Zire Golf - Shop now
Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows.
Buy new:
-5% $23.75
FREE delivery Saturday, June 21 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
$23.75 with 5 percent savings
List Price: $25.00
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Saturday, June 21 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or Prime members get FREE delivery Wednesday, June 18. Order within 4 hrs 29 mins.
In Stock
$$23.75 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$23.75
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
30-day refund/replacement
30-day refund/replacement
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$22.56
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
Pages are clean with no markings. Ships direct from Amazon! Pages are clean with no markings. Ships direct from Amazon! See less
FREE delivery Saturday, June 21 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or Prime members get FREE delivery Thursday, June 19. Order within 7 hrs 14 mins.
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$23.75 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$23.75
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the authors

Murray N. Rothbard
Follow
Hans-Hermann Hoppe
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Ethics of Liberty Paperback – February 1, 2003

by Murray N. Rothbard (Author), Hans-Hermann Hoppe (Introduction)
4.8 out of 5 stars 215 ratings
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$23.75","priceAmount":23.75,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"23","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"75","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"IRjh83OZtG6cwTJw0LEaC5jV26t83YrZnGRhMH11ZDsMePgAL31ckvKwigndnCIAMXg4WTKEYR0K%2BzZs%2B9jcvskRDl78VQQUJrXA69%2B5kET%2BW06lmoMyLf%2Fw%2FukYfLXvecNE5FC2rjE%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$22.56","priceAmount":22.56,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"22","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"56","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"IRjh83OZtG6cwTJw0LEaC5jV26t83YrZ78NqshZI%2BQ19%2BCftidXdvTkL9SWyZyYu8MHCokDUSJPgk2SxrTR8YMPJdwdgkXCBOlphaG4WS5Dp7PyyGn%2BabnRBIur8VDyQEfUTvAexd933HN2HCHuI%2BfB9Mlj0A%2BNz%2FpMgNpUzWG63cJt%2FrHj4LgMbLaOXbeHk","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

The authoritative text on the libertarian political position

In recent years, libertarian impulses have increasingly influenced national and economic debates, from welfare reform to efforts to curtail affirmative action. Murray N. Rothbard's classic The Ethics of Liberty stands as one of the most rigorous and philosophically sophisticated expositions of the libertarian political position.

Rothbard’s unique argument roots the case for freedom in the concept of natural rights and applies it to a host of practical problems. And while his conclusions are radical―that a social order that strictly adheres to the rights of private property must exclude the institutionalized violence inherent in the state―Rothbard’s applications of libertarian principles prove surprisingly practical for a host of social dilemmas, solutions to which have eluded alternative traditions.

The Ethics of Liberty authoritatively established the anarcho-capitalist economic system as the most viable and the only principled option for a social order based on freedom. This classic book’s radical insights are sure to inspire a new generation of readers.

Read more
Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    308 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    February 1, 2003
  4. Dimensions
    6.13 x 0.9 x 9.25 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    0814775594
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0814775592
Next slide of product details

There is a newer edition of this item:

For a New Liberty: The Libertarian Manifesto
For a New Liberty: The Libertarian Manifesto
$5.91
(803)
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
The%20Amazon%20Book%20Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now

Frequently bought together

The Ethics of Liberty
This item: The Ethics of Liberty
$23.75
Get it as soon as Saturday, Jun 21
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Anatomy of the State
$6.95
Get it as soon as Saturday, Jun 21
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
For a New Liberty: The Libertarian Manifesto
$12.00
Get it as soon as Saturday, Jun 21
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price: $00
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
Choose items to buy together.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Ernst has provided an amazing window into contemporary welfare organizing and the challenges faced in a political context that urges unitary rather than intersectional frames of social justice. Without a doubt she has provided an important book relevant to scholars and welfare organizers alike."
-Ange-Marie Hancock, author of "The Politics of Disgust and the Public Identity of the 'Welfare Queen'"

"In this important and courageous book, Rose Ernst shows how the discourse of colorblindness limits the progressive possibilities of the welfare rights movement. One must know the monster one is fighting if one wishes to slay it 'for real.' Otherwise, as Ernst's data demonstrates, one ends up feeding the monster. Bravo for a job well done!"
-Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, author of "Racism without Racists: Color-BlindRacism and the Persistence of Racial Inequality in America"

