Might versus Right

Ludwig von Mises criticized the ‘old liberals’ for assuming the stance of a ‘perfect king’ whose only objective is to make his citizens happy. Mises contended that the fiction of the ‘perfect king’ contributed to the modern notion of a godlike state. Unfortunately, pretense to the crown of philosopher-king seems to be an occupational hazard of political philosophy in general and not just the ‘old liberals.’ In this essay I shall argue that the evolution of natural law into a doctrine of natural rights was a result of the populist struggle against this inherent elitism of political philosophy.

Volume 12, Number 1 (1996)