Libertas

“Thus substantially all the legislation of the world has had its origin in the desires of one class — of persons to plunder and enslave others, and hold them as property.” ~Lysander Spooner

Lysander Spooner (1808-1887)

Natural Law:

or

The Science of Justice:

A Treatise on Natural Law, Natural Justice, Natural Rights, Natural Liberty, and Natural Society; Showing That All Legislation Whatsoever Is An Absurdity, A Usurpation, And A Crime.

His treatise is revolutionary. I can see it banned in any totalitarian country. No ruler or government would want the people to think of such things. The following is a summary of his treatise. I will leave a link to the original for further study.

Natural Law is the Science of Justice. It is the science regarding the human rights of life, liberty, and property. Humanity lives in peace when two conditions are met: each person shall do what justice requires and abstain from what justice forbids, in other words, “to live honestly, hurt no one, and give everyone his due.” The moral duty to love thy neighbor is judged by one’s self, but the legal duty towards others must be judged by others and enforced by others. It is right and desirable for people to voluntarily associate with each other with a specific plan for maintaining justice, but it must be voluntary. Forced association is never just.

Although each of us must learn natural law or the science of justice, we can easily learn it, since we have a general sense of it from childhood as we learn to live with one another. If it is not a natural principle, then there is no such thing as justice or crime. Nor would governments have reasons to speak of or maintain justice. On the other hand, if justice is a natural principle, then it is above government or any authority that tries to maintain it. All laws established against justice are absurd and tyrannical usurpations of natural law.

Since it is a natural principle, the addition or subtraction “of it by legislation, is just as false, absurd or ridiculous.” Even if all of humanity united to legislate against natural law, it would have no valid authority over a single person.

If there is a principle of justice or natural law, then it teaches us of natural inalienable rights. On the other hand, if there is no such principle, the talk of rights is meaningless because they never have, never did, and never will exist.

If there is a natural principle of justice then all legislation is a usurpation of justice. If there is no principle of justice then there is no reason for government to protect or prevent what never existed.

If there is a principle of justice then it is a universal principle, if not, then all may do as they please. If there is no science of justice, there is no science of government and whatever crimes committed by governments in the past are legitimate actions and may not be condemned.

If there is natural justice, it is the only principle of government. All other principles of government are invalid and used to gain fame, wealth, and power.

But if natural law is so universal and easily understood, why do we not universally follow it? Why has legislation taken its place? Because once people began to voluntarily associate with each other to produce for themselves, others ganged together to plunder and rule over the them. As they increased their power, they systematized their actions, calling themselves government, and their actions, law. Thus, all legislation comes from one class desiring to plunder and enslave another, regarding them as property.

As time went by, it became more profitable to release the slaves, but the ruling class still controlled and plundered these “liberated” slaves through legislation designed to keep the slaves subjugated and subordinated to them. Legislation, therefore, is the assumption of one or more to dominate and enslave others and abolish natural rights and natural liberties. This is what human legislation is compared to natural law.

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“Natural Law” by Lysander Spooner

Anarchism in the United States: Individualist Anarchism in the United States Edited by John Brewster

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