Newbies

Re: Where do I start?

Austro-Devil — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 08:58:35 GMT

Oliver:

Maybe do a summer economics course at LSE, get a recommendation from the Hayek Society and apply to start a phd course at LSE in 2011.

The Hayek Society is a social club, so I'm pretty sure they won't be able to recommend you for anything. Not knocking it - they get a few people to give talks on public choice or some vaguely Hayekian theme. But there aren't any faculty involved, or anyone else in a position to offer recommendations.

Re: Where do I start?

Andrew Cain — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 06:27:19 GMT

Oliver:

at what stage in my reading would recommend i get into the topographical books on socialism? i'm thinking the end somewhere.

Actually I suggest the beginning. If you don't know much about socialism in general then Gray's work gives a general account of things. That way you can read the general critique then go onto more specific works.

Re: Where do I start?

Oliver — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 06:00:15 GMT

they can be quite determined beggars. lol!

Re: Where do I start?

Oliver — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 05:58:03 GMT

at what stage in my reading would recommend i get into the topographical books on socialism? i'm thinking the end somewhere.

Re: Where do I start?

Oliver — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 01:01:54 GMT

done comics, onto I, Pencil. :)

Re: Where do I start?

Hard Rain — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 23:42:49 GMT

I'm familiar with the SWP creeps. They were always haunting the London high-streets on Saturday afternoons, making tons of noise with their megaphones. Once, outside a concert at Brixton Academy, they were harassing travelers leaving the tube station by shoving anti-capitalist petitions in front of everyone's faces. I had the pleasure of writing "Fuck Communism" on the one they gave me, much to their distaste.

The funny thing is I once saw a bunch of Scientology creeps out and about in Richmond-Upon-Thames. They had no megaphones, weren't accosting people and were, generally, more polite and respectful than the SWP goons.

Re: Where do I start?

Andrew Cain — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 23:15:14 GMT

Oliver:

I have been living with the widow of the founder of the Socialist Worker Party here in Britain. So I've been reading Marx, Lenin, Paul Foot, Tony Cliff and contemporary articles. Attended Marxism 2008 and 2009. Been on the field at anti-Globalisation demos in Europe, on picket lines at factories, occupations on university campuses, on the streets with the StopTheWarCoalition...

Socialism in the UK is dominated mainly by the SWP who have very absolutist Marxist revolutionary communist politics. Very into the idea of class war.

There is the Socialist Party and the Communist party and a few others, the Morning Star newspaper and the SWPs Socialist Worker newspaper are easy to find around the country.

I was never into the marxist ideal and have always been more of a free market guy and kind of an anarchist, at least a minarchist.

Might save the Marx-bashing literature till later. Though I can't wait!

I suggest for topographical outlooks on Socialism, you should read Alexander Gray's The Socialist Tradition. If you want an indepth look at Marxism then I suggest Main Currents of Marxism by Leszek Kolakowski which I am currently going through and is very good.

Re: Where do I start?

AJ — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:12:47 GMT

Well, the comics and I, Pencil are very brief. You'll spin through them in a few minutes or hours.

Re: Where do I start?

Oliver — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:30:15 GMT

thanks for that, i've listened to most if not all of Woods lectures. He's quite easy to follow. Just looking at the comics now, looks good. I heard about Irwin's book and I, pencil... are these really worth reading before Economics in 1 Lesson? I want get my brain refreshed with classic economic science first.

As for the politics, I've been looking at some of Ayn Rand and Tucker's stuff. I want to ficus on economics first mainly.

Re: Where do I start?

Oliver — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:24:16 GMT

I have been living with the widow of the founder of the Socialist Worker Party here in Britain. So I've been reading Marx, Lenin, Paul Foot, Tony Cliff and contemporary articles. Attended Marxism 2008 and 2009. Been on the field at anti-Globalisation demos in Europe, on picket lines at factories, occupations on university campuses, on the streets with the StopTheWarCoalition...

Socialism in the UK is dominated mainly by the SWP who have very absolutist Marxist revolutionary communist politics. Very into the idea of class war.

There is the Socialist Party and the Communist party and a few others, the Morning Star newspaper and the SWPs Socialist Worker newspaper are easy to find around the country.

I was never into the marxist ideal and have always been more of a free market guy and kind of an anarchist, at least a minarchist.

Might save the Marx-bashing literature till later. Though I can't wait!

Re: Where do I start?

Oliver — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:14:30 GMT

nice! had a look at some of the titles. will probably put hazlitt on hold and read a few of those essays first.

Re: Where do I start?

Kimber — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:46:24 GMT

This site is unbelievable. I've been here about a month and have grown a lifetime in that short window.

I download the podcasts and listen to them at the gym, etc.

Where have you guys been all my life? LOL!

Re: Where do I start?

AJ — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 10:41:19 GMT

Thomas Woods is good for starting out. Watching all his videos would not be time wasted, even though you have studied economics. There is much to unlearn.

Lilburne's Human Action Comics are also great for a more rigorous yet accessible introduction.

To summarize, read How an Economy Grows and Why It Doesn't, a comic book presentation by Irwin Schiff (father of Peter Schiff).

I, Pencil is a nice short followup to these, but not fully on the exact topic.

Then of course Economics in One Lesson and then Human Action, which is even longer of a read than its page count suggests, but absolutely brilliant. A few pages of Human Action are like dynamite for your brain.

For political theory, the very best essay for going from Ron Paul minarchism to anarchism is The Obviousness of Anarchy, by Georgetown University Professor John Hasnas. His essay The Myth of the Rule of Law is also extremely eye-opening.

Re: Where do I start?

Andrew Cain — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 02:04:06 GMT

Oliver:
I'm also studying socialism on the side but the Austrian School seems much more appealing.

What type of Socialism? You could check out my topic 'Marxism - A Materials List'

There are multiple schools of socialism though.

Re: Where do I start?

Josh Hanson — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 02:01:04 GMT

Thankfully, the LvMI provides a page with links to the core of Austrian Economics. This should provide a good starting point if you're really serious about jumping right in.

Austrian Core