The Challenge of Liberty
2013 Summer Seminars for Students
College: June 17–21 (Colorado Springs, CO) | July 15–19 (Berkeley, CA)
High School: July 22-26 (Oakland, CA)
Introduction | Speakers | Curriculum | Enrollment | Videos
Each seminar is designed as an introductory course on the principles of free-market economics and the philosophical foundations of freedom and natural rights. Each day consists of presentations by key university professors and Independent Institute research fellows, as well as smaller round-table discussions.
- On Monday students learn about the core philosophical foundations of a free society, the rise of liberty in the West, and the elemental principles of economics.
- On Tuesday the faculty covers such key topics as public choice theory, praxeology, the history of economic thought. Following the lead of great economists like Ludwig von Mises, we introduce students to these fundamentals and then move on to the ramifications of state interventionism—taxation, regulation, antitrust law, and socialist central planning.
- By Thursday the teachers have struck the root of mythology surrounding so-called market failure and have moved on to illustrating the social destruction unleashed by all-too-real government failure. The state has made a mess of education, health care, the environment, and charity, and students hear market, voluntary approaches to these social issues they won’t get elsewhere.
- On Friday we round out the week by discussing issues of pressing international importance.
Preliminary curriculum and other details for each seminar are available:
College Seminar in Colorado Springs, Colorado, June 17-21, 2013
Classes are hosted at the Penrose House. Room, board, and daily local transportation to and from the seminar are available.
Monday, June 17: The Rise of Liberty
The Challenge of Liberty
Ethics and Liberty
Western Civilization and Thought
From Crusoe to Smith
Institutions and Property Rights
Division of Labor, Comparative Advantage, and Free Trade
Tuesday, June 18: Economics Fundamentals
Competition and the Market Process
The Firm and Entrepreneurship
Praxeology
Externalities
Public Choice
Wednesday, June 19: Interventionism
Regulation and Interventionism
Monopoly and Antitrust
Money and Banking
Business Cycles
The Economic Crisis of 2008
Planned Chaos: Why Socialism Failed
Thursday, June 20: Government Failure in the Modern World
Environmentalism
Education and the State
Ideology and Government Growth
The Welfare State
Totalitarianism and Lawlessness
Friday, June 21: The Future of Freedom
America’s Great Depression
The Myth of War Prosperity
The Future of Liberty
Hosted by the Independent Institute at the University of California, Berkeley*, CA, July 15–19, 2013
Hosted by the Independent Institute at UC Berkeley. Room and board available. Students staying on campus will have access to the university’s amenities including cafeteria, pool, athletic fields, dorm common areas and nightly events.
Monday, July 15: The Rise of Liberty
The Challenge of Liberty
Ethics and Liberty
Western Civilization and Thought
Adam Smith and the Wealth of Nations
A History of Economic Thought
Classical Liberalism
Tuesday, July 16: Economics Fundamentals
Competition and the Market Process
Public Choice
Theory of Entrepreneurship
Money and Banking
The Austrian Theory of the Business Cycle
Property Rights and Civil Liberties
Wednesday July 17: Interventionism
Regulation and Interventionism
Why Socialism Failed
Fraternal Societies
The Economics of Energy Transportation
Taxation
Thursday, July 18: The Nation State
Antitrust and Monopoly
Globalization and Development
Immigration
Centralization and Liberty
Ideology and Government Growth
The Welfare-Warfare State
Friday, July 19: The Future of Freedom
America’s Great Depression
The Myth of War Prosperity
The Future of Liberty
*This program is operated by The Independent Institute. The University of California, Berkeley, and its Conference Services are not associated or affiliated with or endorses the Independent Institute, other than to provide a location for this program on the campus.
High School Seminar in Oakland, California, July 22–26, 2013
Hosted at the Independent Institute’s Headquarters Conference Center in Oakland, CA. Lunches will be provided. While students are expected to commute to the seminar, there will be some housing available for special circumstances.
Monday, July 22: The Rise of Liberty
The Challenge of Liberty
Ethics and Liberty
Western Civilization and Thought
Classical Liberalism and Economics
Tuesday, July 23: Economics Fundamentals
Economics in One Lesson: Part 1
Economics in One Lesson: Part 2
Development Economics
The Consequence of Ideas in American History
Who Protects the Consumer?
Tuesday, July 24: Power and Market
Money and Banking
Business Cycles
Charter Cities
The Fed and the Economic Crisis
Weeping for Detroit
Thursday, July 25: Government Failure
Fraternal Societies vs. the Welfare State
Welfare, Health Care, and the Environment
Adam Smith and the Wealth of Nations
The Curse of Keynes and Modern Macroeconomics
Friday, July 26: The Future of Freedom
Economic Development and the Industrial Revolution
Labor and Unions
Disaster Relief: Public vs. Private
The Myth of War Prosperity
The Future of Liberty
For more information, please contact:
Anthony Gregory
Student Programs Director
The Independent Institute
100 Swan Way
Oakland, California 94621-1428
510-632-1366 x157 (phone)
Send Email
