Testing the Limits of Spontaneous Order
ABSTRACT
Classical liberals have a deep appreciation for the benefits of allowing spontaneous orders to coordinate human behavior, particularly in market settings. However, most classical liberals also believe that there are certain underlying institutions, namely the production of law and its enforcement, which cannot be spontaneously produced in the market. This Liberty Fund colloquium promoted discussion about the limits of spontaneous order.
READING LIST
Conference Readings
Anderson, Terry and P. J. Hill, “An American Experiment in Anarcho-Capitalism: The Not So Wild, Wild West” In Anarchy and the Law: The Political Economy of Choice, edited by Edward Stringham, 639-657. Edison: Transaction Publishers, 2007.
Benson, Bruce L. "The Spontaneous Evolution of Commercial Law." Southern Economic Journal 55, no. 3 (January 1989): 644-661.
Benson, Bruce L. The Enterprise of Law: Justice Without the State. San Francisco: Pacific Research Institute, 1990.
Buchanan, James. The Limits of Liberty: Between Anarchy and Leviathan. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1975.
Friedman, David, “Private Creation and Enforcement of Law––A Historical Case” In Anarchy and the Law: The Political Economy of Choice, Edison: Transaction Publishers, 2007. Page(s): 586-601.
Hayek, F. A. Law, Legislation and Liberty, Volume 2: The Mirage of Social Justice [Phoenix series]. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1976.
Hayek, F.A. Law, Legislation and Liberty, Volume 1: Rules and Order [Phoenix series]. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1973.
Jouvenel, Bertrand de. The Pure Theory of Politics. Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, Inc., 2000.
Molinari, Gustave de, “The Production of Security” In Anarchy and the Law: The Political Economy of Choice, edited by Edward Stringham, 424-436. Edison: Transaction Publishers, 2007.
Nozick, Robert. Anarchy, State, and Utopia. New York: Basic Books, Inc., 1974.
Rothbard, Murray, “Police, Law, and the Courts” In Anarchy and the Law: The Political Economy of Choice, edited by Edward Stringham, 18-39. Edison: Transaction Publishers, 2007.
von Mises, Ludwig. Liberalism: The Classical Tradition. Edited by Bettina Bien Greaves. Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, Inc., 2005.
Wittman, Donald, “Conclusion: Hobbes and the Political Economy of Power” In Democracy, Freedom and Coercion: A Law and Economics Approach, edited by Alain Marciano and Jean-Michel Josselin, 251-265. Northampton: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2007.