My Top Principle: No Initiating Force 217 Government doesn’t create special rights. If it’s wrong for an individual to initiate force against peaceful people, it doesn’t become right when done by the state. Cooperation? Yes. Voluntary exchange? Absolutely. Rule by force? No. Freedom starts with rejecting coercion.

Hobbes' Leviathan: Social Contract Explained Simply Dive into Thomas Hobbes’ social contract theory! Learn why humans escape the chaotic “state of nature” by agreeing to obey a Leviathan and how this shapes order and trust in society. Perfect for students and philosophy enthusiasts. Watch the full video here: youtu.be/RA6hdqcwrrQ Thanks to @shepardthinks and to Mabelle for producing this short!

Million Dollar M&M Mafia Plan: Economics Says NO! Could you corner the M&M market with a million-dollar startup and some hired thugs? Larken Rose hilariously breaks down why the “M&M Mafia” is doomed before it even starts. With thousands of legitimate competitors, trying to dominate a free market with force isn’t just immoral—it’s economically impossible. This video is a funny yet eye-opening lesson in market realities vs. fantasy plans. Watch the full video here: youtu.be/V9cmaLTJDSo Thanks to @shepardthinks and to Mabelle for producing this short!

Change the World: The REAL Way That Works! Want to change the world? Start with yourself. In this short, the speaker explains why becoming someone others respect can have a greater impact than most forms of activism. Watch the full video here: youtu.be/vKE0eHWgfZ8 Thanks to @shepardthinks and to Mabelle for producing this short!

𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱𝘀? 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘃𝘀. 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 Private companies already do. So why couldn’t they build, own, and compete to improve them? Competition builds. Bureaucracy decays. Watch the full video here: youtu.be/MY4dMcXAD5k Thanks to @shepardthinks and to Mabelle for producing this short!

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗪𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 Explore why we support local sports teams, even when they’re losing. Regional pride, identity, and personal connection drive our loyalty more than performance. Watch the full video here: youtu.be/RA6hdqcwrrQ Thanks to @shepardthinks and to Mabelle for producing this short!

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥: 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮'𝘀 𝗜𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺! This video explores how well-meaning Americans often support policies that end up causing more harm than good due to economic ignorance. From banning drugs to expanding the military or attempting to “help the poor,” government interventions frequently make situations worse, despite good intentions. A sobering look at how caring citizens can unintentionally fuel disaster. Watch the full video here: youtu.be/V9cmaLTJDSo Thanks to @shepardthinks and to Mabelle for producing this short!

𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗿'𝘀 '𝗡𝗼 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻': 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝗮𝘀 𝗡𝗢 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆! Can one book completely change how you see government? In this short, the speaker shares the moment reading No Treason by Lysander Spooner transformed his perspective on the Constitution and political authority. Watch the full video here: youtu.be/vKE0eHWgfZ8 Thanks to @shepardthinks and to Mabelle for producing this short!

𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗺𝘆 𝘃𝘀. 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲? A private army is centralized, expensive, and built to project power. A militia is local, voluntary, and defensive, people protecting their homes and communities. One builds power. The other protects neighbors. Know the difference. Watch the full video here: youtu.be/MY4dMcXAD5k Thanks to @shepardthinks and to Mabelle for producing this short!

𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝘀: 𝗜𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗿 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺? Explore the ethical debate on organ sales. When financial security removes desperation, is selling a kidney exploitation or a personal choice? We break down the philosophical challenges and questions of consent. Watch the full video here: youtu.be/RA6hdqcwrrQ Thanks to @shepardthinks and to Mabelle for producing this short!

𝗪𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗿𝘂𝗴𝘀: 𝗖𝗜𝗔, 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 & 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗟𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱! This video breaks down how government drug prohibition actually creates the problems it claims to solve. Using alcohol prohibition as a historical example, the speaker shows how black markets, violence, and concentrated, dangerous substances flourish under bans — while politicians and agencies like the CIA profit from the chaos. Not all drugs are equal: some, like marijuana and psilocybin, have positive uses, while others, like fentanyl, cause immense harm. Ultimately, the video argues that government action, not drugs themselves, fuels the violence and danger. Watch the full video here: youtu.be/vKE0eHWgfZ8 Thanks to @shepardthinks and to Mabelle for producing this short!

