I’m somewhat new to understanding Austrian economics, but I’m very excited about it all and eager to learn more. One question I have is how are individuals protected from violence of others? I’ve read a couple places that government should exist, but only to protect the safety of individuals. Is this a common belief, or are there other ways that would deal with the problem more effectively. For example, I’m thinking of cases such as someone mugging someone else. What happens to the mugger? In that case, what role does the government play, and how is the government kept from over-stepping its bounds (i.e. declaring high-emissions vehicles to be endangering others). Thank you for your help!
The second part of my Law Without Government video series features a story about what might happen following a mugging, in a society where you have law but no government. Government, as defined in the first part of the video series, is incompaitble with libertarianism.
I’m not sure if there are reliable statistics, but first responders to any kind of accident are often private individuals. Ask yourself what exactly is the “secret sauce” that makes governmental first-responders better, faster, more effective, etc. than private responders? Your question was about security, so ask the same question about security services. What is it that makes government so magically wonderful?
The essential reading is Chaos Theory. Quick read. Pretty awesome.
Essentially, you would have a free market in protection. As Molinari put it in the 19th century, if we know the market is so good at the production of goods and accept as economic law that labor and trade ought to be free, why make the arbitrary exception for security? As such, his very short essay on the matter gives a basic overview of the logic.
The matter of private courts is similar to the logic behind private protection - the courts compete for customers and those who are corrupt or bribed fall out of favor with the public.
There’s more to it, but I don’t have much time right now. Do read the above. They’re good.
You seem to be looking for some sort of guarantee - that is, some sort of way in which the outcomes you desire will be made certain to happen. That’s impossible, even (if not especially!) in the presence of a state.
