Ep 28: ‘The Anatomy of the State’ by Murray Rothbard (Part 1)

November 8, 2022
Protestant Libertarian Podcast

Summary – ‘The Anatomy of the State’ by Murray Rothbard (Part 1)

We are reviewing the first half of Murray Rothbard’s classic essay Anatomy of the State, in which he argues that the state can be defined as the entity that maintains a monopoly on violence in a given geographical area and that the state generates revenue through coercion. This is a classic in libertarian political philosophy and will be the way in which we define the concept of ‘state’ on this podcast. We look at the implications of Rothbard’s ideas for a Christian understanding of the state and how we might begin to think about the way in which power is manifested in our society.

Episode Outline:

I.	Who is Murray Rothbard, and what is Anatomy of the State
II.	Section 1: What the State Is Not
III.	Section 2: What the State Is
IV.	Section 3: How the State Preserves Itself
V.	Threatening the State