not even approach describing what wealth truly is.
Mr. Stolyarov provides a more sophisticated, nuanced, and reality-oriented view of wealth and critiques the attitudes that cause phenomena such as the recent housing market bubble.
Employment: Listen and Download
The mistaken identification of wealth with money results in yet another damaging fallacy: the idea that the only legitimate "employment" is work performed for somebody else in exchange for money. Mr. Stolyarov refutes this fallacy here and seeks to combat the stigma that is often exhibited toward individuals who choose to work without much, or any, monetary compensation.
Happiness: Listen and Download
One of the most grievous errors made by most people in the Western world today can be found in the prevailing view of happiness as constant pleasure or euphoria. This vision of happiness is not only unattainable but destructive of genuine happiness. A much more realistic and satisfying understanding of happiness can be found by combining the insights of Classical Aristotelian and Enlightenment philosophers and applying them to the vast opportunities we have in our time.
* "A Rational View of Love" - Essay by G. Stolyarov II
***
"'Human Nature' is Tautological"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read by G. Stolyarov II -
September 26, 2009
What is meant by the term "human nature?" In one sense, it is supremely uninformative. The "nature" of any existent can be defined simply as "that which that existent is." References to "human nature" do not actually explain human behavior, nor do they imply that humans are universally evil or vicious.Reference:
* "Incentives for Moral Behavior" by G. Stolyarov II
***
"Eden is an Illusion"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read by G. Stolyarov II -
September 4, 2009
Beyond being destructive, the Eden myth is simply false. There never was a "better" state from which human beings have "descended." Mr. Stolyarov explores why the Fall is an illusion that ought to be abandoned.***
"A Rational View of Love"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read by G. Stolyarov II -
April 18, 2009
"A Rational View of Love" - Essay by G. Stolyarov II
Listen and Download - Part 1: What is Love?
Mr. Stolyarov begins his rational explication of love by arguing that love is an intellectual-emotional synthesis and is an intense emotional reaction to intellectually recognized goodness.
Listen and Download - Part 2: A Normative View - Love for the InnocentMr. Stolyarov begins his discussion of a rational normative view of love, as well as of the nature and reasons for love of the innocent.
Listen and Download - Part 3: Love for Parents, Children, and Spouse
Mr. Stolyarov gives a rational, conditional view of love for one's parents and love for one's children, as well as a basic overview of spousal love.
Listen and Download - Part 4: Features of Spousal Love
Mr. Stolyarov discusses some of the distinguishing features of spousal love from a rational standpoint - including the desirability of exclusivity and permanence.
Listen and Download - Part 5: Views of Love: Rational vs. Mystical
What happens when a spousal relationship is changed for reasons that are none of one's fault? Mr. Stolyarov explores various scenarios in which this might happen.
He also contrasts the rational view of love with the mystical view.
Listen and Download - Part 6: Views of Love: Rational vs. Entertainment
Mr. Stolyarov contrasts the rational view of love with the entertainment view, which predominates in many circles today.
***
"Atheism and Liberty: Compatible and Mutually Reinforcing"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read by G. Stolyarov II -
April 4, 2009
References:
* "Atheism Facts and Myths" by G. Stolyarov II
* "Atheism and Liberty: Compatible and Mutually Reinforcing" - Written essay by G. Stolyarov II
Listen and Download - Part 1Atheism, far from threatening the future survival of freedom or being irreconcilable with it, is compatible with individual liberty, free markets, and limited government. Moreover, atheism reinforces liberty by providing for the metaphysical realm what liberty provides for the political: the freedom of the individual from subjugation to the dictates of an arbitrary authority.
Mr. Stolyarov provides brief definitions of atheism and liberty and begins to elucidate a case for how atheism can justify both morality and natural rights without reference to either divine or human say-so.
Listen and Download - Part 2
Mr. Stolyarov completes his atheistic argument for natural rights. He then proceeds to make further arguments for why atheism and liberty are compatible and mutually reinforcing - including the argument from the sole status of this world and the argument regarding freedom from institutional entanglements.
Listen and Download - Part 3
Mr. Stolyarov presents two more arguments regarding the compatible and mutually reinforcing status of atheism and liberty - that atheism and liberty both free individuals from subjugation to lesser men and that atheism and liberty both enable the individual to not be unconditionally bound to any person, any text, or any concrete institution.
***
"Against Pop-Conservatism"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read by G. Stolyarov II -
April 1, 2009
Listen and Download - Part 1 - Joe Six-PackA disturbing and dangerous ideological turn has overtaken a large portion of the American conservative movement during the past several decades and more precipitously during the past few years. This combination of anti-intellectualism, religious zealotry and intolerance, the desire to micro-regulate the personal lives of millions of Americans, and the abandonment of the ideas of individual liberty, limited government, and free markets can best be called pop-conservatism characterized as it is by a populist appeal to the masses rather than a sophisticated appeal to the intelligent layman.
Pop-conservatism does the exact opposite of uplifting the general public. Rather, it intellectually descends to the level of the lowest common denominator in order to garner votes, attendance at rallies, large audiences for radio and televisions shows, and readership from an insufficiently educated and sophisticated demographic.
