PODCAST · business
The Voluntary Life
by Jake Desyllas
A podcast about living a life of your choosing. Topics covered include financial independence, productivity, entrepreneurship, peaceful parenting, minimalism, and rational thinking.
Episodes
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The Boomer Contradiction on Children's Rights
An AI narration of the article 'The Boomer Contradiction on Children's Rights' by Jake Desyllas. Since the 1960s the West has settled on a curious pair of beliefs about children: that they have no rights at all before birth, and strong, enforceable rights the moment after it. Most people hold…
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The Theory of State Ownership of Children
An AI narration of the article 'The Theory of State Ownership of Children' by Jake Desyllas. Who owns a child? One long-running answer, older than the modern state and still very much alive, is: the State does. On this theory parents are not the child's natural guardians but an obstacle — a rival...
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Argumentation Ethics Entails Self Ownership From the Beginning of Life
An AI narration of the article 'Argumentation Ethics Entails Self Ownership From the Beginning of Life' by Jake Desyllas. A reply to Stephan Kinsella's comments on an earlier critique, this episode argues that the Hoppean rights theory already settles a question Kinsella leaves open: when does an...
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A Critique of Stephan Kinsella's Approach To Rights Theory
An AI narration of the article 'A Critique of Stephan Kinsella's Approach To Rights Theory' by Jake Desyllas. Stephan Kinsella famously overturned the libertarian case for intellectual property by refusing to prejudge the conclusion: instead of assuming IP was valid and hunting for arguments to...
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Three Views of the Relationship Between Parents and Political Authority
An AI narration of the article 'Three Views of the Relationship Between Parents and Political Authority' by Jake Desyllas. Philosophy of the family looks like one of the least political subjects there is. This episode argues the opposite: that it is one of the most political, and that the...
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What Is The Libertarian Theory of Parental Obligations? JLS Article With Footnotes
An AI narration of the article 'What Is The Libertarian Theory of Parental Obligations?' by Jake Desyllas. This article examines four competing philosophical theories of the parental role within a libertarian framework: parental ownership, parenting as charity, parenting as voluntary social...
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When do Parental Obligations Not Apply?
An AI narration of the article 'When do Parental Obligations Not Apply?' by Jake Desyllas. The causal theory of parental responsibility grounds positive obligations in the fact that, by creating a child, parents place that child in a state of peril. But if obligations follow from action, what…
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Objections Against The State-Of-Peril Argument For Parental Obligations
An AI narration of the article 'Objections Against The State-Of-Peril Argument For Parental Obligations' by Jake Desyllas. Critics of the state-of-peril argument for parental obligations have raised many objections — that creating a child is not aggression and so cannot generate duties, that…
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Support for Abortion Has Corrupted Libertarian Theory
An AI narration of the article 'Support for Abortion Has Corrupted Libertarian Theory' by Jake Desyllas. Libertarian philosophy ought to offer a coherent and beautiful account of family life: parents bear responsibility for the children they create, parental authority and its limits flow from…
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Opponents of Parental Responsibility Cannot Help Conceding The Argument
An AI narration of the article 'Opponents of Parental Responsibility Cannot Help Conceding The Argument' by Jake Desyllas. The principle that parents have causal responsibility for the children they create is so undeniable that even its most prominent opponents end up making the argument for it...
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Abortion is Incompatible With Parental Obligations
An AI narration of the article 'Abortion is Incompatible With Parental Obligations' by Jake Desyllas. If parents are causally responsible for the peril they place a child in by bringing them into existence, what does that imply for abortion? Jake traces a striking line of argument first sketched…
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The Only Ideal of Libertarianism is Peace
An AI narration of the article 'The Only Ideal of Libertarianism is Peace' by Jake Desyllas. Libertarianism is usually defended on the grounds of individual freedom, economic prosperity, or the rejection of hierarchy and tradition. In this article, Jake argues that all of these are downstream of…
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A Critique of George H. Smith's Theory of Parental Obligations
An AI narration of the article 'A Critique of George H. Smith's Theory of Parental Obligations' by Jake Desyllas. George H. Smith wrote more about children's rights than almost any other libertarian, yet when he came to set out his own theory of the parental role he advocated a version of…
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The First Extreme Saver
An AI narration of the article 'The First Extreme Saver' by Jake Desyllas. Extreme saving — putting away fifty percent or more of your income to reach financial independence within a decade — feels like a recent invention, the work of FIRE bloggers and Joe Dominguez's *Your Money Or Your Life*.…
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A Critique of Roderick Long's Theory Of Parental Obligations
An AI narration of the article 'A Critique of Roderick Long's Theory Of Parental Obligations' by Jake Desyllas. Roderick Long sets out a clear version of the causal-peril principle: if your voluntary actions place another person in danger, you acquire an enforceable obligation to get them out of...