"Rose Ernst's book is well-written, with a nuanced theoretical frame that grows out of the relevant literature; it provides an important empirical contribution based poignantly on the voices of the women activists themselves."
-Sanford Schram, author of "Welfare Discipline: Discourse, Governance and Globalization"

"This penetrating and thoughtful work confronts the challenges, conflicts, and opportunities in the fragile coalitions that compose the welfare rights movement today. Written with fidelity to the cause and an empirical eye, Ernst demonstrates how the false construction of a 'post-racial' America warps the discourse and activities of welfare rights organizers. A passionately written text that brings these women and this movement to life, The Price of Progressive Politics analyzes the welfare rights movement from within and without using the intersectional lens of race, ethnicity, and class. This timely, fascinating, and intricate book moves forward our understanding of colorblindness and intersectionality."
-Andrea Y. Simpson, author of "The Tie That Binds: Identity and Political Attitudes in the Post-Civil Rights Generation"

-D. R. Imig, "Choice Magazine"

Book Description

This updated edition of a classic defense of libertarianism includes a new introduction.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ NYU Press
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 1, 2003
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 308 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0814775594
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0814775592
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.13 x 0.9 x 9.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 out of 5 stars 215 ratings

About the authors

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Previous page
  1. Murray N. Rothbard

    Murray N. Rothbard

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Murray Newton Rothbard (/ˈmʌri ˈrɑːθbɑːrd/; March 2, 1926 – January 7, 1995) was an American heterodox economist of the Austrian School, a revisionist historian, and a political theorist(pp11, 286, 380) whose writings and personal influence played a seminal role in the development of modern libertarianism. Rothbard was the founder and leading theoretician of anarcho-capitalism, a staunch advocate of historical revisionism, and a central figure in the twentieth-century American libertarian movement. He wrote over twenty books on political theory, revisionist history, economics, and other subjects. Rothbard asserted that all services provided by the "monopoly system of the corporate state" could be provided more efficiently by the private sector and wrote that the state is "the organization of robbery systematized and writ large." He called fractional reserve banking a form of fraud and opposed central banking. He categorically opposed all military, political, and economic interventionism in the affairs of other nations.(pp4–5, 129) According to his protégé Hans-Hermann Hoppe, "There would be no anarcho-capitalist movement to speak of without Rothbard."

    Rothbard was a heterodox economist. Economist Jeff Herbener, who calls Rothbard his friend and "intellectual mentor", wrote that Rothbard received "only ostracism" from mainstream academia. Rothbard rejected mainstream economic methodologies and instead embraced the praxeology of his most important intellectual precursor, Ludwig von Mises. To promote his economic and political ideas, Rothbard joined Llewellyn H. "Lew" Rockwell, Jr. and Burton Blumert in 1982 to establish the Ludwig von Mises Institute in Alabama.

    Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Photo by Ludwig von Mises Institute [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.

    See more on the author's page
  2. Hans-Hermann Hoppe

    Hans-Hermann Hoppe

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read book recommendations and more.

    See more on the author's page
Next page

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
215 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers find the book to be a fantastic read, particularly for lovers of liberty. They appreciate the introduction, with one customer noting it doesn't get bogged down in abstract concepts. The book receives positive feedback for its theory of liberty, with one review highlighting its classic defense of property rights.

Select to learn more

ReadabilityIntroductionLiberty theory
9 customers mention "Readability"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the book incredibly readable, describing it as a fantastic read for lovers of liberty, with one customer noting it is a must-read for libertarians.

"Fantastic read for any lover of liberty!..." Read more

"...its philosophical predications to be wanting, but this is still a fascinating read." Read more

"This is a must read. The book came in on time as promised and in excellent condition. Did I mention tis was a must read?..." Read more

"A must read for any libertarian, AnCap, or fan of Rothbard...." Read more

3 customers mention "Introduction"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the introduction of the book, with one noting that it doesn't get bogged down in abstract concepts.

