The Right to Ignore the State

This audio captures a provocative nineteenth‑century pamphlet that argues a citizen can lawfully opt out of the State’s protection and tax system. Drawing on the principle that each person’s freedom ends where another’s begins, the writer claims voluntary “outlawry” does not infringe anyone’s rights because it is purely passive. The text invites listeners to weigh the idea that the State, like any contract, should be entered into only with explicit consent.

The essay then turns to a moral critique, describing government as an institution born of crime, sustained by force, and consequently at odds with natural law. It questions whether legislation can ever be ethical when its power relies on violence and coercion, suggesting that true liberty grows as the need for such coercion wanes. Listeners are offered a historical glimpse of early libertarian thought that continues to spark debate about the role and limits of authority.