The Soho Forum Debates

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.

Should Paying for Sex Be a Crime?

A debate between Melanie Thompson and Kaytlin Bailey.

09-16
01:34:11

Are Trump's Deportations Constitutional?

Glenn Greenwald debates Anna Gorisch on Trump's deportation policies.

08-12
01:38:10

Should the U.S. Have a Public Health Insurance Plan?

Yale’s Jacob Hacker and Sesame’s David Goldhill debate a government-run health insurance plan.

07-18
01:42:41

Was the Cold War a Deception?

The American Enterprise Institute's Hal Brands and investigative journalist Gareth Porter debate the necessity of the Cold War.

06-19
01:28:48

Dave Smith and Alex Nowrasteh Debate Immigration

Is it consistently libertarian to support government restrictions on immigration?

05-21
01:39:43

Should Libertarians Prioritize Their Own Communities?

Eric Brakey and Andrew Heaton debate whether libertarians should prioritize building local liberty-focused societies like the Free State Project or focus on reforming the federal government.

05-02
01:12:23

Are the Palestinians Systematically Oppressed?

City University of New York professor Peter Beinart and AEI's Michael Rubin debate Israel and Palestine.

03-22
01:26:53

Did the U.S. Provoke Russia's Invasion of Ukraine?

Antiwar.com's Scott Horton and The Free Press's Eli Lake debate U.S. foreign policy and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

02-08
01:50:48

El Salvador's Bukele: Authoritarian or Model President?

Frontier magazine's Peter Gietl and Salvadoran journalist Ricardo Avelar debate the merits of Nayib Bukele's criminal justice policies.

01-27
01:22:24

Was the Supreme Court Wrong About Presidential Immunity?

Glenn Greenwald and Elizabeth Price Foley debate Trump v. United States and its implications for presidential powers.

12-13
01:55:07

Is Javier Milei Actually Improving Argentina?

Two Argentine pundits debate the success of Javier Milei.

11-22
01:41:48

Are American Living Standards In Decline?

David Leonhardt and John Early debate stagnation, inequality, and how people feel about the economy.

10-25
01:40:08

Are the Two Parties Any Different?

Two former Republican staffers, David Stockman and Stephen Moore, debate the state of the party.

09-20
01:24:14

Is Donald Trump the Best Choice?

Famed economist Arthur Laffer debates Libertarian Party presidential candidate Chase Oliver.

08-16
01:13:43

Did COVID Come From a Lab?

Author Matt Ridley debates virologist Stephen Goldstein on the origins of SARS-CoV-2.

07-19
01:33:13

What's the Best Argument for Libertarianism?

Dennis Pratt and Gene Epstein debate the efficacy of ethical and consequentialist arguments for libertarianism.

07-07
01:39:31

Debate: Austrian vs. Chicago Economics

Economists Gene Epstein and David Friedman debate the merits of the Austrian and Chicago schools of economics.

07-05
01:34:11

Glenn Greenwald and Alan Dershowitz Debate Bombing Iran

The Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Glenn Greenwald takes on famed lawyer and author Alan Dershowitz.

05-24
01:52:07

A Soho Forum Discussion of COVID with Tom Woods

In lieu of the planned debate with Brent Orrell, Gene Epstein and Tom Woods discuss the prudence of COVID-related restrictions.

04-26
01:26:23

Did Capitalism Fail During the Pandemic?

Columnist Joe Nocera debates Soho Forum Director Gene Epstein.

04-05
01:32:22

BJ Murrey

very impressed with Kerri! what Walter didn't get was the fact that the hitman analogy before babies are born is same as parents changing their mind about having a baby - that is a hit job. when you have sex you voluntarily take on the responsibility of protecting the baby til emancipation.

08-05 Reply

William Beshlian

I did the research and made a choice and built my house in one of the best public school systems in Nebraska which is also recognized as a top public school system in the nation.

10-12 Reply

Andre Lamoureux

I really appreciate that the Soho Forum is still putting out debates and that Reason has made them available as podcasts. Catching up on some of the more recent debates I’ve missed!

08-23 Reply

Todd Hansen

SPOILER .... Update: Voting on this debate ended on April 28, 2020. David Henderson won by convincing 12.7 percent of the audience to change their minds. Justin Wolfers lost support by 4.76 percent.

05-08 Reply

William Beshlian

Lively debate. One of my favorites.

02-11 Reply

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