# The Libertarian Alternative: Essays in Social and Political Philosophy Tibor R. Machan, Editor **URL:** **By** Ralph Raico **Published:** July 1, 1974 --- “Tibor Machan, a professional philosopher whose writings are well-known to libertarians, has furnished us with a wide-ranging and rich collection of explorations of the principles and varied applications of the libertarian idea.” Tibor Machan, a professional philosopher whose writings are well-known to libertarians, has furnished us with a wide-ranging and rich collection of explorations of the principles and varied applications of the libertarian idea. In his preface, Machan points out his “indebtedness to novelist/philosopher Ayn Rand and her contributions to the individualist political and moral tradition”; this is evident in the anthology, which contains more, perhaps, in the way of Randian-oriented philosophical treatments of rights, et cetera, than another editor might have included. But Machan displays an admirable catholicity in his selections; the book is by and large “nonsectarian.” As far as particular libertarian positions are concerned, it runs the gamut from the more traditional _laissez-faire_ libertarians, such as Mises, Friedman, and Hazlitt; to proponents of single-government within a given area, but without the power to tax, such as John Hospers and, I take it, Machan himself; to individualist anarchists, or “anarcho-capitalists” (a term which I find objectionable on the grounds that it suggests some special connection with capitalists, as distinguished from working-people; students, et cetera), such as Murray Rothbard and Roy Childs. Variety is also evident in the topics dealt with: besides the basic libertarian outlook and principles, selections included treat monopoly, the regulatory bureaus, the history of the corporate-state in America, education, foreign aid, automation, racism, government psychiatry, the draft, and a number of other issues (there are thirty-seven essays altogether, in addition to brief introductions by Machan to the different sections). And the economists are well-represented: in addition to those already mentioned, Yale Brozen has a number of interesting contributions, Israel Kirzner writes on advertising with his characteristic care and shining rationality, and there are articles by D. T. Armentano, Hans Sennholz, and Alan Reynolds. It is inevitable when reviewing briefly such a work as this that the reviewer must select certain contributions to mention and not others. To my mind, particularly outstanding are: Bruce Goldberg’s demolition of B. F. Skinner, “Skinner’s Behaviorist Utopia,” in which, as with Prof. Noam Chomsky’s attacks, we have the satisfaction of seeing an intelligent and implacable refutation of Skinner by a mind clearly his superior; Thomas Szasz’ article, “Involuntary Mental Hospitalization: A Crime Against Humanity,” a very good choice as an introduction to Szasz’ thinking (in any case, Szasz must be the Brahms of writers on social questions, never publishing anything but his best); and two classics by Murray Rothbard, “The Anatomy of the State”—the finest short exposition of contemporary individualist anarchism—and “Left and Right: The Prospects for Liberty.” The latter essay inaugurated a whole era in the American libertarian movement and is, I would say, more responsible for its present configuration than any other comparable work. The _Libertarian Alternative_ does present a certain weakness in the area of international affairs. This, however, is natural and unavoidable in such a work since, although libertarianism itself points in the direction of an isolationist foreign policy (and, in the contemporary situation, a concommitant critique of American imperialism), there are crucial historical-empirical questions on which no a priori judgment can be passed and on which there is anything but unanimity among libertarians. A separate anthology of essays in the field of foreign affairs, from a libertarian viewpoint, or, best of all, a full-scale work by someone like Rothbard or Leonard Liggio, is now overdue. The main impression that is generated by this book is that there are many more libertarian intellectuals than one imagined, writers who have—by any standard—a good many cogent things to say—that libertarianism is a very intellectually active and alive movement. The _Libertarian Alternative_ is the best single introduction to libertarianism so far. _Reviewed by Ralph Raico / Political Philosophy (553 Pages) / BFL Price $12.50_