Voluntarism and Self-Interest

Voluntarism and Self-Interest: Psychological Foundations and Panarchist Visions in Libertarian Anarchism investigates a central question in political philosophy: what, if anything, makes political authority legitimate? The book argues that theories of political legitimacy should be evaluated primarily in terms of their practical relevance—whether individuals have instrumental reasons to endorse them. Drawing on findings from experimental psychology about the prevalence of selfish motivations, it develops the claim that the most compelling theory of legitimacy must be one that effectively serves predominantly selfish desires.

Through a systematic analysis of competing accounts of legitimacy, the book argues that express consent theory offers the strongest fit with this motivational structure. It then explores the institutional implications of this conclusion by examining panarchist proposals for voluntary, non-territorial systems of governance that follow from a consistent application of consent theory.

Bringing together analytic political philosophy, conceptual analysis, experimental psychology, and the history of libertarian thought, this book will be of interest to scholars and students of political theory, political philosophy, anarchist studies, and libertarianism, as well as readers concerned with the foundations and future of political authority.