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Stefan Molyneux

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Stefan Basil Molyneux
Molyneux speaking at Drexel University
Born24 September 1966
Athlone, Ireland
SchoolVoluntaryism
Main interests
Anarcho-capitalism, Right-libertarianism, atheism, Austrian economics, education, ethics, family, philosophy, politics, psychology, religion

Stefan Basil Molyneux (born 24 September 1966) is a blogger, essayist, author, and host of the Freedomain Radio[1] series of podcasts, living in Mississauga, Canada. He has written numerous articles and smaller essays which have been published on libertarian websites such as LewRockwell.com, antiwar.com, and Strike The Root,[2][3] recorded over 2000 podcasts, produced over 900 videos, and written several books which are self-published except for his first, which was published by Publish America. In 2006, Molyneux quit his previous job in the field of computer software and works full-time on Freedomain Radio, a philosophical community website which is funded through donations. He self-identifies as a full-time parent and philosopher.

Early life

Molyneux holds a B.A. in History from McGill University and an M.A. in history from University of Toronto. Molyneux's master's thesis analyzed the political implications of Immanuel Kant, G.W.F. Hegel, Thomas Hobbes and John Locke.[4]

Freedomain Radio

Format

Freedomain Radio is primarily an online podcast, however Molyneux also uses essays, videos, books, articles, interviews, and public speaking to deliver his content. The regular content of the show covers topics such as anarcho-capitalism, ethics, Austrian economics, atheism, religion, education, family, philosophy, and politics. Each Sunday Molyneux conducts a call-in show where listeners can talk with him about either a set topic of discussion, or their own. Freedomain Radio also has an online community message board for listeners to discuss Molyneux's content as well as related topics.

Books

Molyneux is the author of several non-fiction books. He has written On Truth: The Tyranny of Illusion, Universally Preferable Behaviour: A Rational Proof of Secular Ethics, Real-Time Relationships: The Logic of Love, Everyday Anarchy, Practical Anarchy, How (Not) To Achieve Freedom, Against the Gods, and most recently The Handbook of Human Ownership: A Manual for New Tax Farmers.[5][6] Molyneux has also written two fiction books, The God of Atheists and Revolutions.

Interviews

Molyneux has conducted interviews with people such as Max Keiser,[7][8] Alex Jones,[9] Peter Schiff,[10] Jeff Berwick,[11] Stephan Kinsella,[12][13] Bill Gairdner,[14] Mary Ruwart,[15] Alison Gopnik,[16] Marc Faber,[17] David Lindorff,[18] Dan Carlin,[19] and several other figures in the fields of education, academia, psychology, politics, and economics.

Public speaking

Molyneux was the closing speaker for the 2009 New Hampshire Liberty Forum on March 8.[20][21] Molyneux debated with 2004 US Presidential Candidate Michael Badnarik at Drexel University on July 5, 2009.[22][23] Molyneux was the opening speaker for PorcFest 2010 on June 24,[24][25] the annual liberty festival organized by the Free State Project. Molyneux spoke at the Students For Liberty Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference hosted at Drexel University on October 9, 2010.[26][27][dead link][28] Molyneux spoke at Libertopia[29][30] on October 14–15, 2010. Molyneux spoke at the Ontario Libertarian Party Annual Liberty Seminar at Toronto on November 6, 2010.[31][32][dead link] Molyneux was a speaker at the 2010 Freedom Summit in Phoenix, Arizona on December 5.[33]

Television and radio

Molyneux is a regular guest commentator on talk radio program Adam vs The Man, with his first appearance airing on RT America on April 11, 2011.[34] He has also appeared several times on The Keiser Report,[35] as well as The Alex Jones Show.[36] In 2012, Molyneux guest-hosted the Peter Schiff Show several times.[37]

Criticism

In 2005, Molyneux published a controversial conclusion on maintaining relationships with parents based on his and his wife's evaluation:

Does this sound too radical? Do you think it extreme for me to say that almost all parents are horribly bad? Perhaps it is. However, if you look at the state of the world – the general blindness and the slow death of our liberties – the challenge you take on by disagreeing with me is this: if it’s not the parents, what is it?

