From the Journal of Libertarian Studies, edited by David Gordon.
ABSTRACT: Is it possible to “steal” from a thief? Rothbard (1969) and Block (2018a, 2018b) maintain this to be an utter impossibility. In their view, one can only “liberate” the ill-gotten gains of the robber. In contrast, one can indeed steal, but only from the rightful owner of the property in question. Thommesen (2020) defends the opposite point of view; that one can indeed steal from a thief. He uses this perspective in criticism of Rothbard and Block. The present paper is an attempt to refute Thommesen’s critique of these two other authors.
Read the full article at the Journal of Libertarian Studies.
