Libertarian concepts of individual and state in contemporary American philosopy

Bibliogr. s. 193-234. Strona wydawcy: https://www.wuj.pl

Josiah Warren was inventor, musician, educator, and social reformer, he is perceived as the father of the individualist anarchism - nineteenth century American movement. He not only developed socio-political theories, but also tested his theories in practice. He tried to verify the credibility of his ideas through various social, political and economic experiments, e.g. Time Stores organized in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1820s and New Harmony, Indiana in 1840s as well as in Modern Times utopian community co-founded by Josiah Warren in New York. Therefore, this is attempt to examine not only the cohesiveness of his theories but also the application of these theories in everyday life of ordinary people. Warren influenced some other figures such as Stephen Pearl Andrews, Lysander Spooner, Benjamin R. Tucker, William B. Greene, Ezra Heywood and Joshua K. Ingalls. Publications of his followers helped to make anarcho-individualism an important part of American political thought. All anarcho-individualist thinkers emphasized in their socio-political systems that three ideas have been present in American political theory and practice since the very beginning: a) individualism, b) right to private property, and c) the demand for limited government. Warren interpreted this set of ideas in one of the most interesting ways. In his system they are grounded in individual sovereignty and combined with the strong conviction about the social justice, and equitable rewards for labor. ​