Murray Rothbard

Life

• Born: March 2, 1926, in New York City, USA
• Education:
• B.A. in Mathematics from Columbia University (1945)
• M.A. (1946) and Ph.D. in Economics (1956) from Columbia University
• Career:
• Founder of anarcho-capitalism
• Key figure in Austrian School of Economics
• Professor at Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute (1966-1986)
• Vice President at Ludwig von Mises Institute (1982-1995)
• Died: January 7, 1995, in New York City, USA

People Who Influenced Their Thought

• Ludwig von Mises: Mentor and primary influence on economic thought
• Ayn Rand: Early influence (though later rejected Objectivism)
• Frédéric Bastiat: Influenced his views on law and property rights
• Albert Jay Nock: Shaped his libertarian political philosophy

Main Ideas and Publications

• Anarcho-Capitalism: Synthesis of Austrian economics and radical libertarianism
• Austrian Business Cycle Theory: Application of Mises' theory to modern economics
• Man, Economy, and State (1962): Comprehensive treatise on Austrian economics
• For a New Liberty (1973): Manifesto of libertarian political philosophy
• The Ethics of Liberty (1982): Foundation of libertarian property rights theory
• Revisionist History: Alternative interpretations of American history from libertarian perspective

Controversies

• Extremism Criticism: Mainstream economists rejected his radical libertarian views
• Paleolibertarianism: Later alliance with conservative groups drew criticism
• Historical Revisionism: His interpretations of history were widely disputed
• Rothbard-Rand Split: Famous break with Ayn Rand over methodology

Key People Influenced by Their Thought

• Hans-Hermann Hoppe: Developed his anarcho-capitalist theories
• Lew Rockwell: Founded Mises Institute based on Rothbard's ideas
• Robert Nozick: Engaged with his libertarian philosophy
• Ron Paul: Political figure influenced by his economic views

Legacy

Murray Rothbard created the intellectual foundation for modern anarcho-capitalism and radical libertarianism, synthesizing Austrian economics with individualist political philosophy.