Sheldon Richman on Rothbard’s The Ethics of Liberty

In 1982, Murray Rothbard published his
magnum opus in political philosophy, The
Ethics of Liberty. It’s still a remarkable presentation of
the moral case for political freedom, writes Sheldon Richman. The
first striking feature of Ethics is that the
opening five chapters seek to establish the validity of natural
law, an approach to moral inquiry based on the distinctive nature,
faculties, and tendencies of the human being. Rothbard wanted
us to read about natural rights before moving on to such
topics as property, enforceable rights, voluntary exchange,
aggression, and self-defense. Why?

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