𝗣𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝗻-𝗔𝗴𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗱 Peaceful parenting starts with one simple idea: children deserve the same respect as everyone else. In this short, the speaker explains why the non-aggression principle naturally extends to how we raise our children. Watch the full video here: youtu.be/vKE0eHWgfZ8 Thanks to @shepardthinks and to Mabelle for producing this short!

𝗥𝗼𝗯𝗯𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗿 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽? 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗧𝗼 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗡𝗢𝗪! Who do you call when you’re being robbed? When seconds matter? The police don’t exist to protect you. They show up after the fact to file reports and prosecute. That’s reality. Your first line of defense is YOU. Your neighbors. Your friends. The people close enough to actually respond. Self-defense isn’t optional. It’s your responsibility. Build community. Stay armed. Make noise. Be ready. Stop outsourcing your safety to the state. Watch the full video here: youtu.be/MY4dMcXAD5k Thanks to @shepardthinks and to Mabelle for producing this short!

I have moved more toward chatting about philosophy with inanimate objects, and I have not noticed a lower degree of interest, curiosity or understanding than when I discussed the same things with humans.

𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱: 𝗥𝗲𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗢𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗺 Dive into the rejections of moral objectivism, including subjectivism, cultural relativism, and divine command theory. Learn how ethics by authority works and why these approaches challenge universal moral truths. Watch the full video here: youtu.be/RA6hdqcwrrQ Thanks to @shepardthinks and to Mabelle for producing this short!

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗵𝗶𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲 & 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Alcohol prohibition wasn’t just a “moral experiment” it was the perfect recipe for organized crime, violence, and government corruption. When the government outlawed alcohol, prices skyrocketed, black markets exploded, and criminal organizations thrived. Law enforcement often profited off the chaos, making deals with the very criminals they were supposed to stop. Once Prohibition ended, crime rates and corruption fell proving that banning products doesn’t stop demand; it just fuels violence. Explore why history keeps repeating itself with drug prohibition, regulation, and taxation. Watch the full video here: youtu.be/V9cmaLTJDSo Thanks to @shepardthinks and to Mabelle for producing this short!

𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗺'𝘀 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿: 𝗠𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲'𝘀 𝗧𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗠𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 How can Stoicism help during life's hardest moments? In this short, the speaker shares how Stoic philosophy helped him navigate his daughter's leukemia diagnosis by preparing his mind for adversity and focusing on what he could control. Watch the full video here: youtu.be/vKE0eHWgfZ8 Thanks to @shepardthinks and to Mabelle for producing this short!

𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗗𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗸 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹! 𝟮𝟮𝟲 “How do we stop drunk driving without becoming totalitarian?” Easy. Privatize the roads. If road owners don’t want drunk drivers, they enforce it, DUI checkpoints at every entrance, strict liability, instant bans. If they fail? They get sued into oblivion. That’s real accountability. Private roads are cheaper, better maintained, and not political boondoggles. Markets punish negligence. Government protects it. Stop asking how the state fixes problems. Ask how incentives fix problems. Do your research. Freedom works. Watch the full video here: youtu.be/MY4dMcXAD5k Thanks to @shepardthinks and to Mabelle for producing this short!

𝗩𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗮𝗱𝗹𝘆? 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗺! Discover why voting without aligning your actions to real values can unintentionally cause harm. Learn how group voting impacts others and explore better ways to express your commitment to democracy. Watch the full video here: youtu.be/RA6hdqcwrrQ Thanks to @shepardthinks and to Mabelle for producing this short!

𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱! Ever wonder why illegal markets get so violent? It’s not just the criminals, it’s the government itself. High profits + power unchecked = predictable corruption. From alcohol prohibition to modern drug markets, government enforcers often make deals with organized crime, profiting off violence while stamping out competitors. Cocaine, fentanyl, and other banned substances? The patterns are painfully clear. Learn why prohibition doesn’t stop crime, it creates a bigger, deadlier market. Watch the full video here: youtu.be/V9cmaLTJDSo Thanks to @shepardthinks and to Mabelle for producing this short!