My Future and Libertarianism

Dear Dr. Block,

I am writing to request your input on an upcoming educational decision. I
was converted to libertarianism based on close reading of many great
libertarian texts, including a few of yours. I look up to you as an
intellectual, and try to follow your adamant consistency in my own writing.

I graduated from a top liberal arts school, XYZ College, in May, as
a Political Science and Philosophy double major. I now work as a paralegal
for a criminal defense lawyer in New York City.

I plan to apply to graduate school next year, and am deciding between a
J.D. and a Ph.D. (in Philosophy). I have a good chance of being admitted to
a Top-10 Law School, or a strong Philosophy program. My credentials include
Phi Beta Kappa membership, a 3.85 GPA, and very strong recommendation
letters from top faculty.

My goal is to publish books about libertarian moral theory and law, but I
also love the classroom and, from my experience thus far, the law. I will
find happiness and possibilities for success in either field.

Given that background, my questions are:

1. With which degree would I best serve the libertarian movement?

I really don’t know. This is a tough question. If I had to guess, I would say philosophy, mainly because I think a libertarian can get a job in a philo dept easier than in a law school, but I’m not sure about that. I’m an economist, so what do I know about things like this? Maybe, ask this question of some libertarian profs now in law school or in philo depts. If you don’t know of any, get back to me on this.

2. What’s the best avenue to political philosophical influence with a law degree?

Again, I’m not sure, I’m an economist, not a lawyer. My guess: teaching in a law school, working in politics, at a think tank? In either case, you can publish in the professional journals of the other discipline, write books, etc., in both fields.

3. Within either field, do you recommend particular schools or faculty?

In philo, I’ve heard that Arizona is good. In law, the usual suspects: Harvard, Yale, Princeton, etc.

If you are exactly on the fence between the two, I recommend law: you can do more with this in other fields, like business, politics, think tanks. Also, it takes 3 years for a law degree, and 4-6 for a phd in philo.

When I was your age, I had a similar quandary: with which degree could I better promote liberty: econ or philo? I entered masters degree programs in each, and studied both, half time. I did this for 3-4 semesters, and then chose econ. I’m glad I did. I’m gonna blog this, but anonymously.

The Best of Walter E. Block