Welcome to the resource centre of ULS! This is where we will have all the essays, books, novels and news sources you will need to have a well-rounded view of the philosophy, ideals, and applications of libertarianism. All the books and essays are provided in PDF format, and some also include links to audiobooks and/or condensed versions. All the files are credited to their sources re
We have also selected some of the best libertarian podcasts, Youtube channels, and blogs to keep you engaged and entertained on a regular basis. Links to those are provided near the bottom.
- Critical Essays/Short Pieces (Hayek/Friedman/Rothbard)
- Introductory Books (A couple of primer books from Cato, Economics in One Lesson)
- Recommended Reading (Free to choose, Road to Serfdom, Man Economy and State etc)
- Further (heavy) reading (Human Action, For a New Liberty etc)
- Fiction Works (1984, Atlas Shrugged etc)
- Podcasts
- Youtube Channels
- Thinktanks and news sources
- Blogs
We have also selected some of the best libertarian podcasts, Youtube channels, and blogs to keep you engaged and entertained on a regular basis. Links to those are provided near the bottom.
- Critical Essays/Short Pieces (Hayek/Friedman/Rothbard)
- Introductory Books (A couple of primer books from Cato, Economics in One Lesson)
- Recommended Reading (Free to choose, Road to Serfdom, Man Economy and State etc)
- Further (heavy) reading (Human Action, For a New Liberty etc)
- Fiction Works (1984, Atlas Shrugged etc)
- Podcasts
- Youtube Channels
- Thinktanks and news sources
- Blogs
Critical Essays
Why I'm Not a Conservative, by Friedrich Hayek - A famous 1960 essay by the Nobel laureate and Austrian-school economist FA Hayek, in which he logically deconstructs the argument for political conservatism, and distances it from the naturally radical classical liberal philosophy he held. Among his grounds for rejecting conservatism were that moral ideals are not “proper objects of coercion”. It acted as the postscript for his book "The Constitution of Liberty", listed later in this page
Why the Government is the Problem, by Milton Friedman - In this short piece, Nobel prize winner and celebrated libertarian Milton Friedman makes a brief but effective argument on why government is in fact the main obstacle to development. In less than 22 pages Friedman succinctly explains why the government is creating more problems than solutions.
Why Be Libertarian?, by Tom Palmer - Students For Liberty patron and Cato Institute senior fellow Tom Palmer aims this essay at convincing young people to embrace the cause of liberty of freedom by circumnavigating the jargon and explaining what it actually means to be a libertarian, and why liberty is the best principal for social order. This essay is also included as the opener for "Why Liberty", a book listed later in this page.
Introductory Books
On Liberty, by John Stuart Mill - JS Mill published this short book in 1859, but it still remains the single most important document of political liberalism, as classically conceived. On Liberty is a rational justification of the freedom of the individual in opposition to the claims of the state to impose unlimited control and is thus a defence of the rights of the individual against the state. This work contained Mill's principle that only self-protection can justify either the state's tampering with the liberty of the individual or any personal interference with another's freedom -- particularly with respect to freedom of thought and discussion.
Libertarianism Today, by Jacob H. Huebert - American attorney and law professor Jacob Huebert presents an engaging introduction to the libertarian movement's ideas and people, particularly from a US perspective. The book starts with the basic libertarian idea that people should be free to do whatever they want as long as they don't harm anyone else. Then it examines what that means for a wide range of contemporary issues, including the economy, health care, guns, drugs, online file-sharing, and more, as well as the people attempting to spread the libertarian perspective on these issues, from Ron Paul, to modern day Austrian economists.
Libertarianism: A Primer, by David Boaz -
Economics in One Lesson, by Henry Hazlitt - First published in 1946, Henry Hazlitt’s "Economics in One Lesson" is a classic economic primer and a million copy seller, but it is also much more, having become a fundamental influence on modern free market economics. It is based on Frédéric Bastiat's essay Ce qu'on voit et ce qu'on ne voit pas (English: "What is Seen and What is Not Seen"), and focuses on the negative effects that government intervention and support in one industry can have on others. Today it serves a concise introduction to free market economics.
For a New Liberty: The Libertarian Manifesto, by Murray Rothbard -
The Morality of Capitalism, edited by Tom Palmer -
The Economics of Freedom: Selected Works of Frédéric Bastiat, edited by Tom Palmer -
Libertarianism Today, by Jacob H. Huebert - American attorney and law professor Jacob Huebert presents an engaging introduction to the libertarian movement's ideas and people, particularly from a US perspective. The book starts with the basic libertarian idea that people should be free to do whatever they want as long as they don't harm anyone else. Then it examines what that means for a wide range of contemporary issues, including the economy, health care, guns, drugs, online file-sharing, and more, as well as the people attempting to spread the libertarian perspective on these issues, from Ron Paul, to modern day Austrian economists.
Libertarianism: A Primer, by David Boaz -
Economics in One Lesson, by Henry Hazlitt - First published in 1946, Henry Hazlitt’s "Economics in One Lesson" is a classic economic primer and a million copy seller, but it is also much more, having become a fundamental influence on modern free market economics. It is based on Frédéric Bastiat's essay Ce qu'on voit et ce qu'on ne voit pas (English: "What is Seen and What is Not Seen"), and focuses on the negative effects that government intervention and support in one industry can have on others. Today it serves a concise introduction to free market economics.
For a New Liberty: The Libertarian Manifesto, by Murray Rothbard -
The Morality of Capitalism, edited by Tom Palmer -
The Economics of Freedom: Selected Works of Frédéric Bastiat, edited by Tom Palmer -
Recommended Reading
The Road to Serfdom, by Friedrich Hayek (Find the condensed version here) -
Free to Choose, by Milton Friedman (Find the condensed version here) -
The Law, by Frédéric Bastiat -
Why Liberty, edited by Tom Palmer -
After the Welfare State, edited by Tom Palmer -
Free to Choose, by Milton Friedman (Find the condensed version here) -
The Law, by Frédéric Bastiat -
Why Liberty, edited by Tom Palmer -
After the Welfare State, edited by Tom Palmer -
Further Reading
The Constitution of Liberty, by Friedrich Hayek -
Capitalism and Freedom, by Milton Friedman -
Human Actions: A Treatise on Economics, by Ludwig von Mises -
The Ethics of Liberty, by Murray Rothbard -
Freedom to Trade: Refusing the New Protectionism, by Edward Hudgins -
Man, Economy and State, with Power and Market, by Murray Rothbard -
Capitalism and Freedom, by Milton Friedman -
Human Actions: A Treatise on Economics, by Ludwig von Mises -
The Ethics of Liberty, by Murray Rothbard -
Freedom to Trade: Refusing the New Protectionism, by Edward Hudgins -
Man, Economy and State, with Power and Market, by Murray Rothbard -
Fiction Works
Nineteen Eighty-Four, by George Orwell -
Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand -
Animal Farm, by George Orwell -
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, by Robert Heinlein -
Alongside Night, by J. Neil Schulman -
Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand -
Animal Farm, by George Orwell -
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, by Robert Heinlein -
Alongside Night, by J. Neil Schulman -
Libertarian Podcasts
EconTalk -