Against the State: An Introduction to Anarchist Political

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Against the State: An Introduction to Anarchist Political Theory
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Irreverent and incisive critique of liberal theories of the state.

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 philosophyâ€”Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Hegel, Hume, Bentham, Rawls, and Habermas, among othersâ€”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 â€œindividualismâ€ 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.

â€œSartwellâ€™s work stands in the Thoreauvian tradition he admiresâ€”simultaneously lyrical and plainspoken, intensely personal yet theoretically compelling. Transcending the hackneyed opposition between individualist and communitarian approaches to politics, Sartwellâ€™s spirited, engaging, and insightful critique of the state reminds us of the essentially barbarous nature of that institution, forcefully engages the classic arguments on its behalf, and makes a vigorous and inspiring case for a humane anarchist alternative.â€ â€” Roderick T. Long, Auburn University

â€œSartwell is unabashed and unrelenting in pointing out the unquestioned absurdities at the foundation of the stateâ€™s legitimacy. His refusal to accept any assumption on faith or to turn away from logical conclusions is the bookâ€™s greatest strength.â€ â€” Dana Ward, coauthor of Political Reasoning and Cognition: A Piagetian View
Country USA
Brand State University of New York Press
Manufacturer State University of New York Press
Binding Paperback
UnitCount 1
EANs 9780791474488
ReleaseDate 2008-05-22

Country	USA
Brand	State University of New York Press
Manufacturer	State University of New York Press
Binding	Paperback
UnitCount	1
EANs	9780791474488
ReleaseDate	2008-05-22

Against the State: An Introduction to Anarchist Political Theory

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