The Soho Forum Debates

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Reason presents a libertarian-themed debate series recorded monthly before a live audience in New York City. Moderated by former Barron's Economics Editor Gene Epstein, the Soho Forum features Nobel prize winners, radical thinkers, and other public intellectuals facing off over the future of abortion, bitcoin, electric vehicles, government debt, illegal drugs, robotics, sex work, and other controversial topics.

Recent Episodes
  • Are The Palestinians Systematically Oppressed?
    Mar 22, 2025 – 1:26:53
  • Did the U.S. Provoke Russia's Invasion of Ukraine?
    Feb 8, 2025 – 1:50:48
  • El Salvador's Bukele: Authoritarian or Model President?
    Jan 27, 2025 – 1:22:24
  • Was the Supreme Court Wrong About Presidential Immunity?
    Dec 13, 2024 – 1:55:07
  • Is Javier Milei Actually Improving Argentina?
    Nov 22, 2024 – 1:41:48
  • Are American Living Standards In Decline?
    Oct 25, 2024 – 1:40:08
  • Are the Two Parties Any Different?
    Sep 20, 2024 – 1:24:14
  • Is Donald Trump the Best Choice?
    Aug 16, 2024 – 1:13:43
  • Did COVID Come From a Lab?
    Jul 19, 2024 – 1:33:13
  • What's the Best Argument for Libertarianism?
    Jul 7, 2024 – 1:39:31
  • Debate: Austrian vs. Chicago Economics
    Jul 5, 2024 – 1:34:11
  • Glenn Greenwald and Alan Dershowitz Debate Bombing Iran
    May 24, 2024 – 1:52:08
  • A Soho Forum Discussion of COVID with Tom Woods
    Apr 26, 2024 – 1:33:11
  • Did Capitalism Fail During the Pandemic?
    Apr 5, 2024 – 1:32:22
  • What's the Root Cause of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict?
    Mar 1, 2024 – 1:28:38
  • Must Government Fund Science?
    Feb 2, 2024 – 1:29:40
  • Social Media Censorship and The First Amendment
    Dec 22, 2023 – 1:31:15
  • Will AI Destroy Humanity?
    Nov 17, 2023 – 1:45:53
  • Will Electric Cars Disappoint Environmentalists?
    Oct 20, 2023 – 1:36:29
  • Would Anarcho-Capitalism Be a Disaster?
    Sep 22, 2023 – 1:26:05
  • Should Libertarians Support School Choice?
    Aug 25, 2023 – 1:26:52
  • Should the U.S. Have Free Immigration?
    Jul 28, 2023 – 1:41:45
  • Is the Nonaggression Principle Incoherent?
    Jun 30, 2023 – 1:35:13
  • Are Libertarians Greedy and Delusional?
    May 26, 2023 – 1:43:15
  • Does The 1619 Project Have Anything To Teach Us?
    Apr 21, 2023 – 1:42:50
  • Black America and Progressivism: Jason L. Riley vs. Nikhil Pal Singh
    Apr 1, 2023 – 1:43:25
  • National Divorce?
    Feb 24, 2023 – 1:19:01
  • Should We Abolish the Federal Reserve?
    Jan 27, 2023 – 1:33:57
  • Should Americans Value Nationalism?
    Dec 16, 2022 – 1:26:17
  • Never Lock Down Again? Jay Bhattacharya vs. Sten Vermund
    Nov 18, 2022 – 1:54:20
  • Is Free Market Ideology Hurting the Economy?
    Oct 24, 2022 – 1:34:13
  • Is It Time to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons?
    Sep 23, 2022 – 1:22:26
  • Does Climate Science Really Compel Us Toward Urgent Action?
    Sep 9, 2022 – 1:30:49
  • Will Bitcoin Demonetize Gold?
    Aug 12, 2022 – 1:25:49
  • Should the U.S. Be Arming Ukraine Against Russia?
    Jul 8, 2022 – 1:22:41
  • Did Prescription Opioids Cause The Overdose Epidemic?
    Jun 10, 2022 – 1:21:25
  • A Feminist Debate on Sex Work
    May 20, 2022 – 1:19:40
  • Send The U.S. Military to Taiwan?
    Apr 22, 2022 – 1:17:19
  • Regulate Social Media? Jonathan Haidt Debates Robby Soave
    Feb 24, 2022 – 1:24:28
  • Two Libertarians Debate Vaccine Mandates
    Dec 18, 2021 – 1:24:30
  • Abolish Intellectual Property Rights?
    Nov 24, 2021 – 1:30:15
  • U.S. Foreign Policy: Bill Kristol vs. Scott Horton
    Oct 8, 2021 – 1:34:06
  • Do Voter ID Laws Undermine the Democratic Process or Ensure Trustworthy Elections?
    Sep 17, 2021 – 1:22:49
  • Is the Free State Project a Better Idea than the Libertarian Party?
