Stefan Molyneux
Encyclopedia
Stefan Basil Molyneux (born 24 September 1966) is a blogger, essayist, author, and host of the Freedomain Radio series of podcasts, living in Mississauga, Canada
. He has written numerous articles and smaller essays which have been published on libertarian
websites such as LewRockwell.com
, antiwar.com
and Strike The Root, recorded over 1800 podcasts, produced over 500 videos, and written numerous books which are all self-published
except for his first, which was published by Publish America. In 2006 Stefan Molyneux quit his previous job in the field of computer software
and works full-time on Freedomain Radio, a philosophical community website which is funded through donations.
, however Molyneux also uses essays, videos
, books, articles
, interviews
, and public speaking
to deliver his content. The regular content of the show covers topics such as anarcho-capitalism
, ethics
, Austrian economics, atheism
, religion
, education
, family
, and politics
. Each Sunday Molyneux conducts a call-in show where listeners can talk with him about either a set topic of discussion, or their own. Freedomain Radio also has an online community message board
for listeners to discuss Molyneux's content as well as related topics.
books. He has written On Truth: The Tyranny of Illusion, Universally Preferable Behaviour: A Rational Proof of Secular Ethics, Real-Time Relationships: The Logic of Love, Everyday Anarchy, Practical Anarchy, How (Not) To Achieve Freedom, Against the Gods, and most recently The Handbook of Human Ownership: A Manual for New Tax Farmers. Molyneux has also written two fictional books, The God of Atheists and Revolutions.
, Alex Jones, Peter Schiff
, Jeff Berwick
,Stephan Kinsella
, Bill Gairdner
, Mary Ruwart
, Alison Gopnik
, Marc Faber
, David Lindorff, Dan Carlin
, and several other figures in the fields of education, academia, psychology, politics, and economics.
on March 8. The position was taken by Ron Paul
in 2008 and John Stossel
in 2007. Molyneux debated with 2004 US Presidential Candidate Michael Badnarik
at Drexel University
on July 5, 2009. Molyneux was the opening speaker for PorcFest 2010 on June 24, the annual liberty festival organized by the Free State Project
. Molyneux spoke at the Students For Liberty
Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference hosted at Drexel University
on October 9, 2010. Molyneux spoke at Libertopia on October 14–15, 2010. Molyneux spoke at the Ontario Libertarian Party
Annual Liberty Seminar at Toronto
on November 6, 2010. Molyneux was a speaker at the 2010 Freedom Summit in Phoenix
, Arizona
on December 5.
, with his first appearance airing on RT America
on April 11, 2011. He has also appeared several times on The Keiser Report
, as well as The Alex Jones Show.
Stefan Molyneux and Freedomain Radio received media coverage in 2008 after several newspapers published a story about Freedomain Radio which centered around a member's parents, who claimed that Freedomain Radio is a therapeutic cult, after the 18 year old member left home and severed all contact with his family, an action that Freedomain Radio calls "deFOO" ("FOO" being an acronym for "Family of Origin"). In response Mr. Molyneux estimated about 20 FDR members had "deFOOed" their families, compared to 50,000 regular listeners.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He has written numerous articles and smaller essays which have been published on libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
websites such as LewRockwell.com
LewRockwell.com
LewRockwell.com is a 501 libertarian web magazine operated by Burton Blumert , Lew Rockwell , Eric Garris , and others associated with the Center for Libertarian Studies ; its motto is "anti-state, anti-war, pro-market"...
, antiwar.com
Antiwar.com
Antiwar.com is a website devoted to opposing aggressive war, imperialism, and assaults on freedom associated with both. The editors describe their politics as libertarian. Their stated motiviation is, "to show how the imperialistic tendencies of the American government lead to a loss of civil...
and Strike The Root, recorded over 1800 podcasts, produced over 500 videos, and written numerous books which are all self-published
Self-publishing
Self-publishing is the publication of any book or other media by the author of the work, without the involvement of an established third-party publisher. The author is responsible and in control of entire process including design , formats, price, distribution, marketing & PR...
except for his first, which was published by Publish America. In 2006 Stefan Molyneux quit his previous job in the field of computer software
Computer software
Computer software, or just software, is a collection of computer programs and related data that provide the instructions for telling a computer what to do and how to do it....
and works full-time on Freedomain Radio, a philosophical community website which is funded through donations.
