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Spring 2014

ISSN 0890-913X

Volume 29, Number 2

Categories: Spring 2014 | Political Science

Justifying a Stateless Legal Order: A Critique of Rand and Epstein

Walter E. Block, Loyola University New Orleans

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TheJournalofPrivateEnterprise29(2),2014,21–49JustifyingaStatelessLegalOrder:ACritiqueofRandandEpsteinWalterE.Block∗LoyolaUniversityNewOrleans______________________________________________________AbstractArobustlegalordercansurviveandthriveintheabsenceofthestate.Inthisarticle,Idefendthisviewbyrespondingtodefendersofthestate,notablydistinguishedlegaltheoristRichardEpstein.Epstein’sviewsareofparticularinterestinthathepersistentlyarguesforsubstantialconstraintsontheroleofthestate.Nonetheless,Iargue,hedoesnotgofarenough:heremainsconvincedthatthestateisneededtoensurethelegitimacyandeffectivenessofajustlegalorder.Inthis,Iwillshow,heismistaken.Atthesametime,Iconsiderpro-stateargumentsfromAynRand,who,likeEpstein,wasinclinedunnecessarilytoaffirmtheauthorityofthestate.______________________________________________________JELcodes:H11Keywords:Anarchism,Minarchism,Libertarianism,RightsI.IntroductionMostpeoplereflexivelyrejectanyappellationthatcontainsthedreaded“A”word,“anarchism,”asitbringsuppicturesofbombthrowing.Free-marketanarchism,oranarcho-capitalism,partakesofusingthe“A”word,butistheoppositeofthrowingbombs.Indeed,ifthereareanybomb-throwersaround,itisthestate—thearchists—nottheanarchists.What,then,isfree-enterpriseanarchism?Itispredicatedupontwoprinciples.First,thenonaggressionprinciple(NAP),whichholdsthatitisillicitforanyone,anyone,1toinitiateorthreatenviolenceagainstanyoneelse.2Thesecondsideofthelibertariancoinis∗IthankStephanKinsella,whohasaverysharpeyeforlibertariantheory,forgreatlyimprovinganearlierversionofthispaper.Allremainingerrorsofcommissionandomissionaremyown.1Evenpeoplecallingthemselvesthegovernment(Spooner1870).2Thisisaboutasfarapartfrombomb-throwingasitispossibletobe,incaseyouweren’tpayingattention.21

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Title	Justifying a Stateless Legal Order: A Critique of Rand and Epstein
Authors/Creators:	Walter E. Block, Loyola University New Orleans
Year:	2014
Volume:	29
Number:	2
Pages:	21 - 49
Publisher:	The Association of Private Enterprise Education
ISSN:	0890-913X
Document Type:	Articles
Keywords:	Political Science

Citation:
Block, Walter E. / 2014. "Justifying a Stateless Legal Order: A Critique of Rand and Epstein." The Journal of Private Enterprise, 29(2): 21-49.