If law exists only where there are state-backed courts and codes, then every primitive society was lawless. Indeed, one widely held definition or “theory” of law is that “the rule of law simply means the ‘existence of public order.’ It means organized government, operating through the various instruments and channels of legal command. In this this,all modem societies live under the rule of law [but primitive societies did not].” This definition of law characterizes the legal positivist school of legal theorists and dominates the economics profession.

Volume 9, Number 1 (1989)

In 1849, at a time when classical liberalism was still the dominant ideological force and “economist” and “socialist” were generally—and rightly so—considered antonyms, Gustave de Molinari, a renowned Belgian economist, wrote, “If there is one well-established truth in political economy, it is this: That in all cases, for all commodities that serve to provide for the tangible or intangible need of the consumer, it is in the consumer’s best interest that labor and trade remain free, because the freedom of labor and trade

This paper is an attempt to use what is essentially “public choice” analysis- which assumes that individuals will make “rational” choices based on self-interest- to show how the primary collective good, security, might be provided noncoercively, i.e., in the absence of a state.

Volume 9, Number 1 (1989)

In this paper, Antony Flew discusses liberty and political freedom.

Volume 9, Number 1 (1989)

In this paper, I will be dealing with various examples of individual or groups of progressive intellectuals, exulting in the triumph of their creed and their own place in it, as a result of America’s entry into World War I.

Volume 9, Number 1 (1989)

Classical Liberalism, especially of the Austrian inclination, and Libertarianism are by now recognized as the most influential research traditions of our time. While it would be superfluous here to repeat the reasons for such widespread significance, it should not be overlooked that, so far, the significance of these traditions has been recognized mainly in the academic world. There are numerous countries in which these ideas have yet to achieve the impact we wish for on public opinion and the electorate at large.

Volume 13, Number 1 (1997)

Volume 13, Number 1 (1997)

The American anti-statist intellectual tradition includes a wide variety of thinkers, from left utopians to secessionist agrarians to right anarchists. In this article, Jeffrey A. Tucker offers reviews for multiple books on Libertarianism.

It is now generally accepted by historians of economic thought that in the nineteenth century Adam Smith’s work was much overpraised for its originality and design. In an obvious reference to Smith, both Archbishop Whately and John Stuart Mill spoke of political economy having arisen as a science virtually within men’s memories. J. R. McCulloch deepened this impression by his incorrect statement that Smith had successfully combated a general belief that gold and silver were the only real sources of wealth.

This section provides short descriptions of scholarly articles expounding on libertarian theory or otherwise of special interest to libertarians. The articles listed will be drawn exclusively from non-libertarian periodicals, since specialized libertarian fora are well-known sources of libertarian theory.

Volume 13, Number 1 (1997)

[From the Journal of Libertarian Studies 12, no. 2 (Fall 1996).]