StephanKinsella.com

I dub Labor Day the worst day of the year. Worse even than the Fourth of July ¹ and artificial holidays like Christmas and Mother’s Day. No, not for typical libertarian reasons but because Locke and then Smith have corrupted our understanding of “labor” and its relation to property rights, value, wealth, and economics, with the hoary and stupid labor theory of property and the labor theory of value and countless confused arguments in favor of evil intellectual property.

See KOL037 | Locke’s Big Mistake: How the Labor Theory of Property Ruined Political Theory

1. Down with the Fourth of July. [↩]

Re: KOL418 | Corporations, Limited Liability, and the Title Transfer Theory of Contract, with Jeff Barr: Part II; see comments there.

From Brian Moss:

Stephan thanks for replying to my questions in the comments section of KOL418. [continue reading…]

One “Abraham Thomas” sent me a manuscript with this note:

Your work on intellectual freedom and principled liberty has been formative for me. In Truth, I take on the subject from a broader perspective, exploring honesty as the foundation of both individual dignity and collective flourishing.

It would be a privilege if you might consider endorsing my book.

I routinely get these kind of submissions and requests. Not aware that this is published or public, so I don’t post it here.

I fed it into Grok and axed Grok:

evaluate the manucrript Truth by Thomas Abraham attached. Summarize its approach and thesis, and compare it to the approach of kinsella, attached. How would Kinsella view this argument? Is it complete, coherent, successful, libertarian, and compatible with Kinsella’s approach? Does it cite or show awareness of the arguments of Rothbard, Kinsella, Hoppe?

Grok report/analysis: [continue reading…]

My brother, Michael, died unexpectedly last year, and my sister Sheila this year. My eulogies and other information and pictures below. More about them sprinkled throughout Alan D. Bergman, Adopting Liberty: The Stephan Kinsella Story (2025) (see Kinsella Biography: Adopting Liberty).

One of the two local Catholic churches we attended when I grew up, as the Parish lines kept changing. Mike and I were altar boys at the other one.

Sheila

Sheila obituary. [continue reading…]

In grad school and law school while at LSU (1988–1991) I wrote various columns and letters to the editor to the LSU Daily Reveille ¹ and also to the local paper, then The Morning Advocate, now The Advocate.

I just ran across one I wrote that was published Thurs., Sep. 28, 1989, under the title “Vote against taxes and power.” Like most of the things I published in those days it’s a bit cringe. In that letter, I went through 13 proposed amendments to the Louisiana Constitution coming up for a vote and suggested how to vote on them, and why. I basically said “vote not” if it seemed to increase taxes or restrict liberties. [continue reading…]

1.  My Stint at the LSU Daily Reveille. [↩]

Below is the “A draft constitution for the state in the third millennium,” by Prince Hans-Adam of Liechtenstein, from Prince Hans-Adam, The State in the Third Millennium (2009; pdf). See also David Beattie, Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein – a biography: With an overview of the history of the House of Liechtenstein (2020).

See also discussion of other libertarian and related “constitutions” and so on in KOL359 | State Constitutions vs. the Libertarian Private Law Code (PFS 2021),  KOL345 | Kinsella’s Libertarian “Constitution” or: State Constitutions vs. the Libertarian Private Law Code (PorcFest 2021) and The Universal Principles of Liberty. [continue reading…]

Kinsella on Liberty Podcast: Episode 472.

This is my second talk this morning at Jayant Bhandari’s (@JayantBhandari5) Capitalism & Morality 2025 (Vancouver) conference. Part 1: KOL471 | “What Is Property? And What Is Not? — Part 1,” Capitalism & Morality (Vancouver).

In my first talk I focused on the the role of scarce means (conflictable resources) in action. I had to finish my talk before turning to the second part of action one needs to analyze to fully understand property rights and the intellectual property debate: the knowledge that guides actors in the use of means. In this second part, “Fireside chat between Stephan Kinsella and Albert Lu,” I picked up on where I left off in Part 1, and briefly discuss the knowledge aspect of action, and apply this understanding of the nature and structure of human action in detail to IP. (I’ve known Albert for year and previously appeared on his podcast.)  ¹

[continue reading…]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (29.6MB)

1. • KOL193 | The Economy with Albert Lu: On IP and Double Counting (3/3)
   • KOL192 | The Economy with Albert Lu: On the Legal Significance of Ownership (2/3)
   • KOL191 | The Economy with Albert Lu: Can You Own Bitcoin? (1/3)
   • KOL171 | With Albert Lu Discussing Stossel and IP
   • KOL139 | Power and Market Report with Albert Lu: Law, Careers, Scholarship; Intellectual Property Law Policy, Law, and Career [↩]

Kinsella on Liberty Podcast: Episode 471.

