• Unit 9: Violent Intervention

    Unit 9 introduces the idea of violent intervention in the market. Whereas all participants in voluntary exchanges expect to benefit from them, with violent intervention, there must be harm for someone involved. We discuss the different types of violent intervention in market operation and the expected consequences of some of the most common examples, such as price controls, subsidies, and stimulation of economic growth.

    Completing this unit should take you approximately 2.5 hours.


    • Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

      • Discuss the main differences of outcomes in voluntary vs coercive interactions.
      • Understand expected consequences of price controls, subsidies and stimulation of economic growth by the government.
      • List examples of the three different types of intervention as identified by Murray Rothbard: autistic, binary and triangular.
      • List examples of government interventions that failed, and compare that to a proper role of government articulated by Ludwig von Mises.

    • 9.1: Voluntary and Coercive Interactions Lecture

      • 9.1: Lecture Page

        As this point, you should know the answers to these general questions about human interaction:

        • What are the differences between coercive and voluntary interaction?
        • Why can we conclude from the action of humans that voluntary exchange is beneficial to everyone involved?
        • And why must someone suffer from coercion?

        The answers to these questions were addressed in unit 5. With the foregoing foundation, watch this video lecture to assess the role of political authority in regulating certain kinds of exchange. Topics covered include: Voluntary interaction • Violent interaction • Rothbard's Typology of Intervention • Example of Government Interventions • The proper role of government according to Mises

    • 9.2: Voluntary and Coercive Interactions Discussion

      • 9.2: Discussion Page
        Since you have watched the video lecture for unit 9, it's time to watch Dr. Saifedean moderate a discussion on the unit's theme by addressing questions asked by your fellow classmates. As you watch the discussion unfold, take notes to help you retain information. Make sure you watch the entire discussion seminar video, otherwise you may skip over important points. To get the best learning experience and mastery of the major concepts covered in this unit, you'll want to watch all videos in their entirety,

    • 9.3: Voluntary and Coercive Interactions Review

      • 9.3 Review: Violent intervention Page

        This resource contains a summary of some of the key concepts discussed in unit 10. Don't skip ahead - the information on this page is easier to understand if you have watched the video lecture and discussion seminar video in their entirety. Bookmark this resource to keep it handy during studying.