Listen and Download - Part 2 - Abandonment of Liberty
Among the consequences of the pop-conservatives anti-intellectualism is the virtual abandonment of ideas which, in the not too distant past, were at least affiliated with the conservative movement in the United States. These ideas include the maximal liberty of the individual from government interference, the limitation of government size, and the desirability of free, unhampered markets in goods and ideas.
Listen and Download - Part 3 - Religious Intolerance
A hallmark of pop-conservatism is an increasing attempt to introduce a militant religiosity into public discourse and government policy, as well as a rabid intolerance for large groups of people who do not share the highly particular religious sentiments of the pop-conservatives including atheists, gays and lesbians, immigrants, civil and political libertarians, most intellectuals, academicians, scientists, and secular philosophers, the always conveniently unspecified liberals, and even those softly religious Americans who prefer to maintain modest, private, and somewhat flexible forms of worship.
References:
* "Morality Does Not Require Religion" by G. Stolyarov II:
* Thomas Jefferson on Religion
* The American Founders on Religion
Listen and Download - Part 4 - Insult and Invective
Pop-conservatives have also been responsible for the precipitous decline in the art of serious, thoughtful argumentation on the political right. Instead of presenting a structured, logical, well-supported case for their ideas, pop-conservatives far too often launch into hate-filled diatribes against individuals and groups whom they dislike or which disagree with them. This approach is typical of radio talk-show hosts and television commentators such as Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Bill O'Reilly.
***
"How to Measure Government Oppression"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read by G. Stolyarov II -
February 13, 2009
Listen and Download - Part 1Many people equate the amount of government spending with how oppressive that government is. This is not necessarily the case, however.
Mr. Stolyarov proposes two criteria for evaluating government oppression - the Time Criterion and the Pain Criterion.
Listen and Download - Part 2
Mr. Stolyarov addresses the issue of reconciling the Time Criterion and the Pain Criterion of government oppression.
The issue concerning us is that the Time Criterion is purely cardinal and measures government oppression in terms of the amount of time the government demands of any subject - directly or indirectly. The Pain Criterion, on the other hand, is purely ordinal and has no measurement units for pain.
Listen and Download - Part 3
Mr. Stolyarov addresses possible objections and further considerations regarding his proposed system of measuring government oppression.
***
"The Victory of Truth is Never Assured!"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read by G. Stolyarov II -
February 6, 2009
Listen and DownloadWhy does the truth not always indeed, virtually never, up until the very recent past win out in human societies among the majority of people? Indeed, why can one confidently say that most people are wrong about most intellectual matters and matters of policy most of the time? A few reasons will be explored here.
***
"Eliminating Death"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read by G. Stolyarov II -
December 2008 - January 2009
Listen and Download - Part 1 - Death as WasteMr. Stolyarov begins his explanation of why death is the greatest enemy of humankind. Death forever robs us of the minds, experiences, and contributions of billions of individuals, who are often not even remembered after they die.
Listen and Download - Part 2 - Death as Ultimate Harm
Death is the worst possible outcome for you. Mr. Stolyarov highlights the urgency of defeating this greatest of threats within our lifetime since, once you die, you have suffered the ultimate loss - the destruction of your individuality.
Listen and Download - Part 3 - The Boredom Argument
Mr. Stolyarov refutes the argument that living forever will lead humans to become bored. He argues instead that any rational and creative person will never become bored, because the number of available opportunities to pursue increases faster than they can be pursued.
Listen and Download - Part 4 - The Overpopulation Argument
Mr. Stolyarov refutes the claim that indefinite longevity for humans will lead to massive overpopulation and increasing scarcity of resources.
Listen and Download - Part 5 - The "Playing God" Argument
Mr. Stolyarov refutes the claim that attempting to achieve indefinite longevity for humans is tantamount to "playing God." No matter how much humans accomplish technologically, they will never be able to meet the criteria for God which are held by those advancing the "playing God" argument.
Listen and Download - Part 6 - On Aging and Diversity of Ideas
Mr. Stolyarov refutes two arguments against indefinite longevity for humans: 1) that becoming biologically older is a noble and dignified process and 2) that death is necessary for the emergence of new generations with new ways of thinking. None of the good attributes supported by these arguments are lost if humans live forever, and the experience of older people as well as the diversity of ideas will only be magnified by indefinite lifespans.
Listen and Download - Part 7 - Ayn Rand's "Immortal Robot" Argument
Many proponents of Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism believe that indefinite life would turn human beings into "immortal, indestructible robots" that, according to Ayn Rand, would have no genuine values. Mr. Stolyarov refutes both claims. Eternal life would not turn humans into indestructible robots, nor would an indestructible robot with human abilities have no values and no motivation for doing great things. In Ayn Rand's own words, "Achieving life is not the equivalent of avoiding death."
Listen and Download - Part 8 - Refuting the Motivation Argument
Mr. Stolyarov refutes the claim that humans who live forever will have no motivation to actually accomplish anything, as they will think that they have an eternity to do it. Quite the contrary, Mr. Stolyarov argues that eternal life can be an excellent motivator for creative accomplishment.
Listen and Download - Part 9 - Turning the Motivation Argument Around
After having refuted the argument that immortal people would have no motivation to act in the immediate present, Mr. Stolyarov turns the entire motivation argument around and explains why there is a greatly diminished motivation to act for human beings who believe their lifespans to have an upper limit and no recourse for lifting that limit. After all, why act if all the fruits of one's labor cannot be enjoyed by one after one is dead? Most people today, in fact, are motivated to act because they consider themselves to have a form of immortality - an afterlife.