"...-based libertarianism is deservedly back in print, with a valuable new introduction by Hans-Hermann Hoppe that alone is worth the price of the..." Read more

"...Does NOT get bogged down in abstract concepts and flighty philosophical language. Instead this text delivers clear and logical explanations...." Read more

"Essential for anyone who wishes to understand real individual freedom and liberty." Read more

3 customers mention "Liberty theory"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's exploration of liberty theory, with one noting it as a classic defense of property rights and another describing it as a must-read for those interested in libertarian/liberal concepts.

"...The book is divided into five parts: Natural Law, A theory of Liberty, The State versus Liberty, Modern Alternative Theories of Liberty, and Toward..." Read more

"A must-read for anyone interested in libertarian/liberal concepts...." Read more

"Classic defense of property rights; great new intro, format..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • JJ
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic read for any lover of liberty!
    Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2022
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Fantastic read for any lover of liberty! I just finished this book during an overhyped COVID pandemic as these western governments impose more senseless and absurd draconian measures. This book is more important than ever as our liberty is on the brink of extinction. The book is divided into five parts: Natural Law, A theory of Liberty, The State versus Liberty, Modern Alternative Theories of Liberty, and Toward a Theory of Strategy For Liberty. What distinguishes this book is the manner in which it roots the case for freedom in the concept of natural rights and applies it to a host of practical problems. I highly recommend this book to any liberty and freedom loving person.
    3 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Matthew Johnson
    5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read for anyone interested in libertarian/liberal concepts.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2019
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Although Rothbard failed to create a sustainable libertarian moral framework, his formulation must still be read by those who wish to understand libertarianism and liberal morality. There have since been all manner of revisions of Rothbard's ideas, and even some complete diversions such as propertarianism, but nevertheless his original codification of self-ownership and the rights that extend therefrom is important to know.

    I'm no longer a libertarian, having found its philosophical predications to be wanting, but this is still a fascinating read.
    5 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • John S. Ryan
    5.0 out of 5 stars Classic defense of property rights; great new intro, format
    Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 1998
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Murray Newton Rothbard's classic hard-hitting defense of property-rights-based libertarianism is deservedly back in print, with a valuable new introduction by Hans-Hermann Hoppe that alone is worth the price of the book even for those who already own the original. Prof. Hoppe helpfully locates Rothbard in libertarian scholarly tradition, explains why Rothbard's work was unjustly ignored while unsystematic but "tolerant" thinkers like Robert Nozick were unfairly elevated, refutes the major criticisms that have been offered of Rothbard's work since the original publication of _The Ethics of Liberty_, and effectively argues that for natural-law theorist Rothbard, libertarianism was not "libertinism" but socially quite conservative. Also helpful is the new format, in which the book's former end-notes are arranged in footnote style rather than collected at the end of each chapter.
    51 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • R A Martin Jr
    5.0 out of 5 stars Must read!
    Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2021
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    This is a must read.

    The book came in on time as promised and in excellent condition.

