The Machinery of Freedom: Guide to a Radical Capitalism (Paperback)

~ (Author) "The concept of our property is fundamental to our society, probably to any workable society..." (more)
Key Phrases: jitney transit, libertarian foreign policy, legitimized coercion, New York, Soviet Union, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This book argues the case for a society organized by private property, individual rights, and voluntary co-operation, with little or no government. David Friedman's standpoint, known as 'anarcho-capitalism', has attracted a growing following as a desirable social ideal since the first edition of The Machinery of Freedom appeared in 1971. This new edition is thoroughly revised and includes much new material, exploring fresh applications of the author's libertarian principles.

Among topics covered: how the U.S. would benefit from unrestricted immigration; why prohibition of drugs is inconsistent with a free society; why the welfare state mainly takes from the poor to help the not-so-poor; how police protection, law courts, and new laws could all be provided privately; what life was really like under the anarchist legal system of medieval Iceland; why non-intervention is the best foreign policy; why no simple moral rules can generate acceptable social policies -- and why these policies must be derived in part from the new discipline of economic analysis of law.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Open Court Publishing Company; 2 edition (April 19, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812690699
• ISBN-13: 978-0812690699
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #374,111 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Anarcho-capitalism for everyone!, December 17, 1999

By	Kari Sullivan (CS, CO) - See all my reviews

While I am more of a rights based anarchist, I can appreciate utilitarian arguments against government. No one does a better job at presenting a utilitarian case for anarchism than David Friedman does in this masterpiece. Not only is Machinery of Freedom intellectually acute and persuasive, it is also a humorous and easy read for the lay person interested in libertarian thought.

This book touches quite a bit on the issues that most libertarian anarchists find difficult to deal with, such as national defense and polycentric law. A good critique of government education is also offered as well as a two part section on monopolies. As a seasoned libertarian, I most enjoyed the postscript, which focuses on more advanced topics like private currency, law and econ, and anarchist politics.

In sum, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in anarcho-capitalism, from those new to political philosophy to well versed freedom fighters.

37 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Probably the best book on anarcho-capitalism there is, June 24, 1998

By	Ananda Gupta (Columbia, MD United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Once in a while, one reads a truly extraordinary book. The Machinery of Freedom qualifies for a variety of reasons: its intellectual rigor and honesty, and its fearlessness in asking tough questions.

Friedman's distrust of intellectual orthodoxy and his distaste for complacency come through everywhere, as he systematically sketches out his ideas about the society he thinks would leave the vast majority of the world's inhabitants better off. Not infinitely better off -- there are no utopian dreams here -- but materially and spiritually better off.

Central to Friedman's thought is the notion that governments are finite, constrained institutions like any others -- hardly the infallible entities for which we simply design outcomes. Whenever someone says 'There's a case for government intervention here,' the implicit assumption is that the intervention will be done flawlessly and properly. That's not always, or even often, the case -- intervention has to be viewed as a tradeoff. If it makes little sense to assume that there are perfect markets, then it makes even less sense to assume that there are perfect governments. Friedman makes a convincing case that we should rarely, if ever, expect government to produce better outcomes than the market does, simply because of the different incentives those two processes present individuals.

I am not entirely persuaded by Friedman's argument, but I would be hard-pressed to give a good reason therefor. That means I am not thinking clearly, which is hardly Friedman's fault. At the risk of sounding redundant, I can't recommend this book highly enough.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining systematic treatise on a government free world., April 11, 1997

By A Customer

So what would happen if we threw an election and nobody came? That is the central theme of David Friedman's book The Machinery of Freedom." While it not hard to find libertarians shooting the wounded by attacking easy targets like the post office or the sugar quota, it is rare to find someone who advocates dismantling all government functions. It is even rarer to find someone who does it coherently. Friedman is both of these things. Friedman presents a utilitarian case for anarchy, or as he refers to it, "anarcho-capitalism." Anarcho-capitalism is essentially a society that not only respects property rights, but has no government. If the two seem to be mutually exclusive, you have not read the book. Friedman slaughters the fallacy that since certain government services (police, fire department, etc) are essential, they must be provided by the government. As a teacher of mine once put it "he throws a monkey wrench into the sacred cow." After reading the Machinery of Freedom, you will wonder why you didn't think like this all along. Steve Frenc