Five Myths About the History of Political Thought

Ryan McMaken explores five enduring myths in the history of political thought, drawing on Ralph Raico’s The Struggle for Liberty to challenge conventional takes on Rousseau, John Stuart Mill, constitutionalism, and more. This lecture reclaims the radical roots of liberalism and warns against the illusion of legal remedies in the fight for freedom.

Recorded at the Mises Institute in Auburn, Alabama, on July 26, 2025.

Mises University is the world's leading instructional program in the Austrian School of economics, and is the essential training ground for economists who are looking beyond the mainstream.