Format
Freedomain Radio is primarily an online podcastPodcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
, however Molyneux also uses essays, videos
Streaming media
Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a streaming provider.The term "presented" is used in this article in a general sense that includes audio or video playback. The name refers to the delivery method of the medium rather...
, books, articles
Article (publishing)
An article is a written work published in a print or electronic medium. It may be for the purpose of propagating the news, research results, academic analysis or debate.-News articles:...
, interviews
Interviews
Interviews is:# the plural form of "interview"# a compilation album by Bob Marley & the Wailers, see Interviews # a C++ toolkit for the X Window System, see InterViews...
, and public speaking
Public speaking
Public speaking is the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners...
to deliver his content. The regular content of the show covers topics such as anarcho-capitalism
Anarcho-capitalism
Anarcho-capitalism is a libertarian and individualist anarchist political philosophy that advocates the elimination of the state in favour of individual sovereignty in a free market...
, ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
, Austrian economics, atheism
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
, religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
, education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, family
Family
In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...
, and politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
. Each Sunday Molyneux conducts a call-in show where listeners can talk with him about either a set topic of discussion, or their own. Freedomain Radio also has an online community message board
Internet forum
An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are at least temporarily archived...
for listeners to discuss Molyneux's content as well as related topics.
Books
Stefan Molyneux is the author of several non-fictionNon-fiction
Non-fiction is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact...
books. He has written On Truth: The Tyranny of Illusion, Universally Preferable Behaviour: A Rational Proof of Secular Ethics, Real-Time Relationships: The Logic of Love, Everyday Anarchy, Practical Anarchy, How (Not) To Achieve Freedom, Against the Gods, and most recently The Handbook of Human Ownership: A Manual for New Tax Farmers. Molyneux has also written two fictional books, The God of Atheists and Revolutions.
Interviews
Stefan Molyneux has conducted interviews with people such as Max KeiserMax Keiser
Timothy Maxwell "Max" Keiser is an American broadcaster, film-maker, and former equities broker. Keiser is the host of On the Edge, a program of news and analysis hosted by Iran's Press TV. He also hosts Keiser Report, a financial program broadcast on RT - formerly Russia Today...
, Alex Jones, Peter Schiff
Peter Schiff
Peter David Schiff is an American investment broker, author and financial commentator. Schiff is CEO and chief global strategist of Euro Pacific Capital Inc., a broker-dealer based in Westport, Connecticut and CEO of Euro Pacific Precious Metals, LLC, a gold and silver dealer based in New York...
, Jeff Berwick
Jeff Berwick
Jeffrey Berwick is a Canadian entrepreneur, economics, finance, and investment writer, and libertarian/anarchist activist....
,Stephan Kinsella
Stephan Kinsella
frame|right|Stephan KinsellaNorman Stephan Kinsella is an American intellectual property lawyer and libertarian legal theorist. His electronically published works are primarily published on his blog and websites associated with the Ludwig von Mises Institute and anarcho-capitalist...
, Bill Gairdner
Bill Gairdner
William Gairdner attended Appleby College in Oakville, and is now a resident of Willowdale, Ontario. He is a retired track and field athlete, who represented Canada in the men's 400 m hurdles and the men's decathlon at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan...
, Mary Ruwart
Mary Ruwart
Mary J. Ruwart, Ph. D. is a research scientist and libertarian speaker, writer, and activist. She was a leading candidate for the 2008 Libertarian Party presidential nomination and is the author of the award-winning international bestseller "Healing Our World."-Biography:Born in Detroit, Ruwart...
, Alison Gopnik
Alison Gopnik
Alison Gopnik , daughter of Myrna Gopnik, is an American Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. She is known for her work in the areas of cognitive and language development, specializing in causal learning and theory of mind...
, Marc Faber
Marc Faber
-Background:Faber was born in Zürich and schooled in Geneva, Switzerland, where he raced for the Swiss National Ski Team. He studied Economics at the University of Zurich and, at the age of 24, obtained a Ph.D. degree in Economics magna cum laude...
, David Lindorff, Dan Carlin
Dan Carlin
Dan Carlin is an American political commentator, amateur historian, and podcaster. Once a professional radio host, Carlin eventually took his show to the Internet, and he now hosts two popular independent podcasts: Common Sense and Hardcore History....
, and several other figures in the fields of education, academia, psychology, politics, and economics.
