Overview

What if everything you believe about the state is a lie? Here is a bold challenge to centuries of political orthodoxy… Life is ""nasty, brutish, and short,"" asserted 17th-century philosopher Thomas Hobbes. Without the state, he claimed, man is ""in that condition which is called War... every man, against every man."" His solution? Leviathan: the sovereign power, the guard against chaos. For centuries, most political philosophers have taken his argument for granted. But should they? Is the Hobbesian fear truly rooted in reality? If not, what happens to politics when we allow fear, not cooperation, to become foundational to our framework? Robert Nozick asked these same questions in Anarchy, State, and Utopia. These lucidly written pages extend these arguments even further—with some surprising conclusions. Aeon J. Skoble—professor of philosophy, bestselling author, and acclaimed political theorist—makes a powerful case that the state as we understand it today is not only morally unjustifiable, but also, thankfully, unnecessary. It has only the power we mistakenly grant it. What if we didn't? Packed with urgent lessons, original insights, and unparalleled philosophical rigor, this book is essential reading for anyone who dares imagine a freer world. Includes a new preface and afterword by the author.

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9781598134254

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Reviews

""States are illegitimate, dangerous, and unnecessary. Aeon Skoble argues crisply and accessibly that we should reject these pointless and destructive institutions in favor of genuinely consensual alternatives. Skoble's convincing case for peaceful, voluntary cooperation as the essential basis for a just social order merits careful consideration by philosophers, lawyers, economists, historians, and activists alike."" -- <B>Gary Chartier</B>, associate dean and distinguished professor of law and business ethics, Tom and Vi Zapara School of Business, La Sierra University ""From practical examples to theoretical insights, it's hard to imagine anyone coming away from Deleting the State with a complacent attitude about the justifiability of having a state. Skoble succeeds in raising the right questions and grappling with the kinds of objections almost always assumed to be sufficient defense of the state. Skoble shows that all such defenses at least have weaknesses and that many, perhaps most, simply will not do."" -- <B>Douglas J. Den Uyl</B>, author of <I>Power, State, and Freedom: An Interpretation of Spinoza’s Political Philosophy</I> ""Deleting the State is a well-argued and well-written treatment of the justifications for government. Skoble finds all forms of coercive government incompatible with liberty and provides arguments why peace, order, and respect for private property will be better achieved without government. Skoble one-ups Nozick's Anarchy, State, and Utopia and provides an excellent introduction to the libertarian anarchist ideal. A must-read for political philosophers, political economists, and anyone concerned with liberty."" -- <B>Edward Stringham</B>, editor of <I>Anarchy, State, and Public Choice</I> ""Skoble is a philosopher in the best sense of that word. He is unafraid to think radically about fundamental questions, and he does so with great clarity and honesty. Deleting the State not only offers a powerful challenge to those who believe that there can be a morally legitimate state, but it also outlines what a legitimate political/legal order (with or without the state) would look like."" -- <B>Douglas B. Rasmussen</B>, co-author of <I>The Catholic Bishops and the Economy</I> ""People assume that life without a state would be a war of all against all, but history and economics show that cooperation, order, peace, and even sophisticated law can and do emerge without the state. Deleting the State provides a powerful challenge to the consensus view that someone has to play the role of ruler."" -- <B>Jason Brennan</B>, Robert J. and Elizabeth Flanagan Family Professor of Strategy, Economics, Ethics, and Public Policy, McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University

Author Information

Aeon J. Skoble is a professor of philosophy and the Bartlett Chair in Free Speech and Expression at Bridgewater State University and a senior fellow at the Fraser Institute.

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