A Forum for Clashing Perspectives on Sound Money
The New Hampshire Institute of Libertarian Sciences is proud to announce the next installment of its flagship public lecture series, this time focusing on one of the most critical and contentious issues in political economy: monetary theory. While all participants share a skepticism of central banking and fiat currency, significant divisions exist within the freedom movement regarding the ideal path forward. This series is designed to air these debates openly, with rigor and respect, allowing the audience to witness the intellectual forge where ideas are tested and refined. We believe that through such open confrontation of viewpoints, a more robust and actionable understanding of monetary freedom will emerge.
Scheduled Debates and Featured Speakers
Debate 1: Gold vs. Bitcoin: The Future of Hard Money? This opening session pits a seasoned advocate of the classical gold standard against a leading Bitcoin maximalist. Topics will include: durability and portability in the digital age, resilience to state confiscation, the role of mining vs. physical scarcity, and the historical track record of metallic money versus the novel properties of cryptographic settlement. Can digital scarcity truly replicate or surpass the monetary properties of physical commodities?
Debate 2: Free Banking: Deregulation or a New Cartel? Advocates of "free banking"—the removal of all state privileges in the banking industry—will debate critics who argue that fractional-reserve banking is inherently fraudulent and that only 100% reserve banking (or no banking intermediation at all) is compatible with libertarian property rights. Is free banking a viable path to monetary stability, or does it merely set the stage for private, unregulated bubbles?
Debate 3: The Denationalization of Money: A Practical Roadmap? Moving beyond theory, this panel discussion features entrepreneurs and activists who are building alternative monetary systems today. Representatives from local currency projects, privacy coin development teams, and precious metals vault services will discuss the practical challenges of achieving widespread adoption, regulatory hurdles, and the role of technology in enabling true monetary choice.
- Format: Each debate features two main speakers with formal rebuttals, followed by a moderated panel discussion and extended Q&A from the audience.
- Venue: The Mises Auditorium at the new NHILS campus, with live streaming available.
- Recordings: All sessions will be recorded and published with open access, serving as permanent educational resources.
- Student Involvement: NHILS students will serve as moderators and prepare background briefs for each topic.
The Importance of Rigorous Monetary Discourse
At NHILS, we teach that money is not a neutral tool provided by the state, but a spontaneously evolved market institution that the state has systematically corrupted for its own ends. Understanding money is understanding the very lifeblood of the extended market order. These debates are crucial because the path to undoing this corruption is not obvious. Should we seek to reform the existing system, build parallel systems that outcompete it, or advocate for its outright abolition? The answers have profound implications for investment, entrepreneurship, and daily life. By hosting these discussions, we fulfill our mission as a center for advanced libertarian thought—not as a dogma factory, but as a dynamic arena where the frontiers of freedom are explored and contested. We invite the curious, the skeptical, and the passionate to join us in this deep dive into the economics of money.