    Did I mention tis was a must read? Seriously read the book. This will influence opinion.
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • D. Cole
    5.0 out of 5 stars required reading.
    Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    A must read for any libertarian, AnCap, or fan of Rothbard. I would recommend Rothbard in general but the libs and cons aren't very tolerant of ideas that expose their moral inconsistency, lack of understanding of economics and history, and incapability to remain skeptical of what they think they think they know.
    6 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Shqiponja
    5.0 out of 5 stars Required reading for anyone interested in economics and liberty.
    Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2016
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Rothbard was an amazing and intelligent man. Rothbard's logic is very consistent, something rare in this day and age where our economy is ruled by Keynesian supporters. This book is incredible. Even if one still prefers a state, this book is an incredibly important read. Highly recommended.
    6 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Odom
    5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome
    Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2022
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Must read
    Helpful
     Report
  • Steve Jackson
    4.0 out of 5 stars The Ethics of Anarchy
    Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2001
    Format: Hardcover
    Murray Rothbard was the leading libertarian thinker of the 20th century. In 1982, he published THE ETHICS OF LIBERTY, his central work on political theory and ethics. This work was republished recently with an excellent introduction by Hans-Hermann Hope (the endnotes have been converted into footnotes, a big improvement).
    This work is probably the best discussion of libertarian philosophy from an anarcho-capitalist perspective. In addition, Rothbard develops a theory based on natural law, thus distancing himself from other strands of libertarian thought.
    The book is particularly comprehensive. Starting with a discussion of natural law, Rothbard turns to practical issues such as voluntary exchange, contracts, and the rights of children. He then discusses the concept of the state. He ends the work with discussions of different approaches to rights and a strategy for advancing liberty. The comprehensive nature of the work is also its greatest weakness. Rothbard discusses too many subjects in too few pages. For example, the difficult question of the rights of children takes all of 15 pages. Yet there is no more difficult question for any theory of rights than that question.
    Rothbard's discussion of the rights of children is emblematic of the weakness and at times superficial nature of this work. Take Rothbard's discussion of when the parents' "jurisdiction" over a child ends. He states: "Surely, any particular age (21, 18, or whatever) can only be completely arbitrary. The clue to the solution to this thorny question lies in the parental property rights in their home. For the child has his FULL rights of self-ownership WHEN HE DEMONSTRATES THAT HE HAS THEM IN NATURE-in short when he leaves or `runs away' from home." [p. 103; emphasis in the original.] First of all, it may be arbitrary to establish the age of emancipation at 18 rather than 17, but such decisions are found in all areas of life and are not thereby rendered "completely arbitrary." In any event, is it "completely arbitrary" to set it at 18 rather than 5? Moreover, Rothbard's "solution" is in most respects even more arbitrary. For example, if Junior Jones runs away when he is 8 years old, does that mean his parents cannot force him to stay? What if Junior is 5 and wanders off his parents' property and stays at the Smiths' house, asserting that he would prefer to live with the Smiths. Has he then demonstrated a "right to self-ownership" in nature? Would it be wrong for the Joneses to take him back? Rothbard uses a similar argument against Laissez-faire advocates of limited government who believe the state may provided limited protection services. Supposedly their views fail because how much or little services such a government might provide can only be "purely arbitrary." [p. 181.] This type of argument leads Rothbard to advocate abortion-on-demand, a position with which I strongly disagree.
    For whatever flaws it contains, THE ETHICS OF LIBERTY it is certainly one of the most provocative books you will ever read.
    30 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • Esteban
    5.0 out of 5 stars Quick delivery!
    Reviewed in Australia on April 23, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Great! Fast delivery a plus!
    Report
  • Arthur Koestler
    5.0 out of 5 stars Cracking read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 11, 2017
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Written very clearly as always with potentially complex theory being presented in a more than comprehensible fashion. Rothbard's uses the weight of reason and logic alone to make an unrelenting moral case for anarchism, this book ad argument is free of anecdote and emotional demagoguery
    Report
  • Lacombe
    5.0 out of 5 stars Mandatory to understand liberty
    Reviewed in France on September 21, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Mandatory for anyone who wants to understand what liberty really is.
    Report
  • miau-miau
    5.0 out of 5 stars Eine Warnung
    Reviewed in Germany on February 9, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Ich sage hier nichts Schlechtes über das Buch. Allerdings hatte ich vorschnell Kaufen gedrückt und mir nicht viel dabei gedacht über das Format "large print". Das Buch kommt daher wie ein Skript für die Uni oder so, das man über's Semester verheizt und danach weg damit - ein Schandfleck für mein Bücherregal. Der Druck ist auch nicht so groß, daß man ohne Lesebrille auskommen würde, nur das Format ist riesig und billig. Kauft euch das Buch im üblichen Format, da habt ihr mehr Freude dran.
    Report
  • Cliente Amazon
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fundamental para no ir de lelo por el mundo
    Reviewed in Spain on June 5, 2017
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Claro, conciso, convincente. En la línea de Rothbard. Llamando al pan pan y al vino vino. Si cree que la libertad es un bien pero tiene dudas sobre la moral de su aplicación, éste es un buen libro para deshacerse de ellas.
    Report