OLL Titles

A classic analysis of imperialism by a British economic journalist who explores the way in which mercantile interests in the home country can manipulate the power of the state in order to get benefits in the colony.

Taussig, a professor of economics at Harvard, wrote what has become a classic work on modern trade theory that critically examines the economic implications of tariffs and protectionism. Taussig explores how tariffs influence… more

An early Victorian self-help book that combines Victorian morality with sound free market ideas into moral tales showing the benefits of thrift, hard work, education, perseverance, and a sound character. Smiles drew upon the personal… more

A warning that Britain would face rising costs for coal as other nations industrialized and that this would have a deep impact on the British economy and way of life.

In On Old Age, Cicero offers a thoughtful and dignified defense of aging, arguing that old age, far from being a burden, brings wisdom, peace, and opportunity for continued contribution to society. Written as a dialogue, the work… more

Arguably no political principle has been more central than the separation of powers to the evolution of constitutional governance in Western democracies. M. J. C. Vile traces the history of the doctrine from its rise during the… more

In Defense of the Constitution refutes modern critics of the Constitution who assail it as “reactionary” or “undemocratic.” The author argues that modern disciples of Progressivism are determined to centralize political control in… more

The Federalist, by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, constitutes a text central to the American political tradition. Published in newspapers in 1787 and 1788 to explain and promote ratification of the proposed… more

Turnbull was the first member of the Scottish Enlightenment to provide a formal treatise on the theory and practice of education. He applied his ideas on the moral sense to the education of youth. Turnbull showed how a liberal… more

Condorcet’s essay is an early defence of the right of women to particpate in politcs. It was written during the first years of the French Revolution.

A collection of Sophocles’ 7 surviving plays including Oedipus Rex and Antigone.

An examination of the political ideas behind the Declaration of Independence. Becker examines the theory of natural rights, the view the colonists had of their place in the British Empire, and the literary qualities of the… more

The late 19th century Skeat edition with copious scholarly notes and a good introduction to the text. The Tales are in their original Middle English.

Explore the poetic brilliance of Petrarch, the father of Renaissance humanism. “Some Love Songs” offers a selection of his most famous sonnets, capturing the beauty, longing, and complexity of love that inspired centuries of… more

Pigou develops the concept of externalities at some length and uses their existence as a justification for government intervention.

One of Kant’s most important philosophical works and one of the most important of the Enlightenment as well. In it he argues that the world that we know is structured by the way that we perceive and think about the world. Reason is… more

Shakespeare’s Henry VIII may be best known not for its plot or poetry, but because during one of its earliest performances a cannon, shot for special effects, caught the theater’s thatched roof on fire, and the Globe burned to the… more

A clear and strong case for free trade against proctectionism. The chapter of the fallacies of protectionism is very thorough.

James Mill’s History is a work of Benthamite “philosophical history” from which the reader is supposed to draw lessons about human nature, reason and religion, and the deleterious impact of commercial monopolies like the East India… more

In The Anti-capitalistic Mentality, Ludwig von Mises explains the causes of the irrational fear and hatred many intellectuals and others feel for capitalism. Written during the heyday of twentieth-century socialism, this work… more

Douglass’s third and last autobiography of his life as a slave, runaway, and then campaigner for the abolition of slavery. This edition is interesting because of the introduction by one of Britain’s leading classical liberal… more

The first book of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible), also called The Law of Moses, which contains an account of the beginnings of the world, of the people of Israel and their religious faith, and the… more

These volumes provide a selection of seventy-six essays, pamphlets, speeches, and letters to newspapers written between 1760 and 1805 by American political and religious leaders. Many are obscure pieces, but all illuminate the… more

Spooner argues that it is principle in English law going back to Magna Carta that juries had the right to determine the justice of the laws under which a person might be tried, as well as whether or not the accused is guilty.

Carus was a tireless popularizer of Buddha’s thought and this is a good example of his work. It relates the life of Buddha, contains many examples of his parables, and is lavishly illustrated with numerous etchings by O. Kopetzky.

The Bhagavad Gita is perhaps the greatest and most beautiful of the Hindu scriptures. It is mainly in the form of a dialogue between the warrior Prince Arjuna and his friend Krishna (the earthly incarnation of the god Vishnu). The… more

This is a revised edition of Liberty Fund’s translation of Bastiat’s famous essay on The State which was one of the last things he wrote before he died in 1850.

One of the many pamphlets in response to Johnson’s Taxation no Tyranny, Resistance no Rebellion praises the good sense and dignity of the Americans while noting the ways in which they have been insulted by the British. The author is… more