Listen and Download - Part 10 - The Immortal Wealthy Elite Argument
Mr. Stolyarov refutes the allegation that, if indefinite human life extension ever became available, only the wealthy would have access to it, which would enable them to achieve permanent societal dominance. Mr. Stolyarov explains that all technologies go through a process where, at first, they are extremely unreliable, expensive, and only available to the wealthy few. However, the first stage of a technology's existence is necessary to pave the way for subsequent stages, until the technology becomes ubiquitous, highly reliable, and virtually free.
Listen and Download - Part 11 - Death and Taxes - Immortal and Negligibly Senescent Creatures
The cliche that death and taxes are inevitable is simply not true. Mr. Stolyarov gives a few existing examples of plants and animals that exhibit negligible senescence, as well as one animal that is functionally immortal.
Resources:
* "Investmentocracy: A System of Buying Votes"
* List of Animals and Plants with Negligible Senescence:
* Information on Turritopsis Nutricula
Listen and Download - Part 12 - Cognitive Dissonance and Euphemisms Regarding Death
Most people today see the death of any particular individual as a tragedy, but see death in general as natural and even desirable. This is a logical contradiction which can only be morally resolved in one way - against death in both individual and general contexts. Mr. Stolyarov also explains how the use of euphemisms pertaining to individual death prevents many people from resolving this cognitive dissonance.
Listen and Download - Part 13 - Biological Versus Technological Evolution
Mr. Stolyarov addresses the claim that humans who live a very long time might be put at a disadvantage with respect to their distant descendants, who might evolve superior physical and mental characteristics. Mr. Stolyarov explains that, if all humans live indefinitely, there will not be a gap in abilities between us and our distant descendants, because technological progress and evolution are much faster and more directed than biological evolution. Humans who will live forever will be able to receive technological modifications to keep up with any positive biological evolution that occurs.
Listen and Download - Part 14 - The Seven Causes of Death via Senescence
The seven primary causes of bodily decay over time have been known at least for the past 26 years, which means it is likely that we already know the nature of the problems that lead to death. Mr. Stolyarov gives a brief overview of the seven causes, as based on the work of Dr. Aubrey de Grey.
References:
* "The Quest for Indefinite Life I" by Aubrey de Grey
* "The Quest for Indefinite Life II" by Aubrey de Grey
* "The Quest for Indefinite Life III" by Aubrey de Grey
Listen and Download - Part 15 - How Indefinite Life Will Come About
Mr. Stolyarov explains the general process by which human beings will achieve indefinite life. Indefinite longevity will be reached incrementally, as various diseases are cured, rejuvenation therapies are introduced, and societal and environmental factors are improved. Once we pass the threshold at which life expectancy increases by more than one year every year, we will have effectively achieved indefinite life.
References:
* Website for the Methuselah Foundation
* Methuselah Mouse Prize Record Holders
* Ray Kurzweil's Website, KurzweilAI.net
Listen and Download - Part 16 - Why Immortality Will Win
Mr. Stolyarov explains why every selection process is in favor of indefinite life extension to be accepted by public opinion. Most current opponents will either be coaxed by future disease treatments to de facto accept indefinite life or, if they choose to reject these treatments, will die out while those who support indefinite human life extension will continue to live and form the climate of public opinion. Only a campaign of mass murder and extermination by opponents of indefinite life could stop its eventual emergence.
Listen and Download - Part 17 - What You Can Do
Mr. Stolyarov gives a few suggestions regarding what you can do to aid the swift emergence of indefinite human life extension.
References:
* "Man's Struggle Against Death, Op. 57" by G. Stolyarov II
* Antideath: City of the Future - Model Skyscrapers in Google Sketchup:
* Website for the Methuselah Foundation
* Ray Kurzweil's Website, KurzweilAI.net
* Rosetta@home: Distributed Computing Project
Listen and Download - Part 18 - Never Seek Government Funding
Mr. Stolyarov explains why advocates of indefinite human life extension should never seek government money to support this cause. Government funding will only hamper and slow down efforts at life extension, involve far more burdensome regulations than would otherwise be the case, and would give opponents of life extension legitimate arguments for restricting it, as it would involve the coercive use of their taxpayer money.
Listen and Download - Part 19 - Life is Not an Illusion
Mr. Stolyarov refutes the claim that life is an illusion. The argument that life is an illusion entails a performative contradiction, because one must be alive to make the claim. Moreover, life can be accounted for because of the concepts of spontaneous order and emergent properties.
References:
* Video by early2it, to which this is a response
* A Rational Cosmology
(See particularly Chapters X and XII.)
* Videos: "Life as the Origin and Basis of Morality"
- Part 1
- Part 2
***
"How to Approach Unjust Laws"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read by G. Stolyarov II -
December 18, 2008
How do we, as private citizens seeking justice, approach the many unjust laws existing today? What is the best way to act in order to ensure that the harms of these laws are minimized and that they are eventually repealed without bringing harm on oneself or those for whom one cares? Mr. Stolyarov explains how one can ethically approach the different types of unjust laws.
