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Against the State: An Introduction to Anarchist Political Theory
Contributor(s): Sartwell, Crispin (Author)

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 ISBN: 079147447X     ISBN-13: 9780791474471
Publisher: State University of New York Press
OUR PRICE: $90.25  

Binding Type: Hardcover - See All Available Formats & Editions
Published: May 2008
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Temporarily out of stock - Will ship within 2 to 5 weeks

Annotation: Irreverent and incisive critique of liberal theories of the state.
Additional Information
BISAC Categories:
- Political Science | Political Ideologies - Anarchism
- Political Science | Political Ideologies - Radicalism
Dewey: 320.57
LCCN: 2007033815
Physical Information: 136 pages
Features: Bibliography, Index
 
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc.
Publisher Description:
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.
 
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