Hans Hoppe takes on the most difficult subject in economic and political theory: the provision of security. He argues that the service is better provided by free markets than government, while addressing a hundred counter-arguments. Here we have an important updating of an argument rarely made even in the libertarian tradition.

"Without the erroneous public perception and judgment of the state as just and necessary and without the public’s voluntary cooperation, even the seemingly most powerful government would implode and its powers evaporate. Thus liberated, we would regain our right to self-defense and be able to turn to freed and unregulated insurance agencies for efficient professional assistance in all matters of protection and conflict resolution." Hans-Hermann Hoppe

• The Empirical Evidence
• How to Think About the Statist Response
• The Case for Private Security
• More on Aggression Insurance
• Political Borders and Insurance
• The Democratic State and Total War
• Insurance and Incentives
• Insuring Against State Aggression
• Regaining Our Right to Self-defense
• Complete Bibliography

Publication Information

Essays in Political Economy, Mises Institute, 2002.