Listen and Download - Part 2In concluding his presentation on how to approach unjust laws, Mr. Stolyarov explains what private citizens can do to mitigate the harms of government wealth redistribution.
***
"Arguments for Bills of Rights"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read by G. Stolyarov II -
November 28, 2008
References:
* "Arguments for Bills of Rights and Constitutional Clauses Restricting Governmental Power" - Essay by Mr. Stolyarov
* The Freecharter: A Constitution for a Society of Lasting Liberty
What are bills of rights and what is their intended function? Mr. Stolyarov explains why bills of rights, as parchment barriers against abuses of power, can in fact be remarkably effective.
Listen and Download - Part 2
Mr. Stolyarov considers and refutes some arguments traditionally put forth against bills of rights.
Listen and Download - Part 3
Mr. Stolyarov discusses why the simple enumeration of government powers in the constitution is insufficient for protecting liberty.
Listen and Download - Part 4
Mr. Stolyarov argues that, along with bills of rights, there is a need for explicit constitutional clauses restricting governmental powers.
***
"Why I Voted for a Third-Party Candidate and You Should, Too"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read by G. Stolyarov II -
November 1, 2008
Listen and DownloadMr. Stolyarov explains why he voted for Bob Barr in the 2008 Presidential Election and why you should vote for the third-party candidate whose principles most closely align with your own, even if he has little to no probability of winning. Voting for a third-party candidate has other benefits than that candidate's victory, whereas by voting for either Barack Obama or John McCain, you automatically lose.
***
"Against John McCain's Foreign Policy"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read by G. Stolyarov II -
October 19, 2008
Listen and Download - Part 1 - Iraq Until 2013?Mr. Stolyarov critiques John McCain's intent to keep American troops in Iraq until 2013 and instead proposes a withdrawal beginning in January 2009. Mr. Stolyarov offers a fundamental criticism of the American government's occupation of Iraq as incompatible with the objectives this occupation is supposed to accomplish.
Listen and Download - Part 2 - 100-Year Occupations
Mr. Stolyarov critiques John McCain's willingness to keep American troops in Iraq and other places throughout the world for 100 years or longer.
Listen and Download - Part 3 - Bomb Iran?
Mr. Stolyarov critiques John McCain's willingness to "bomb Iran" and his psychological comfort with the notion. Bombing Iran would be disastrous in reinvigorating the Iranian theocracy and destroying the currently substantial support the United States has among the youth of Iran.
Listen and Download - Part 4 - "National Service"
Mr. Stolyarov critiques John McCain's attempts to use the coercive power of government to "bolster volunteerism." Mr. Stolyarov also criticizes McCain's call for us to sacrifice our personal interests for the fictitious "interests" of "the country."
Listen and Download - Part 5 - Conscription
Mr. Stolyarov argues that John McCain would impose conscription if he could get it to be egalitarian in practice or if World War III occurs, which is likely under a McCain presidency. John McCain does not have any moral oppositions to the draft, which renders him oblivious to the fact that conscription is murder by lottery. Moreover, the sentiments that McCain expresses regarding "service" and sacrifice are similar to those expressly stated by Hitler and Mussolini.
Listen and Download - Part 6 - The Founders' Views
The American Founders, as well as Andrew Jackson, Grover Cleveland, and to some extent Ronald Reagan, believed in a non-interventionist foreign policy of "peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations; entangling alliances with none." This is a view antithetical to the ideas expressed by John McCain.
Listen and Download - Part 7 - Teddy Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt, an aggressive, militaristic, jingoistic foreign policy expansionist, is McCain's self-proclaimed political hero.
What did Teddy Roosevelt think about foreign policy and about virtue? The answers are disturbing.
Listen and Download - Part 8 - Woodrow Wilson and FDR
McCain's foreign policy ideas are not like those of the American Founders and are a lot like those of Theodore Roosevelt. They are also a lot like the foreign policy ideas of Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Roosevelt, who horrendously mismanaged America's participation in the two world wars and repressed dissent at home.
Listen and Download - Part 9 - Free Trade and Peace
The foreign policy ideas of John McCain and their precursor in Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Franklin Roosevelt are disastrously wrong. What is the alternative? A policy of free trade, where people have more to do with each other and governments less. Mr. Stolyarov examines the wisdom of Richard Cobden, a 19th-century British free-market activist, with regard to the nature and outcomes of a desirable foreign policy that can solve all of America's current foreign policy problems.
Reference:
- Online Presentation: "A Critique of John McCain's Ideas on Foreign Policy"
***
"Why the Right Should Stop Attacking Homosexuality"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read by G. Stolyarov II -
September 4, 2008
Listen and Download - Part 1Mr. Stolyarov begins his arguments for the societal legitimization of homosexuality by contending that every homosexual is an individual and should be judged individually.
Essays representing Mr. Stolyarov's past position on this issue (no longer his present view):
* "A Rational Defense of Marriage"
* "Homosexuality: A Chosen Harm"
Listen and Download - Part 2
Mr. Stolyarov presents his second argument for the societal legitimization of homosexuality - that most homosexual behaviors are non-coercive, and thus not a justified focus for the energies of right-wing reformers.
Listen and Download - Part 3
Mr. Stolyarov presents his third argument for the societal legitimization of homosexuality - that open homosexuality is safe, but repressed homosexuality is dangerous.