Public Speaking
Stefan Molyneux was the closing speaker for the 2009 New Hampshire Liberty ForumNew Hampshire Liberty Forum
The New Hampshire Liberty Forum is an annual libertarian conference hosted by the Free State Project. It has attracted as speakers the likes of U.S. Presidential candidates, a sitting U.S. Senator, a sitting U.S...
on March 8. The position was taken by Ron Paul
Ron Paul
Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes...
in 2008 and John Stossel
John Stossel
John F. Stossel is an American consumer reporter, investigative journalist, author and libertarian columnist. In October 2009 Stossel left his long time home on ABC News to join the Fox Business Channel and Fox News Channel, both owned and operated by News Corp...
in 2007. Molyneux debated with 2004 US Presidential Candidate Michael Badnarik
Michael Badnarik
Michael J. Badnarik is an American software engineer, political figure, and former radio talk show host. He was the Libertarian Party nominee for President of the United States in the 2004 elections, and placed fourth in the race, behind independent candidate Ralph Nader...
at Drexel University
Drexel University
Drexel University is a private research university with the main campus located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. It was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a noted financier and philanthropist. Drexel offers 70 full-time undergraduate programs and accelerated degrees...
on July 5, 2009. Molyneux was the opening speaker for PorcFest 2010 on June 24, the annual liberty festival organized by the Free State Project
Free State Project
The Free State Project is a political movement, founded in 2001, to recruit at least 20,000 libertarian-leaning people to move to New Hampshire in order to make the state a stronghold for libertarian ideas....
. Molyneux spoke at the Students For Liberty
Students For Liberty
Students For Liberty seeks to support student groups that hold a wide-range of philosophical beliefs that all share an underlying dedication to liberty with resources like leadership training, literature, grants, and speakers...
Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference hosted at Drexel University
Drexel University
Drexel University is a private research university with the main campus located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. It was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a noted financier and philanthropist. Drexel offers 70 full-time undergraduate programs and accelerated degrees...
on October 9, 2010. Molyneux spoke at Libertopia on October 14–15, 2010. Molyneux spoke at the Ontario Libertarian Party
Ontario Libertarian Party
The Ontario Libertarian Party is a political party in Ontario, Canada that was founded in 1975 by Bruce Evoy, Vince Miller, and others, inspired by the formation three years earlier of the US Libertarian Party. The Party is guided by adherence to the philosophical ideas of Austrian Economics and...
Annual Liberty Seminar at Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
on November 6, 2010. Molyneux was a speaker at the 2010 Freedom Summit in Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
on December 5.
Television
Stefan Molyneux is a regular guest commentator on Adam vs The ManAdam Kokesh
Adam Charles Kokesh is an American activist and talk radio host. Kokesh was a Corporal in the United States Marine Corps Reserve and is a veteran of the Iraq War. He is an outspoken opponent of the U.S. military intervention in Iraq and has received media attention related to anti-war protest...
, with his first appearance airing on RT America
RT (TV network)
RT, previously known as Russia Today, is a global multilingual television news network based in the Russian Federation run by the state-owned state-run RIA Novosti....
on April 11, 2011. He has also appeared several times on The Keiser Report
Max Keiser
Timothy Maxwell "Max" Keiser is an American broadcaster, film-maker, and former equities broker. Keiser is the host of On the Edge, a program of news and analysis hosted by Iran's Press TV. He also hosts Keiser Report, a financial program broadcast on RT - formerly Russia Today...
, as well as The Alex Jones Show.
Criticisms
Stefan Molyneux and Freedomain Radio received media coverage in 2008 after several newspapers published a story about Freedomain Radio which centered around a member's parents, who claimed that Freedomain Radio is a therapeutic cult, after the 18 year old member left home and severed all contact with his family, an action that Freedomain Radio calls "deFOO" ("FOO" being an acronym for "Family of Origin"). In response Mr. Molyneux estimated about 20 FDR members had "deFOOed" their families, compared to 50,000 regular listeners.
External links
- Freedomain Radio official website
- Stefan Molyneux on MisesWikiLudwig von Mises InstituteThe Ludwig von Mises Institute , based in Auburn, Alabama, is a libertarian academic organization engaged in research and scholarship in the fields of economics, philosophy and political economy. Its scholarship is inspired by the work of Austrian School economist Ludwig von Mises...
- Stefan Molyneux on FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
- Stefan Molyneux on TwitterTwitterTwitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
- Freedomain Radio channel on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....