Either the world is not sick, or parents are. Because, as my wife says, it all starts with the family. If you want to perform the greatest service for political liberty, all you have to do is turf all of your unsatisfying relationships. Parents, siblings, spouse, it doesn’t matter. If you can do that, you can speak honestly about freedom.

— Stefan Molyneux (emphasis in original), [38]

In 2008, one Freedomain Radio member's parents' complaints about these ideas were published as part of a series of newspaper articles. The parents claimed that Freedomain Radio is a therapeutic cult after the 18-year-old member left home and severed all contact with his family, an action that Freedomain Radio calls "deFOO" (borrowed from academic psychology, "FOO" is an acronym "Family of Origin").

In response Mr. Molyneux claimed that only about 20 FDR members had "deFOOed" their families, compared to 50,000 regular listeners.[39][40][41][42]

In October 2012, Molyneux's wife, Christina Papadopoulos, was found guilty of professional misconduct by the College of Psychologists of Ontario for offering her "deFOO" advice to a person through the Internet, for a variety of reasons, including that her recommendations were not standard practice, and that it is against their policy to offer personal psychological advice in a public setting or otherwise outside of regular counselling sessions.[43] [44]

Below is the relevant portion of the transcript of the official proceedings:

In the course of investigating the second complaint, the College conducted an investigation pursuant to S. 75 of the Health Professions Procedural Code, being Schedule 2 to the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991. The investigation reviewed 10 records from the Member’s practice, and found that the Member had not recommended deFOOing to any of the clients to whom the 10 records pertained. However the Member made public statements and provided advice to the public via the website www.freedomainradio.com and podcasts available thereon, wherein she discussed and recommended “deFOOing”, or dissociating from families of origin in providing advice to specific individuals. The Member made statements and provided advice in the context of her personal experience and also while relying upon her qualifications and registration as a Psychological Associate. While providing advice to individuals, she did so without properly assessing the circumstances of the members of the internet audience to whom advice was provided.

Ms. Papadopoulos acknowledges and recognizes, that the making of personal disclosures in the context of the podcasts in which she was identified as a therapist and a registered member of the College, were capable of misinterpretation as psychological advice although she maintains that they were not intended as such.

While it may be appropriate to recommend family separation in cases of abuse, the Member did not obtain a sufficient history to ascertain whether the advice was warranted in the circumstances discussed in the podcasts. Although the Member advised that listeners seek professional help in their home communities on a number of locations, she acknowledges that this advice was given in the absence of any meeting or proper assessment, and there was significant risk of misunderstanding by members of the public and the individuals to whom the Member directed advice and comments and such misunderstandings posed a risk of harm.