Examples of the dangers of repressed homosexuality include
* 0.2% of Catholic priests
* Ted Haggard
* Larry Craig
Listen and Download - Part 4
Mr. Stolyarov presents his fourth argument for the societal legitimization of homosexuality - that the societal legitimization of homosexuality will lead to stabler homosexual partnerships.
***
"Bob Barr versus Chuck Baldwin on Immigration"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read by G. Stolyarov II -
August 21, 2008
Listen and Download - Part 1This presentation examines in detail both Bob Barr's and Chuck
Baldwin's positions on immigration and argues that Barr's views are more
reasonable than and preferable to Baldwin's.
* Information on Bob Barr's position
* Information on Chuck Baldwin's position
Listen and Download - Part 2
This presentation delves further into the problems with Chuck Baldwin's positions on immigration - both legal and illegal. Baldwin's support for crackdowns on employers who hire illegal immigrants, as well as his insistence on federal impositions on state and city governments would, if implemented, result in massive violations of the Constitution and the emergence of a police state.
***
"Life as the Origin and Basis of Morality"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read by G. Stolyarov II -
August 21, 2008
Listen and Download - Part 1Part 1 of this presentation explains why any rationally grounded, consistent ethical system presupposes the desirability of human life, the human volitional faculty, and rationality.
Listen and Download - Part 2
Part 2 of this presentation discusses the fundamental alternative between life and death faced by every human being and how agreeing about the value of human life presents us with a starting point for an extensive ethical system. The three tiers of basic morality - non-harm to self, non-harm to others, and civility/integrity - are also explored.
URL for further reading: "Morality Does Not Require Religion"
***
"True and False, Right and Wrong,
Good an Evil"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read
by G. Stolyarov II
URL for download:
http://rationalargumentator.com/speeches/Stolyarov_TrueFalse.mp3
In order to preserve a civilized society, it is important to keep in mind a threefold distinction: Ideas are true or false, actions are right or wrong, and people are good or evil. The criteria for evaluating ideas, actions, and people are different and should not be conflated.
***
"Why You Will Disagree With Me and Why This is Not a Problem"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read
by G. Stolyarov II
Listen and Download.
Disagreement among any two individuals is inevitable, particularly when individuals think for themselves and refuse to rigidly obey party lines. Mr. Stolyarov explains why you *will* on some occasions disagree with him and why you should not take offense when you do disagree.
***
"The First Atheists"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read
by G. Stolyarov II
Listen and Download.
Atheism is older than Christianity. The first explicit atheists in Western civilization can be found among the ancient Greeks. Mr. Stolyarov briefly describes two ancient atheists, Diagoras of Melos and Theodorus of Cyrene, whose ideas inspired numerous renowned philosophers of later times.
***
"How Big Government Breeds Vice"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read
by G. Stolyarov II
Listen and Download.
Expanding the scope and power of government cannot make people more virtuous than they otherwise would be. But it certainly can make them less moral than they would have been in a free society. Mr. Stolyarov argues that vast government controls, social programs, and handouts, by encouraging permanent dependence on entitlements, lead to a steady decline in the moral characters of large numbers of people.
***
"How to Solve the Social Security Crisis: Refuse Payments!"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read
by G. Stolyarov II
Listen and Download.
Mr. Stolyarov offers a politically feasible, morally impregnable solution to the current "social security crisis" that each person can implement on his or her own, with long-term personal benefits.
***
"Civility: A Powerful Weapon"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read
by G. Stolyarov II
Listen and Download.
Advocates of political freedom and strong ethical standards have a powerful weapon on their side -- if they choose to use it. In an age where too many people are ready to hurl insults at one another at the onset of any discussion or debate, civility sets one apart from the crowd and gives one a chance to actually persuade people of the soundness of one's views.
***
"Message to YouTube: Stop Banning Users Without Due Process!"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read
by G. Stolyarov II
Listen and Download.
Mr. Stolyarov had a good friend, PureLiberalChallenge, banned from YouTube without any kind of due process, knowledge of the reasons for his banning, or chance to offer arguments in his defense. This cannot continue. Mr. Stolyarov urges the YouTube adminstration to implement basic principles of justice and due process for users whose conduct has been questioned. These principles include one's right to know the charges against one, the right to respond to those charges, and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
***
"Arguing That Atheists are Immoral is Un-Christian and Wrong"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read
by G. Stolyarov II
Listen and Download.
Those who allege that no atheists can be moral because the only reasons a person might have for acting morally are the desire for an eternal reward or the fear of eternal punishment are not only wrong objectively; they are also acting in violation of the tenets of virtually every mainstream Christian philosophy.
***
"A Victory Against Book-Burning and Intolerance"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read
by G. Stolyarov II
Listen and Download.
Mr. Stolyarov is pleased to report that a major social victory has been won against a Facebook group which he had exposed earlier as promoting fanatical censorship, coercive book-burning, and intolerance. The book-burning group has been rendered impotent by a grass-roots social reaction against it, springing up in a decentralized manner among hundreds of free-thinking individuals.
This group was formed in reaction to the book-burning group:
"'Tis A Shame That People Want to Burn Books". Join this group. If you do not have a Facebook account, then sign up for one just to join this group and show your support for free speech and liberty of conscience.
***
"Rights Precede Morality"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read
by G. Stolyarov II
Listen and Download.