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What The Declaration of Independence Should Have Said
An AI narration of the article 'What The Declaration of Independence Should Have Said' by Jake Desyllas. The preamble of the US Declaration of Independence is among the most influential passages in the history of libertarian thought — but does it actually hold up to the way libertarians now think...
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Children Do Not Have Obligations to Their Parents
An AI narration of the article 'Children Do Not Have Obligations to Their Parents' by Jake Desyllas. In a libertarian legal order, parents owe positive obligations to their children — to feed, shelter, and protect them — because the parents' own actions brought the child into existence. But does...
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The Theory Of Acquired Rights Violates Hoppe's Specificity Principle
An AI narration of the article 'The Theory Of Acquired Rights Violates Hoppe's Specificity Principle' by Jake Desyllas. Do we have rights because of what we are, or because of some capacity we later acquire? Libertarians are split, and the stakes run straight through the hardest questions about...
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Three Questions Philosophers Do Not Want To Answer About Parenting
An AI narration of the article 'Three Questions Philosophers Do Not Want To Answer About Parenting' by Jake Desyllas. Why are books on the ethics of parenting so consistently dull? In this episode, Jake Desyllas argues that the blandness is no accident — it is the product of strategic omission....
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The Cost of Bad Street Design
An AI narration of the article 'The Cost of Bad Street Design' by Jake Desyllas. In this article, Jake Desyllas examines the hidden costs of a design ideology that came to dominate twentieth-century traffic planning: the idea that pedestrians and vehicles must be physically segregated, with…
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A Critique of Nozick's Comments on Parental Obligations and Children's Rights
An AI narration of the article 'A Critique of Nozick's Comments on Parental Obligations and Children's Rights' by Jake Desyllas. Robert Nozick's commentary on Locke's theory of homesteading contains two genuinely sharp insights into the problem of children's rights: that Locke's God-as-creator...
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What Is The Libertarian Theory of Parental Obligations? JLS Article
Article only version An AI narration of the article 'What Is The Libertarian Theory of Parental Obligations?' by Jake Desyllas. This article examines four competing philosophical theories of the parental role within a libertarian framework: parental ownership, parenting as charity, parenting as...
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You Cannot Give Up Parental Obligations
An AI narration of the article 'You Cannot Give Up Parental Obligations' by Jake Desyllas. Parental obligations exist because creating a child places that child in a state of peril, and the parents are the ones causally responsible for that peril. From this foundation, Jake draws an unsettling...
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A Critique of Rothbard's Theory Of Parental Ownership
An AI narration of the article 'A Critique of Rothbard's Theory Of Parental Ownership' by Jake Desyllas. Self-ownership is a foundational principle of libertarian philosophy — but does it extend to children? Murray Rothbard rejected outright ownership of children, yet defended a "limited"…
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The State's Drive to Destroy the Family
The State's Drive to Destroy the Family: Institutional Logic and Time Preference A presentation by Jake Desyllas at the 2026 Austrian Economics Research Conference held at the Mises Institute in Auburn, Alabama.
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Justifying Parental Authority Without Ownership
A presentation by Jake Desyllas at the 2026 Libertarian Scholars Conference held at the Mises Institute in Auburn, Alabama.
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What Is the Libertarian Theory of Parental Obligations?
A presentation by Jake Desyllas at the 2025 Libertarian Scholars Conference held at the Mises Institute in Auburn, Alabama. The article of this talk is at https://jls.mises.org/article/141458-what-is-the-libertarian-theory-of-parental-obligations
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Financial Independence: The Most Important Kind Of Freedom (And How To Achieve It)
Presentation at Freedom Fest 2023 in Memphis by Jake Desyllas.
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Job Free by Jake Desyllas (Full Audiobook Unabridged)
Job Free: Four Ways to Quit the Rat Race and Achieve Financial Freedom on Your Terms Full Audiobook (Unabbridged) by Jake Desyllas Forget searching for the right job—start building a life in which you don't need a job. A job-free life is possible, and you have options about how to achieve it.…
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Becoming An Entrepreneur by Jake Desyllas (Full Audiobook Unabridged)
Becoming an Entrepreneur: How to Find Freedom and Fulfillment as a Business Owner Full Audiobook (Unabridged) by Jake Desyllas Successful entrepreneur Jake Desyllas demystifies entrepreneurship, providing a cheerful and inspiring call to action for those who yearn to break free. Becoming an...
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Bonus Episode 17: Communication And Mindfulness
A listener conversation about communication and mindfulness. Originally released in 2018 as a bonus episode for supporting listeners.
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Bonus Episode 16: Tax Strategies And My Experience As An Entrepreneur
A discussion with a listener about tax strategies and financial freedom. The previous episodes of TVL referenced are episodes 209 and 210 with Joshua Sheats from the Radical Personal Finance Podcast. Originally released in 2017 as a bonus episode for supporting listeners.