References

  1. ^ "Freedomain Radio". Retrieved January 7, 2009.
  2. ^ "Strike The Root". Strike The Root. Retrieved October 25, 2010.
  3. ^ "Columns by Stefan Molyneux". Strike The Root. Retrieved October 25, 2010.
  4. ^ http://freedomainradio.com/About.aspx
  5. ^ http://freedomainradio.com/FreeBooks.aspx
  6. ^ http://board.freedomainradio.com/blogs/freedomain/archive/2011/06/13/the-handbook-of-human-ownership-a-manual-for-new-tax-farmers.aspx
  7. ^ "'On the Edge' with Max Keiser". YouTube. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
  8. ^ Keiser, Max. "OTE68 On the Edge with Stefan Molyneux". YouTube.
  9. ^ "Stefan Molyneux: The Nature of Human Society on This Planet". YouTube. Retrieved December 27, 2010.
  10. ^ "The Peter Schiff Interview". YouTube.
  11. ^ "When Money Dies with The Dollar Vigilante". YouTube. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
  12. ^ "Stephan Kinsella on Intellectual Property". YouTube. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
  13. ^ "Kinsella Intellectual Property discussion on Freedomain Radio Book Club". StephanKinsella.com. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
  14. ^ "William Gairdner: The Freedomain Radio Interview". YouTube. Retrieved December 27, 2010.
  15. ^ "US Health Care in Crisis". YouTube. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
  16. ^ "The Philosophical Baby". YouTube. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
  17. ^ "The Economics of the Coming Crash". YouTube. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
  18. ^ "Obama's War Crimes – An Interview with David Lindorff about Omar Khadr". YouTube. Retrieved October 27, 2010.
  19. ^ "Hardcore History Exposed! – The Freedomain Radio Interview with Dan Carlin". YouTube. Retrieved January 31, 2011.
  20. ^ "New Hampshire Liberty Forum – Keynote Speaker: Stefan Molyneux". YouTube. Retrieved October 25, 2010.
  21. ^ "2009 Liberty Forum". Free State Project. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
  22. ^ "How Much Government Is Necessary?". YouTube. Retrieved October 25, 2010.
  23. ^ "Campaign For Liberty Newsletter". Campaign for Liberty. 2009-06-20. Retrieved October 25, 2010.
  24. ^ 2010 Porcupine Freedom Festival – Opening Speaker – Stefan Molyneux, Freedomain Radio accessed October 25, 2010
  25. ^ PorcFest accessed October 25, 2010
  26. ^ "Freedom is Humility – Stefan Molyneux speaking at Drexel University". YouTube. Retrieved October 25, 2010.
  27. ^ "2010 Students For Liberty Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference". Students for Liberty Conferences. Retrieved October 25, 2010.
  28. ^ "Freedom is Humility: Stefan Molyneux's Opening Keynote at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference". Students for Liberty. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  29. ^ "Libertopia". Libertopia. Retrieved October 25, 2010.
  30. ^ "Living Free In An Unfree World: Stefan Molyneux at Libertopia 2010". YouTube. Retrieved December 15, 2010.
  31. ^ "The Power of the Parasite Class – Stefan Molyneux Speaks in Toronto". YouTube. Retrieved November 9, 2010.
  32. ^ "2010 Annual Liberty Seminar and General Meeting". Ontario Libertarian Party. Retrieved November 9, 2010.
  33. ^ "Stefan Molyneux – "How to go on the offensive" (without being offensive!)". Freedom's Phoenix. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
  34. ^ "Government philosophy, Screw the Pundits, Free Speech, Revolutions, Love-a-lutions, Show Dedication". RT. Retrieved April 12, 2011.
  35. ^ Keiser, Max. "On the Edge with Stefan Molyneux". http://rt.com/programs/keiser-report/. RT.COM. Retrieved 8 August 2011. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)
  36. ^ Jones, Alex. "Monday 7-11-2011 – The Alex Jones Show with Stefan Molyneux". http://wp.alexjonespodcasts.com. Alex Jones. Retrieved 8 August 2011. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)
  37. ^ "Alternate URL, Monday 7-11-2011 – The Alex Jones Show with Stefan Molyneux". YouTube. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  38. ^ Molyneux, Stefan (April 9, 2005). "Are People Just Stupid?". Freedomain Blog. Retrieved October 7, 2012.
  39. ^ Hilpern, Kate (15 November 2008). "You will never see me again". The Guardian. Retrieved January 7, 2009.
  40. ^ Tu Thanh Ha (December 12, 2008). "How a cyberphilosopher convinced followers to cut off family". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved February 4, 2011.[dead link]
  41. ^ Powell, Robin (December 29, 2008). "Website Led Teen To Quit Family". SkyNews. Retrieved January 7, 2009.[dead link]
  42. ^ Powell, Robin (December 30, 2008). "Growing Concern For Online Cults". SkyNews. Retrieved January 7, 2009.
  43. ^ Tu Thanh Ha (November 1, 2012). "Therapist who told podcast listeners to shun their families reprimanded". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved November 12, 2012.
  44. ^ "Public Register - Member Search".

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