Mr. Stolyarov argues that an understanding of natural rights does not require some particular ethical ideology. Rather, a firm understanding of natural rights is required before any genuine consideration of morality, ethics, virtue, or goodness can take place.
***
"Objective, Inalienable Natural Rights - Without Authority"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read
by G. Stolyarov II
Listen and Download.
Mr. Stolyarov shows that the authority-based view of rights - the idea that rights "come from" an external source such as God or government - is ultimately a weak, unstable, and unreliable basis for any reliable understanding of rights. The far more reliable and accurate view is that natural rights exist in human beings *by virtue of their nature*, i.e., what they are. They do not "come from" an external source. Mr. Stolyarov further argues that no unitary authority is necessary for enforcing rights in every case.
***
"Arguments Against Censorship of Free Speech"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read
by G. Stolyarov II
Listen and Download.
This is a follow-up presentation to "How to Deal With Intolerance - The Classical Liberal Way" - which was a response to this group.
Here, Mr. Stolyarov gives two fundamental arguments for why censorship of any free speech is ill-advised, immoral, and results in dreadful consequences. He presents the argument from property rights and the argument from every man's lack of omniscience.
***
"How to Deal With Intolerance - The Classical Liberal Way"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read
by G. Stolyarov II
Listen and Download.
Classical liberals oppose official censorship of ideas - even vile, hateful ideas. But they also abide by Voltaire's maxim, "Ecrasez l'Infame" (Erase infamy). The way to defeat fanatical and intolerant ideas is through exposure and ridicule, as Mr. Stolyarov does to this group of would-be book burners.
***
"Franklin Roosevelt and the Fascists"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read
by G. Stolyarov II
Listen and Download.
Here is an interesting "Know Your Statists Challenge." Examine the following quotations. Then match them to their author. The available choices are Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
***
"The Illusion of Success Through Luck"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read
by G. Stolyarov II
Listen and Download.
Mr. Stolyarov explains that no lasting good comes to man through luck and that the illusion that any success is possible through luck is responsible for the lingering disappointment, disillusionment, and unhappiness in an age that abounds with material and intellectual opportunities. Only by taking responsibility for their own lives and actions can a person - any person - thrive.
***
"Power Symmetries and Asymmetries"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read
by G. Stolyarov II
Listen and Download - Part 1 - What Power Is
This presentation discusses the meaning of the concept "power" and the impossibility of characterizing all power as good or evil. The conceptual groundwork is prepared for a discussion of power symmetries and asymmetries.
Listen and Download - Part 2 - Soft and Hard Power
This presentation discusses the distinction between soft and hard power and the varieties of each kind of power. The ultimate goal of this series of presentations is to discuss the dynamics of power symmetries and asymmetries in our world and to suggest a mechanism for restoring freedom to individuals.
Listen and Download - Part 3 - Definitions
The definitions of symmetrical and asymmetrical power and the concepts of no-harm and equal-harm power symmetries are explained in this presentation. The ultimate goal of this series of videos is to discuss the dynamics of power symmetries and asymmetries in our world and to suggest a mechanism for restoring freedom to individuals.
Listen and Download - Part 4 - No-Harm Symmetries
This presentation gives five examples of no-harm power symmetries, comments on their prevalence in the world, and discusses their vulnerability to aggressive individuals with the capacity to inflict harm.
Listen and Download - Part 5 - Equal-Harm Symmetries
This presentation gives five examples of equal-harm power symmetries and discusses their stability and effectiveness at protecting individuals and their liberties.
Anything from firearms ownership to limited government to a marriage properly constituted is an instance of an equal-harm power symmetry.
Listen and Download - Part 6 - Asymmetry Examples 1-5
This presentation addresses the five examples of no-harm power symmetries previously mentioned (in Part 4) and shows how each can degenerate into a case of power asymmetry. Anything from government monopoly to campus speech codes to violent crime can precipitate the emergence of such asymmetries.
Listen and Download - Part 7 - Asymmetry Examples 7-10
This presentation addresses the five examples of equal-harm power symmetries previously mentioned (in Part 5) and shows how each can degenerate into a case of power asymmetry. Gun control laws, no-fault divorce, and a lack of constitutional restraints on government can all create such power asymmetries.
Listen and Download - Part 8 - Asymmetry Examples 11-13
This video explores three additional cases of power asymmetries in our world - present in taxation, the global warming scare, and in the public school system.
Resources:
* "An Outline and Defense of a Properly Limited Government"
* "A Plan for Cutting Big Government"
* "The Great Global Warming Swindle"
- Part 1
- Part 2
- Part 3
- Part 4
- Part 5
- Part 6
- Part 7
- Part 8
Listen and Download - Part 9 - Growth of Asymmetries
Mr. Stolyarov explores how existing power asymmetries grow over time unless counteracted by some outside force. The outside force - needed to halt and reverse the growth of government - has existed in some past eras of history but does not exist today. Furthermore, any group that checks the power of government tends to itself become oppressive once it obtains the reins of political power
Listen and Download - Part 10 - The Future Counterpower
Where can a lasting counterbalance to growing government power be found? This presentation concludes the "Power Symmetries and Asymmetries" series by showing how a future rising class of independent online income earners can dramatically change the entire structure of American society and become a meritocratic landed gentry that permanently checks the power of the state.
