Against the State

Against the State An Introduction to Anarchist Political Theory

Paperback (15 May 2008)

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Publisher's Synopsis

In Against the State, Crispin Sartwell unleashes a quick and brutal rejection of the traditional arguments for state legitimacy. Sartwell considers the classics of Western political philosophy-Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Hegel, Hume, Bentham, Rawls, and Habermas, among others-and argues that their positions are not only wrong but also embarrassingly bad. He separates the traditional pro-state arguments into three classes: social contract theories, utilitarian justifications, and justicial views, all while attacking both general strategies and particular formulations. Sartwell argues that the state rests on nothing but deadly force and its accompanying coercion, and that no one is under any obligation to obey the law merely because it is the law. He concludes by articulating a positive vision of an anarchist future, based on the "individualism" of such figures as Emerson and Thoreau. Against the State provides a rigorous and provocative foil to the classic texts, and also serves as a concise statement of the anarchist challenge.

Book information

ISBN: 9780791474488
Publisher: State University of New York Press
Imprint: SUNY Press
Pub date:
DEWEY: 320.57
DEWEY edition: 22
Language: English
Number of pages: 124
Weight: 191g
Height: 229mm
Width: 152mm
Spine width: 8mm