You and the State: A Short Introduction to Political Philosophy

by Jan Narveson

Jan Narveson asks the provocative, philosophical question: is the state necessary? In this unusual introduction to political philosophy, Narveson draws on the history of political philosophy and discusses its main theories_classic liberal, democratic, socialist, radical_with reference to how each sees the place of the individual in the political order. Narveson's critique is situated within issues of freedom, authority, economic welfare, international relations and others to explore how and whether the state is necessary. His argument is ultimately anti-statist and takes seriously the question of whether and how some version of anarchism might make sense.

228 pages, Paperback

First published April 7, 2008

About the author

Jan Narveson is a professor of philosophy at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. He is the author of a couple hundred papers in philosophical periodicals and anthologies, mainly on moral and political theory and practice, and of several books. He is on the editorial boards of many philosophic journals, is a frequent contributor to conferences in many countries, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1989, and was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2003. He is an anarcho-capitalist and contractarian.