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Anarcho-Capitalist Threads in Modern Libertarianism: the Social Thought of Murray Rothbard

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University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 12-1990 Anarcho-Capitalist Threads in Modern Libertarianism: The Social Thought of Murray Rothbard Larry M. Hall University of Tennessee - Knoxville Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss Part of the Political Science Commons Recommended Citation Hall, Larry M., "Anarcho-Capitalist Threads in Modern Libertarianism: The Social Thought of Murray Rothbard. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 1990. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/2792 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Larry M. Hall entitled "Anarcho-Capitalist Threads in Modern Libertarianism: The Social Thought of Murray Rothbard." I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in Political Science. T. Alexander Smith, Major Professor We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance: Thomas Ungs, Robert Gorman, Hans Jensen Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R. Hodges Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Larry M. Hall entitled "Anarcho-Capitalist Threads in Modern Libertarianism: The Social Thought of Murray Rothbard." I have examined the final copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted for partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in Political Science. T. Alexander Smith, Major Professor We have read this dissertation and recommend its a�ceptance. /./tt.'... ----• '' /. / �- ... '_, •':. ----- ----- Accepted for the Council: Vice Provost and Dean of theGraduate School ANARCHO-CAPITALIST THREADS IN MODERN LIBERTARIANISM THE SOCIAL THOUGHT OF MURRAY ROTHBARD A Dissertation Presented for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree The University of Tennessee, Knoxville LarryM. Hall December 1990 Copyright ©Larry M. Hall, 1991 All rights reserved ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My research on the writings of Murray Rothbard has benefitted greatly from the assistance of my committee. I would like to express my gratification to T. Alexander Smith, who served as my dissertation director and who has been an influential mentor throughout my graduate training at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. I appreciate the similar support I have received from Thomas Ungs and Robert Gorman, who also served on my committee. I also wish to thank Hans Jensen for his support and willingness to serve on my committee as the member from outside the department. Moreover, I want to thank all the individuals who helped me through my scholarly preparation at The University. They serve the campus community in many ways, although most of these persons tolerated me day after day within the confines of the Department of Political Science. It is to these individuals I am indebted for actually spurring me to finish this project. Often, they believed the task could be accomplished when I did not. Obviously, I alone assume full responsibility for any remaining errors or shortcomings in this research project. iii ABSTRACT Murray Rothbard's anarcho-capitalism represents an largely unexplored portion of American political thought. Despite an overwhelming array of publications on politics, economics, history, methodology, and other realms of social theory, his writings have received very little attention from the community of social theorists. A significant reason for the lack of analysis concerns the unique and radical nature of Rothbard's thought. Although this research concludes that his form of anarchism is surely an American phenomenon, he combines the influences upon his writings in ways which ultimately separate him from even his libertarian colleagues. Still, he is an extremely influential figure in the largely successful revival of contemporary American libertarianism or classical liberalism, despite his overly radical anarchist tendencies. This project integrates Rothbard's social theory and critiques it from within the confines of a libertarian negative rights framework which defines ethical parameters around the notion of individualism and non-interference. It focuses upon five components of Rothbard's work: 1.) Methodological and epistemological foundations; 2.) Economic theory; 3.) Political ethics; 4.) Anarcho-capitalist society; and 5.) Strategies in the achievement of the libertarian system. After a thorough analysis of each of these areas, the research concludes that Rothbard's system of libertarian ethics and his society of anarchy and property rights are quite feasible theoretically and potentially provide practical advantages over current State-imposed alternatives in many arenas. However, some major concerns remain. Concerning the private provision of iv defense, Rothbard underestimates the propensities for free riding which may only be overcome (as in other arenas entailing spillover effects) with time, which makes the removal of the State apparatus highly problematic without complete international consensus. In the case of external opposition, transitional costs make his theoretical framework untenable. Moreover, the entire libertarian model faces serious tactical problems--in which Rothbard's absolutist and monistic style and theory do not relieve. He is never clearly able to guarantee that his brand of anarchism necessarily protects or cultivates the ethics of libertarianism. A rigid ethical dichotomy of the market and political processes tends to cloak this fundamentally crucial issue in his theory. Nevertheless, Rothbard Is a significant figure both in the historical understanding of the modern libertarian revival in America and in the theoretical advancement of these ideas. v TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. INTRODUCTION TO THE WRITINGS OF MURRAY ROTHBARD 1 Why Study Rothbard? 1 The Nature of Rothbard's Writings 3 Rothbard's Major Contributions to Social Theory 5 The Research Program 8 II. ROTHBARD AND THE METHODOLOGY OF THE AUSTRIAN SCHOOL 13 Introduction to the Austrian School's Methodology 13 Methodology, Praxeology, and the Study of Human Action 16 Modem Debates in Austrianism: A Growing Emphasis On Inherent Unpredictability? 37 Conclusion 46 III. ROTHBARD AND THE AUSTRIAN SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS: THEORY AND POLICY 49 Introduction 49 Austrian Themes in the Study of Economic Phenomena 49 Rothbard's Unique Contributions 64 Involuntary Exchange: The Effects of Government Intervention on the Economy 79 Autistic Intervention 83 Binary Intervention 83 Triangular Intervention 101 vi Conclusion: Caught in His Own Praxeological Web 108 IV. THE POLITICAL THEORY OF ROTHBARD 112 Introduction: The Establishment of Political Ethics 112 Political Philosophy and Individual Morality 118 Libertarian Ethics: Humans in Isolation 120 Libertarian Ethics: The Introduction of Society and Human Interaction 123 Forms of Interaction: Property Rights and Criminality 126 The Problem of the Limited Earth 135 The State in the Libertarian System 150 v. THE ANARCHO-CAPITALIST SOCIETY 162 Introduction: The Stateless Society 162 Specific Policies 163 Rights of Individual Expression 163 "Victimless" Crimes 170 Abortion, Birth Control, and Children's Rights 172 Education 182 The State and Involuntary Servitude 189 Rights at Trial and the Judicial System 193 National Defense 209 War and Foreign Policy in the Less Than Anarchist Society 215 Public Welfare For the Poor and the Rich 222 Environmental Policy in Anarchy 226 Transportation in Anarcho-Capitalism 237 vii Conclusion: Anarcho-Capitalism in Perspective 242 VI. STRATEGIES FOR A ITAINING THE LIBERTARIAN SOCIETY 246 VII. ROTHBARD, LIBERTARIANISM, AND THEIR PLACE IN AMERICAN POLITICAL THOUGHT 267 Introduction 267 America and the Libertarian Heritage 267 Libertarianism's Position in the Modem Political Spectrum 278 Rothbard and Modem Libertarianism 283 The Future of Libertarianism 288 BIBLIOGRAPHY 303 VITA 321 viii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION TO THE WRITINGS OF MURRAY ROTHBARD Why Study Rothbard? Murray Rothbard has written approximately twenty books, dozens of scholarly articles, and hundred of articles in libertarian and popular periodicals. In combination, these writings represent a highly coherent system of social thought that has influenced a small but apparently expanding core of modern thinkers. Yet, outside this libertarian circle, Rothbard's works have received scant attention. The scholarly community's overwhelming ignorance of this prolific writer's thought is an unfortunate circumstance. There has been very little critique of Rothbard's writings, despite the fact that his work, as a substantial and comprehensive "theory of liberty," spans across the bulk of social theory.l The intellectual world has been clearly witnessing a rejuvenation of classical liberalism in recent years. And Rothbard is a critical player in this unfolding drama. First, he may be viewed, as much as anyone, as the founder of this "libertarian" revival. His writings in
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