Writers Worth Reading

My serious writings here vary from the less-frequent careful essays and the more-frequent ramblerants where I just throw a bunch of half-formed ideas onto the page. There are several writers whose political and philosophical insights I value greatly, and whose writing often possesses a clarity and persuasiveness I will never achieve. I don't always agree entirely with them, but their works have all had significant influence on my growth as an individual. I recommend them highly.

Lysander Spooner: 19th century American entrepreneur, abolitionist, and philosopher. He opposed both slavery and the Civil War. He created a post office to compete with the government postal monopoly. He denounced the common presumptions of democracy in no uncertain terms in his Letter to Grover Cleveland.

Frederick Bastiat: 19th century French economist and statesman whose defense of classical liberalism foresaw the lazy arguments put forth today by apologists for the State. He may be a minarchist rather than an anarchist, but his arguments against the State are sound. His satirical The Candlestick Makers' Petition is a brilliant deconstruction of protectionism.

Pierre-Joseph Proudhon: 19th century French anarchist. While I disagree with a significant portion of his political and economic conclusions, and have a lot of reading to do yet to fully grasp his thought, his individualism is refreshing in the sea of collectivism his socialist peers espoused.

Ludwig von Mises: Austrian economist. His ideas are unfashionable, not because they have been refuted, but because they do not fit with the aims of the political class to usurp more power and control. His critics like to take the odd quote out of context to accuse him of advocating fascism for some reason instead of actually engaging with his ideas. Find his biography and collected works online here.

Murray Rothbard: Student of Mises. Lots of brilliant ideas. A few ideas I find sketchy. Worth a read regardless. His bio and work can also be found online here.

William Norman Grigg: What can I say but RIP, and go read his blog.

Karl Hess: 20th century American activist, philosopher, and essayist. he was one of the best unsung advocates for philosophical anarchism without adjectives. He was heavily punished by the State for his outspokenness. Check out The Death of Politics first.

Robert Higgs: economic historian and currently an expatriate in pursuit of greater personal freedom. See his biography at the Independent Institute and find his essays there, or read a number of his articles here.

Thomas Sowell: Economist, historian, political theorist. Libertarian-leaning conservative, or perhaps vice-versa. Brilliant writer whose obervations cut straight to the heart of the issue, and who is willing to reconsider established dogma.

There are others I should mention, but these writers should be plenty to keep even the most voracious readers occupied for some time. I suppose may find this list a problematic "sausage fest," but I just can't bring myself to wholeheartedly endorse Ayn Rand, and I need to read more by Rose Wilder Lane, Voltairine de Cleyre, and Emma Goldman.