***
"Classical Liberal Tolerance - A Defense"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read
by G. Stolyarov II
Listen and Download.
This presentation discusses the classical liberal idea of tolerance and its necessity for preserving a free country. The distinction between tolerance in the legal sense and tolerance in the moral sense is presented - as well as a case for the futility of government attempts to legislate moral behavior.
***
"Why Wealth is Good"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read
by G. Stolyarov II
Listen and Download.
This presentation gives a brief overview and illustrations of the desirability of wealth. The higher one's material standard of living the better - from the standpoint of virtually any set of values one might choose to embrace, unless one values death over life. This presentation will also explain why life is in fact preferable to death and why valuing death entails a contradiction.
***
"Ron Paul Wins 2nd Place in Nevada - Future of the Revolution"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read
by G. Stolyarov II
Listen and Download.
Ron Paul's remarkable 2nd-place finish in the Nevada caucuses is a sign that the Ron Paul Revolution is moving onward and upward. This presentation analyzes Ron Paul's remarkable successes to date and discusses the accomplishments and the foreseeable future of the Ron Paul Revolution.
***
"Common Reasons for Atheism"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read
by G. Stolyarov II
Listen and Download - Part 1 - Four Common Reasons for Atheism
This presentation gives four common reasons why people adhere to atheism:
Reason 1: Lack of Evidence for God's Existence
Reason 2: Lack of "Faith"
Reason 3: Lack of Convincing Arguments for God's Existence
Reason 4: Desire to Avoid Rituals and Institutional Entanglements
Resources:
* August Berkshire's "21 Unconvincing Arguments for God"
* Occam's Razor - Wikipedia
* "Five Arguments for the Non-Existence of God" by G. Stolyarov II
Listen and Download - Part 2 - Common Reasons for Atheism: #5 and 6
This presentation gives two additional reasons why many individuals choose atheism.
Reason 5: Upbringing and Fundamental Intellectual Framework
Reason 6: Conviction that Certain Ideas about Gods are Self-Contradictory
***
"Why I Choose Atheism Over Agnosticism"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read
by G. Stolyarov II
Listen and Download.
This presentation gives my reasons for being an explicit atheist - someone who denies the existence of any god or gods and who asserts this denial with certainty - rather than an agnostic - someone who claims that he does not know whether any god exists.
Resources:
* "Five Arguments for the Non-Existence of God" by G. Stolyarov II
***
"Government Health Regulation is Unhealthy"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read
by G. Stolyarov II
Listen and Download.
Government attempts to regulate individuals' health - including bans on certain lifestyles or certain kinds of food - achieve the opposite of their intended results.
This presentation explores the ways in which government health regulations are indeed quite unhealthy.
***
"PETA: People for the Evil Treatment of Animals"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read
by G. Stolyarov II
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The organization known as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is comprised of murderers, hypocrites, and vehement haters of humankind. Yes, the sad truth is that PETA kills innocent, healthy animals by the thousands while doing everything in its ability to damage the well-being of humans.
***
"Why I Call Myself an Atheist"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read
by G. Stolyarov II
Listen and Download.
This presentation responds to claims that those who do not believe in any god or gods should not use the term "atheism" to refer to themselves. On the contrary, Mr. Stolyarov presents a variety of reasons for why calling oneself an atheist may be both necessary and useful.
***
"New Republic Slanders Ron Paul, Engages in Vile Dishonesty"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read
by G. Stolyarov II
Listen and Download.
The January 8, 2008, New Republic article, "Angry White Man" by James Kirchick is a blatantly false character assassination timed to bring about Ron Paul's defeat in the New Hampshire primaries. This article is a violation of journalistic etiquette and of human decency; Kirchick needs to be taken to task for his fraudulent portrayal of Dr. Paul.
* Kirchick's vile and inaccurate character assassination of Dr. Paul
* Ron Paul's "Government and Racism" - his genuine views on the subject
***
"Atheism Facts and Myths"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read
by G. Stolyarov II
Listen and Download - Part 1 - What Atheism Actually Is
Mr. Stolyarov does not seek here to convince anyone to become an atheist. Instead, in this and in subsequent videos, he wishes only to discuss what atheism actually is and to dispel the all too frequent misconceptions regarding it.
Listen and Download - Part 2 - Myth #1: Atheists Hate God
This presentation dispels the commonly held notion that atheists necessarily despise any god or gods - in particular the God of the major monotheistic religions. Nothing in atheism implies such a characterization.
Listen and Download - Part 3 - Myth #2: Atheists Hate Believers in God
Atheists do not despise Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, or anyone else who believes in a god or gods. According to atheists, the morality of a person has absolutely nothing to do with his/her religious beliefs. So religion is not immoral, but rather irrelevant to morality.
Listen and Download - Part 4 - Myth #3: Atheists Are Socialists or Totalitarians
Atheists are not necessarily advocates of socialism, Marxism, totalitarianism, or any other kind of collectivism. Individuals of many highly diverse schools of thought have been atheists, and many atheists exhibit strong tendencies in favor of individual liberty.
Listen and Download - Part 5 - Myth #4: Atheists Lack Objective Moral Standards
This presentation dispels the extremely common misconception that atheists do not believe in any kind of absolute, objective moral standards. Believing in a god or gods is not necessary to arrive at morality, and there exist numerous well-developed secular approaches to ethics.
