Talk:Randy Barnett

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[edit] Anarchist?

Can we safely call Barnett an anarchist?

To unsigned comment above: The article refers to the theory in The Structure of Liberty as anarcho-capitalist, not Barnett himself. The book is definitely anarcho-capitalist. Barnett probably is anarcho-capitalist himself, but that's a closer call. --Libertylaw 12:13, 18 October 2006 (UTC)

Thanks, and sorry I forgot to sign. "The Structure of Liberty" is not the only evidence of Barnett's anarchist tendencies. He also wrote a review of Robert Nozick's "Anarchy, State, and Utopia" titled "Whither Anarchy? Has Robert Nozick Justified the State?", the last line of which reads "The state remains unjustified." Also, in "The Moral Foundation of Modern Libertarianism" he says he was personally associated with Murray Rothbard and names him as a major influence. I don't like calling people anarcho-capitalists unless they use that label themselves, but it seems as though the article should emphasize the Barnett's radical libertarian tendencies a bit more. Any ideas on how or whether to do this? Atripodi 09:14, 19 October 2006 (UTC)

Barnett makes a point of not using the word "libertarian" to describe himself, though he most certainly is one. I'm not sure if he has a similar policy about the word "anarchist" or "anarcho-capitalist." One way to make his background more clear would be to discuss that he was influenced by the writings of Lysander Spooner and has played a major role in popularizing Spooner's work. (The article on Spooner currently mentions Barnett, but not vice versa.) Barnett was also influenced by Murray Rothbard. --Libertylaw 11:23, 19 October 2006 (UTC)