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Bonus Episode 13: Making A Big Change In Life
A discussion with listeners about making a big change in life. Originally released in 2017 as a bonus episode for supporting listeners.
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Bonus Episode 11: Being An Individual Vs Finding Community
A conversation with listeners about the challenge of being an individual versus finding community. Originally released in 2017 as a bonus episode for supporting listeners.
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Bonus Episode 9: What I Learned Growing Up In A Communist Squat
Jake Desyllas interviewed on the Freecast podcast about his childhood and intellectual development. Originally released in 2017 as a bonus episode for supporting listeners.
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Bonus Episode 5: Ending Friendships
A listener conversation originally released in 2017 as a bonus episode for supporting listeners.
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Bonus Episode 4: Should I Go Into Business With This Person?
A listener conversation. Originally released in 2017 as a bonus episode for supporting listeners.
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Bonus Episode 3: More On Cash In Investing
A continuation of the discussion about cash in investing that I started on TVL Episode 297. Here are a couple of books for further reading: Fail Safe Investing by Harry Browne is a simple introduction to the permanent portfolio The Permanent Portfolio by Craig Rowland has a detailed discussion...
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Bonus Episode 2: How To Do A Daily Review
A bonus episode about how to do a daily task review. If you implement this practice, you can start the day like a rocket launching. Originally released in June 2017 as a bonus episode for supporting listeners.
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Bonus Episode 1: How To Sort Your Life Out Part 2
This episode is part 2 of How To Sort Your Life Out. You can find Part 1 in episode 295 of The Voluntary Life. Originally released in June 2017 as a bonus episode for supporting listeners.
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404 Endings And Beginnings
A special episode about the end of The Voluntary Life podcast.
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403 Travel, Minimalism, And Parenting: World Wanderers Interview
An update about how my approach to travel and minimalism has changed since becoming a parent. From an interview on the World Wanderers Podcast. Show Notes: The World Wanderers Podcast Xolo.io for managing your Estonian E Residency company (use my referral code "Jake") Job Free by Jake Desyllas...
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402 Finding Your Own Path To A Job-Free Life
A chapter from the audiobook of Job Free by Jake Desyllas. Show Notes: Support TVL on Patreon and get bonus episodes and other rewards Job Free by Jake Desyllas Audiobook, eBook, Paperback
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401 Negotiate For Mutual Profit Audiobook Part 2
Part 2 of the audiobook of Negotiate For Mutual Profit by Jake Desyllas. Part 1, which covered constructive communication, can be found in TVL Episode 371. Part 2, in this episode, covers the win-win negotiation method, principles, and good habits. Show Notes: TVL Episode 371: Negotiate For…
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400 What The Voluntary Life Is About
An overview of the topics covered in The Voluntary Life, why I focus on these topics, and what you can get from them. Show Notes: Support TVL on Patreon and get bonus episodes and other rewards Support TVL on BitBacker with cryptocurrency Becoming an Entrepreneur by Jake Desyllas Audiobook…
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399 What I Learned Losing a Million Dollars
A discussion of the lessons that can be taken from Jim Paul's book, What I Learned Losing a Million Dollars. Show Notes: What I Learned Losing a Million Dollars by Jim Paul Support TVL on Patreon and get bonus episodes and other rewards Support TVL on BitBacker with cryptocurrency Job Free by…
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398 A Review of The Battle Hymn of The Tiger Mother
What are the assumptions used in "tiger" parenting, and what is the goal? This episode is a review of The Battle Hymn of The Tiger Mother by Amy Chua.
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397 How Do You Know If You Can Live From Your Investments?
How do you know whether you have enough money to live from your investments? What if you stop working and then find out that you don't have enough? This episode is a discussion with a listener about these questions. Show Notes: Support TVL on Patreon and get bonus episodes and other rewards…
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396 A Review Of Ray Dalio's Principles
Ray Dalio is a well-known billionaire investor and hedge fund manager. This episode is a review of his book Principles: Life And Work. Show Notes: Principles by Ray Dalio TVL Episode 244 Thinking Rationally Part 2: Imaginary Creatures and Machines Support TVL on Patreon and get bonus episodes and...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
A podcast about living a life of your choosing. Topics covered include financial independence, productivity, entrepreneurship, peaceful parenting, minimalism, and rational thinking.
HOSTED BY
Jake Desyllas
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Voluntary Life have?
The Voluntary Life currently has 300 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Voluntary Life about?
A podcast about living a life of your choosing. Topics covered include financial independence, productivity, entrepreneurship, peaceful parenting, minimalism, and rational thinking.
How often does The Voluntary Life release new episodes?
The Voluntary Life publishes regularly with 300 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to The Voluntary Life?
You can listen to The Voluntary Life on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Voluntary Life?
The Voluntary Life is created and hosted by Jake Desyllas.
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