    Jul 30, 2021 – 1:11:35
  • Does Bitcoin Have the Potential to Become a Generally Accepted Medium of Exchange?
    Jul 16, 2021 – 1:19:51
  • Socialism or Capitalism? A Soho Forum Debate
    Apr 23, 2021 – 1:59:44
  • Is More Presidential Power Necessary in the Modern World? A Soho Forum Debate
    Mar 26, 2021 – 1:22:27
  • Should Businesses Only Focus on Shareholder Value? A Soho Forum Debate
    Mar 5, 2021 – 1:27:14
Recent Reviews
  • TampaPierce
    Weirdly I am binging this
    Don’t know how or why I stumbled upon it but these debates are exciting, insightful, well-organized, with big names and influential arguments - I am learning more listening to both sides debate than any other podcast journey I’ve been on. Thank you!!!
  • Evan Stevoid
    Kate Klonick vs common sense
    Kate Klonick is what is wrong with the country and politics. She seems to believe that government is good and people are stupid, that the government needs to remove freedoms from people to protect them from themselves. She is an idiot at best and more likely simply evil.
  • barnaclejafee
    Excellent debate series
    If you are interested in thinking about what freedom means or how we can be more free, this is a great debate series for you.
  • lrhhrl
    Corey DeAngelis is an awful presenter
    I support school choice but his attitude and tone made me want to stop supporting anything he stands for. What an pompous punk.
  • frankwhitenyking
    Excellent Debate Forum!
    Wow! Just finished the debate with n “Nationalism” with Rich Lowry and Alex Nowrasteh. Rich opening on the actual definition of “Nationalism” and how we perceive it, reminded me of how I had a falling out with my Army Brethren, when he told my he was a “Nationalist” during Trumps rise in 2016. I hear “Nationalist” I think Hitler. My Grandpa was in WW2, my pops in Vietnam, and I was in Afghanistan and Iraq. I didn’t interpret “Nationalism” as “Love of Country” I interpreted “Nationalism” as “White Nationalism” Hmmm….. maybe I actually got it wrong. I’m not sure, but both Rich and Alex put on a awesome performance. The debate was informative, a little fiery, but never disrespectful. Awesome 💯👍🇺🇸
  • JPTeamW
    Too much to list
    My biggest problem is with Andrew and his blatant lies without skipping a beat. Like for example the Dakota’s he said that they have higher cases and deaths than majority of states with communist lockdowns. That is a blatant lie. Especially South Dakota hasn’t locked hardly anything down since day one. Also the compliments are ridiculous. It’s one thing to be civil and recognize others views but it’s another to constantly compliment the others ignorance. And Andrew I believe the 30 percent plus of all med sizes businesses that are DESTROYED would be absolutely disgusted with the way you promote these unconstitutional lockdowns for political agendas. I always threw up a few times listening to your lies and ignorance and I believe that’s probably why you are in California and please stay there.
  • Sequiter1
    Stimulating debates held in a libertarian venue
    I appreciate the purity of the debate format: a direct clash of ideas, some rebuttal and Q&A, concluded by an audience vote. The topics range from economic to political issues relevant to our times. Topics are best when they challenge some view that might stretches libertarians one way or another: whether or not to break up big tech, for example, pits government intervention against large firm market capture, producing a vibrant topic for debate. I have noticed some debaters of exceptional quality — Richard Epstein in particular shines through in his breadth of knowledge and articulation. In contrast, though, the recent debate on COVID-19 lockdowns was very poorly articulated. As a non-libertarian, I find this whole thing very refreshing. I want to challenge my own views, and this podcast absolutely has me challenging my views on government intervention in private life and other clashes of rights and power. Very good stuff!
  • r0gue007
    Dave Smith was great!
    Thanks for the the awesome content. Came here after many suggestions from Dave Smith at Part of the Problem.
  • Thanky U
    Needs the Video Too
    This would be much better if it had the video too.
  • A non a mice
    Finally!
    I’ve found this through Woods and Smith and was waiting for this to be a podcast.
  • CD Kauai
    Excellent
    Great that this is happening.
  • steve the rigger
    Gene Epstein
    As opposed to the pseudo libertarians at Reason is always consistent in his philosophy. He is a masterful moderator and an even better debater. These debates are the most libertarian content that Reason produces.
  • Montana Kruse
    Amazing Debates
    Great debate series featuring topics that should matter to most. Gene Epstein is indeed a national treasure. Ignore whoever gave this podcast a one star. They’re clearly a liberty hating communist who lacks any basic understanding of economics.
  • The Moves
    Insightful Arguments
    I love hearing opposing views and trying to round out my knowledge on any given issue, so it's refreshing to be dropped into a formal debate where each side is given due respect to air their ideas. Oh, and LEARN SOME ECONOMICS BHASKAR!
  • Walter E. Voli
    Gene is a national treasure
    Great debates and hilarious opening stand up from comic Dave Smith
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