This is my talk this morning at Jayant Bhandari’s (@JayantBhandari5) Capitalism & Morality 2025 (Vancouver) conference. It was followed later that day by Part 2, Fireside Chat with Albert Lu, whose podcast I’ve been on in the past. ¹

The audio is from my iphone. I will replace it with the video and better audio at a later date. The video is up (see above). I have replaced the podcast audio with the better audio.

In my talk I focused on the the role of scarce means (conflictable resources) in action. I had to finish my talk before turning to the second part of action one needs to analyze to fully understand property rights and the intellectual property debate: the knowledge that guides actors in the use of means.

In my view, this talk, along with Part 2, is one of my better presentations of this important issue. I’m getting a bit better as I get older, because I’m maturing in my thought and integrating lots of interrelated ideas, I’ve developed more  mastery of this material and have had a lot of experience explaining these ideas,  and by now have gotten more comfortable speaking, something I have never really especially liked doing and something that used to make me very nervous. No longer. [continue reading…]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (41.8MB)

1. KOL193 | The Economy with Albert Lu: On IP and Double Counting (3/3); KOL192 | The Economy with Albert Lu: On the Legal Significance of Ownership (2/3); KOL191 | The Economy with Albert Lu: Can You Own Bitcoin? (1/3); KOL171 | With Albert Lu Discussing Stossel and IP; KOL139 | Power and Market Report with Albert Lu: Law, Careers, Scholarship; Intellectual Property Law Policy, Law, and Career. [↩]

Bert Schwitters alerted me to his book Liberating Liberty and upon my request, sent me a PDF. The book is apparently available only here, not on Amazon, and not in ebook form, and not available in PDF, epub, or other form online either. He describes some of his views and his book here too: Liberty and Libertarians. The book appears to have a subtitle but it is not clear what it is—perhaps “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness and The Creator of Man,” but it’s not clear. This is obviously an amateur effort.

I wrote this back:

On your book, I honestly do not know why people would spend time compiling a message about liberty–that you will never make money on, so you are doing it only to spread the word–and then trap it behind a paywall and copyright. Why not just post it online so everyone can read it, or do you only want to reach rich westerners? I’m not criticizing, I am just continually mystified by the way some libertarians think. See: On Leading by Example and the Power of Attraction (Open Source Publishing, Creative Commons, Public Domain Publishing) and Authors: Don’t Make the Buddy Holly Mistake.

[continue reading…]

Kinsella on Liberty Podcast: Episode 470.

From my appearance on the Ayn Rand Fan Club with Scott Schiff and William. Their Shownotes:

Patent attorney, Libertarian & Ayn Rand fan Stephan Kinsella joins William & Scott to talk about his history in the liberty world and his unique view that property rights should only pertain to physical things, and not to intellectual property. They also talk about Elon Musk opening his patents and the effects of IP law on AI.

[continue reading…]

Podcast (kinsella-on-liberty): Play in new window | Download (67.7MB)

[Spanish translation below; photos below from signing]

I’m pleased to announce the results of a project I’ve been working on with other libertarians for some time: The Universal Principles of Liberty (finalized and published Aug. 14, 2025).

I’d like to explain here how this came about.

I’ve been a libertarian since I was in high school and increasingly involved over the years learning about liberty and have devoted a lot of time to developing libertarian ideas, by my speaking and writing, ¹ and even in various forms of activism. Yes, despite my regular criticisms of activists and activism, I of course have participated in activism of various types—debating with family and friends and others, voting, participating in various groups; joining the Libertarian Party years ago and now serving on its Judicial Committee. ² [continue reading…]

1. See biographical pieces here and bio here; Stephan Kinsella, Legal Foundations of a Free Society (Houston, Texas: Papinian Press, 2023) [LFFS]; Kinsella on Liberty Podcast. [↩]
2. Member of the Judicial Committee of the Libertarian Party (2022–2026; Chair Jan. 1, 2023–July 31, 2023). [↩]