Ep 29: Would Society Work Without the State? with Bob Murphy

Nearly every libertarian has heard the classic objection, “But who would build the roads?” This question is so common that it has become a point of ridicule by libertarians to mock weak arguments for why libertarianism supposedly can’t work in practice (as if the state’s nearly-endless track record of failures hasn’t proven its method dysfunctional).

In this episode, renowned libertarian Christian economist Bob Murphy joins us to discuss the economics and practical functions of society in the absence of the state. Beyond roads, Murphy walks us through how anything — even national defense and the law itself — can work better when fully-privatized. You might say that where this episode is going, we don’t need roads…

• Bob Murphy’s blog, Free Advice
• Bob’s book, Chaos Theory
• Bob’s podcast with Tom Woods, Contra Krugman
• Bob’s other free content at the Mises Institute
• Murray Rothbard’s book, For a New Liberty
• Hans Hoppe’s book, The Private Production of Security
• Gustave de Molinari’s book, The Production of Security
• Hans Hoppe’s (ed.) book, The Myth of National Defense
• Bob’s book, Choice
• Bob’s free content at the Independent Institute
• Bruce Benson’s book, The Enterprise of Law
• Edward Stringham’s (ed.) book, Anarchy and the Law
• Robert Higgs’s book, Taking a Stand