In Libertarian Anarchy, Dr. Gerard Casey speaks his peace to an audience that includes the on-going flow of friends, students, and colleagues that often rehearse what can be familiar questions. In this effort, he helpfully limits his considerations. Casey doesn't defend anarchy broadly, just one kind of it, one that prioritizes property rights. That may sound like anarcho-capitalism, but Casey passes on defending capitalism. He also avoids utilitarian considerations. No, Casey limits himself to principled arguments for a libertarian kind of anarchy. This enables him to be meaningful and thorough in a very portable volume. The philosopher prefers depth to breadth. Fancy that.
The non-aggression principle enters quickly, along with a sidekick in the principle of reciprocity, and Casey’s argument is exceptionally accessible and satisfying here. It's fascinating too as he illustrates the importance of reciprocity with considerations of free-will. Casey also pulls back the curtain on the state to reveal a monstrous unnecessary evil while also presenting liberty as normal, natural, and tending toward a viable organic order without rulers.
Casey's approach involves a chapter-by-chapter pursuit of five specific objectives: “to show the anti-libertarian character of states and state action, to argue for the presumption of liberty, to make the case for libertarian anarchy, to show that law does not require state sponsorship and to demonstrate the illegitimacy of the modern state by means of an attack on the representative nature of democracy and the validity of state constitutions,” (pp. 8-9). Also, many dual-themes appear along the way. Liberty is natural. The state is aberrant. Liberty is vital to personal flourishing. The state is a parasite. Liberty is the default. Statists bear a burden of proof as to the allegedly just subjugation of their family, friends, and neighbors.
Beyond his approach, Casey’s traditional Roman Catholic perspective helps the book as well. Interesting particulars like “What about Vatican City?” occasionally come up. But secondly, there’s an audience benefit. Since traditional Christians are often averse to libertarianism, they are understandably reluctant to consider a defense of both that and anarchy. So, a good presentation from a non-leftist Roman Catholic invites consideration from a wider audience.
Now, a few heads-up’s are in order. First, Libertarian Anarchy is not a one and done. It will reward continued gnawing for some time to come. Furthermore, the book’s voice is that of gentleman-scholar. It is academic but not dry, and the writing comes peppered with enriching word-choices that reward but don’t require the looking up. So maybe get an ebook version to help take advantage of that. Finally, there is no audio book, so somebody needs to call Morgan Freeman.
Libertarian Anarchy goes for the gold. It doesn’t cower behind watered down ideas. It doesn’t dodge complex philosophical questions. It stands with a helpfully fine-tuned focus as well as accessible scholarship, and it’s found here.