On Sunday, 6 October 2013, I'll answer questions on free speech of corporations, psychological egoism, objecting to a professor's views, deduction from axioms, and more on Philosophy in Action Radio. The live broadcast begins at 8 am PT / 9 MT / 10 CT / 11 ET on Sunday, 6 October 2013. If you can't attend live, be sure to listen to the podcast later.

Timothy Sandefur on Occupational Licensing Versus the Right to Earn a Living

Radio Interview: Wednesday, 2 October 2013

I interviewed Timothy Sandefur on "Occupational Licensing Versus the Right to Earn a Living" on Philosophy in Action Radio on Wednesday, 2 October 2013. You can listen to or download the podcast below.

Many states require licenses to practice certain professions – from medicine to styling hair. What are the practical effects of such licensing requirements? Do they protect the public from quacks, as their defenders claim? Or do they violate a person's right to earn a living, discourage entrepreneurs, promote poverty? How have the courts ruled on cases challenging licensing requirements?

Timothy Sandefur is a Principal Attorney at the Pacific Legal Foundation. As the lead attorney in the Foundation's Economic Liberty Project, he works to protect businesses against abusive government regulation, and has won important victories for free enterprise in California, Oregon, Missouri, and other states. He is the author of three books, Cornerstone of Liberty: Property Rights in 21st Century America (2006), The Right to Earn A Living: Economic Freedom And The Law (2010), and The Conscience of The Constitution: The Declaration of Independence And The Right to Liberty, which will appear in 2014. He has also published more than 45 scholarly articles on subjects ranging from property rights and economic freedom to intellectual property, evolution and creationism, slavery and the Civil War, and the political philosophy of Shakespeare and ancient Greek literature. He blogs at Freespace.

Tags: Business, Constitution, History, Law, Politics, Regulations, Work

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  • Duration: 1:07:34

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Subjects Discussed

The subjects discussed in this episode were:
  • Occupational licensing
  • Litigating cases of occupational licensing
  • The source of licensing regulations
  • The history of licensing regulations, particularly in California
  • The casket industry and economic protectionism
  • The bias against the underdog
  • Burdens on rights
  • Conservatives on occupational licensing
  • Judicial restraint versus activism
  • The rationale for occupational licensing
  • The alternative of private market licenses
  • Its actual effects of occupational licensing, particularly on the poor and entrepreneurs
  • The right to earn a living
  • The history of medical licensing
  • Certificates of Need
  • The work of the Pacific Legal Foundation
  • Forthcoming book: "The Conscience of the Constitution"
  • Article: "Love and Solipsism"

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About Philosophy in Action Radio

I'm Dr. Diana Hsieh. I'm a philosopher specializing the application of rational principles to the challenges of real life. I received my Ph.D in philosophy from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2009. My dissertation defended moral responsibility and moral judgment against the doubts raised by Thomas Nagel's "problem of moral luck."

My radio show, Philosophy in Action Radio, broadcasts live over the internet on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. On Sunday mornings, I answer four meaty questions applying rational principles to the challenges of real life in a live hour-long show. Greg Perkins of Objectivist Answers co-hosts the show. On Wednesday evenings, I interview an expert guest about a topic of practical importance.

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