Essays referred to in the presentation:
* "Morality Does Not Require Religion" by G. Stolyarov II
* "Incentives for Moral Behavior" by G. Stolyarov II
Listen and Download - Part 6 - Myth #5: Atheism is a Religion
This presentation refutes the claim that atheism is a religion. Not only is atheism not a religion, by itself it is not even a philosophy or a worldview.
Listen and Download - Part 7 - Myth #6: Atheists Seek to Suppress Religion
Atheists do not endeavor to prohibit or limit the freedom of others to believe in whatever god they choose or to practice their beliefs - provided that they do not impose their beliefs on others. Even if they wanted to impose such restrictions, atheists are too politically and demographically insignificant to accomplish this.
***
"Insist on Being Treated Like an Adult -- Support Ron Paul"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read
by G. Stolyarov II
Listen and Download.
What separates an adult from a child? It seems an elementary question, yet few have pondered it in depth and developed a coherent answer. But, no matter your age, your future depends on the answer. Support Ron Paul in the primaries and in the 2008 Presidential election in order to be treated like an adult by the government.
***
"An Atheist's Response to Pascal's Wager"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read
by G. Stolyarov II
Listen and Download.
Pascal's Wager is one of the more respectable arguments in favor of religion. As an atheist, Mr. Stolyarov is nonetheless sympathetic to this argument, because it attempts to use reason to actually persuade people to believe in God, rather than circularly using the Bible as a reason to believe in the truth of the Bible. Of course, as an atheist, Mr. Stolyarov also believes that Pascal's Wager is a mistaken argument. But here he will give it the consideration it deserves.
***
"Why the Government Should Regulate the Weather"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read
by G. Stolyarov II
Listen and Download.
Mr. Stolyarov believes that the federal government should impose regulations on all weather within the boundaries of the United States under the plan given here.
Onward to universal climate equality and freedom from unpredictable, chaotic weather conditions!
(Note: This is a satire.)
***
"Socialized Healthcare: When Money Trumps Life"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read
by G. Stolyarov II
Listen and Download.
Proponents of socialized healthcare like to characterize the private provision of healthcare as callous and uncaring, prioritizing the patients' money over their lives and permitting those without money to suffer and die. This is blatantly untrue, of course, but the argument against socialized healthcare goes much farther than this. Indeed, socialized healthcare is guilty of the very fault that private healthcare is alleged to have. Under government healthcare, government providers indeed prioritize their own cost savings above the lives and well-being of their patients.
***
"My Endorsement of Ron Paul for President"
by G. Stolyarov II; Read
by G. Stolyarov II
Listen and Download - Part 1
In late 2007, the United States of America was faced with an unprecedented opportunity to bring the goal of complete individual liberty to fruition. Never before had the prospects for reversing the onward march of statism and central planning looked so bright -- but this was also our last chance to avert an economic calamity of unprecedented proportions (which subsequently happened in 2008). Accordingly, Mr. Stolyarov was pleased to announce his full, unreserved endorsement of Ron Paul for President in the 2008 election.
Listen and Download - Part 2
An even worse calamity than the income tax is the insidious but devastating inflation tax. Mr. Stolyarov argued in late 2007 that Ron Paul's election as President would be necessary to avert hyperinflation in the future.
Listen and Download - Part 3
In late 2007, Mr. Stolyarov disagreed with Dr. Paul's stance on Iraq (he now completely supports Dr. Paul's position on Iraq and has even renounced war altogether), but Mr. Stolyarov still supported Dr. Paul's campaign without reservation. Find out his reasons in this final part of his endorsement.
G. Stolyarov II is an actuary, science fiction novelist, independent philosophical essayist, poet, amateur mathematician, composer, contributor to Enter Stage Right, Le Quebecois Libre, Rebirth of Reason, and the Ludwig von Mises Institute, Senior Writer for The Liberal Institute, and Editor-in-Chief of The Rational Argumentator, a magazine championing the principles of reason, rights, and progress. Mr. Stolyarov also publishes his articles on Associated Content to assist the spread of rational ideas. He holds the highest Clout Level (10) possible on Associated Content and is one of Associated Content's Page View Millionaires. Mr. Stolyarov has also written a science fiction novel, Eden against the Colossus, a non-fiction treatise, A Rational Cosmology, and a play, Implied Consent. See his YouTube videos and G + W Audio Broadcasts, a new series of intellectual conversations by Mr. Stolyarov and his wife, Wendy. Mr. Stolyarov can be contacted at gennadystolyarovii@yahoo.com.
This work may be republished under the condition that credit be given to the author, pursuant to a Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution license.
Learn about Mr. Stolyarov's novel, Eden against the Colossus, here.
Read Mr. Stolyarov's comprehensive treatise, A Rational Cosmology, explicating such terms as the universe, matter, space, time, sound, light, life, consciousness, and volition, here.
Disclaimer: The presence of the following advertisement serves as an attempt to eventually enable The Rational Argumentator to generate sufficient revenues to cover the costs of its domain name. TRA does not foresee making an actual profit with these advertisements for a long time. The advertisement does not necessarily reflect the views of TRA or any of its contributors, and the readers are encouraged to judge it on its own merits.