The biggest influences on my politics (apart from current and historical observation) are the political philosophy of John Locke and the philosophic system of Ayn Rand. Locke argued that each individual possesses the rights to life, liberty and property, that these rights exist in nature prior to the formation of government, and that the only legitimate government is one whose function is limited to protecting these rights. Rand argued that man's essential nature is to use his reason to produce the values on which his life depends, which in turn requires a government whose function is strictly limited to protecting him from the initiation of physical force by other men. Locke's ideas were the basis for The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution the United States. Rand's essential contribution was to give Locke's best theory of rights a consistent philosophic foundation that eliminates any possibility of misunderstanding or misapplication.

Of course, these principles are highly abstract, and, for someone unfamiliar with the writings of Locke and Rand, probably raise as many questions and objections as they answer. Complicating matters immeasurably for most people is the prevalence in the culture of the antithetical moral, political, and economic ideas of Jean Jacques Rousseau, Immanuel Kant, G. W. F. Hegel, and Karl Marx. (Just as Locke's ideas provided the intellectual foundation for the relatively free governments of the 19th century, such as England and the United States, the ideas of Rousseau, Kant, Hegel and Marx provided the intellectual foundation for the totalitarian governments of the 20th century, such as Nazi Germany and Communist Russia.) Unfortunately, these antithetical ideas have come to completely dominate higher education during the last century, with the amazing result that most Americans are now, quite unwittingly, better versed in the political and economic premises of Vladimir Lenin and Adolph Hitler than in those of Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. Therefore, as a corrective, and to become an intellectually balanced and well-educated person, I believe that everyone owes it to himself to become acquainted with the intellectual case for political freedom.

To do this requires a dual educational course in politics and economics. A proper political philosophy demonstrates that the free market is moral. A proper economic philosophy demonstrates that the free market is practical. One field deals with the moral principles guiding government, the other with the practical results flowing from the implementation of those principles.

The following recommended reading concerns only political philosophy. For my thoughts and recommendations regarding economics, click on the economics link on the contents bar to the left of this text.

Since politics is a branch of philosophy that depends on the premises of its more fundamental branches (such as metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics), an in-depth understanding of politics requires an in-depth understanding of philosophy. For my thoughts and recommendations regarding philosophy, click on the philosophy link on the contents bar to the left of this text. Recommendations for basic reading in political philosophy follow below.

For a brief introduction to the political ideas of John Locke and their influence, I recommend reading my essay, "The Political Philosophy of John Locke and Its Influence on the Founding Fathers and the Political Documents They Created." For an excellent 4 1/2 hour lecture on Locke's political philosophy, I recommend "John Locke's Political Philosophy" by Harry Binswanger. For a fascinating 3 hour lecture contrasting Locke's political philosophy and its influence on the American revolution with Rousseau's political philosophy and it's influence on the French revolution, I recommend "Ideas and Revolution: Lock and America; Rousseau and France" by John Ridpath. (Both of these lectures are available from The Ayn Rand Bookstore.) To go straight to the source, John Locke's Second Treatise On Government is available in web page form by clicking on it's title, or for under five dollars in book form from Amazon by clicking on it's picture.

The clearest overview of Ayn Rand's political philosophy and its derivation from her ethics is contained in 64 page essay titled, "The Moral Revolution in Atlas Shrugged," which is the opening chapter in a book called "Who Is Ayn Rand." (Although this book has long been out of print, its usually possible to find a used copy by searching ebay using the keywords "Who Is Ayn Rand".) Ayn Rand's own essential political writings are contained in an anthology called "Capitalism, the Unknown Ideal."

Regarding contemporary political issues, the single most important writing I know of that is informed by Ayn Rand's philosophy is George Reisman's essay, The Toxicity of Environmentalism. For an analysis of general current events from the perspective of Ayn Rand's political philosophy, I recommend the op-eds available on Ayn Rand Institute's Media Link page, as well as journalist Robert Tracinski's column. For my own writing, click on the Writing link in the banner above, and then on the Letters to the Editor and Political Philosophy & Economy links on the contents bar on the left.

Apart from Locke and Rand, I recommend reading a brilliant essay by a 19th century French economist named Frederick Bastiat called "The Law" that is both an excellent introduction to, and summation of, classical liberal thought. In addition, Liberty Online is a great source for historically important (and currently relevant) classical liberal writing, including the writing of the founding fathers.

Finally, to fully understand political theories, one needs a knowledge of the historical results that such theories produced. For a demonstration of Locke's ideas in practice, I recommend reading the textbook A History of the United States and Its People by Edward Eggleston. For a demonstration of Rousseau's, Kant's, Hegel's, and Marx's ideas in practice, I recommend reading Modern Times: The World from the Twenties to the Nineties by Paul Johnson and The Black Book of Communism by Stéphane Courtouis. A brilliant analysis of the influence of philosophy on the history of Germany vs. the history of the United States is provided in Leonard Peikoff's book, The Ominous Parallels.  A historical analysis is also provided by my essays on Locke and Marx, which can be found by clicking on the Writing link in the banner above, and then clicking the Political Philosophy & Economy link on the contents bar on the left.