As a newcomer to anarchy, I have a new found appreciation for property rights. Something that doesn’t come clear to me is the recourse for the infringement of private property. The concept of “justice” is very subjective, but determining the most virtuous and just approach for dealing with criminals is difficult. In a free society, if someone were to steal, say, my bicycle, what actions should I then proceed to take (assuming I knew who stole my bicycle)? Surely I have the right to self defense and the defense of my property, but to what justifiable extent? A 10 year old stealing my bicycle doesn’t warrant a shot to the head.
Is there an objective methodology for dealing with criminal actions?
“How should criminals be treated in a libertarian polity? Is it permissible to punish them? Why or why not? In what follows I’d like to outline the answers I personally have reached to these questions…”