The Right to ignore the State

Herbert Spencer (1820-1903) was an English philosopher, psychologist, biologist, sociologist, and anthropologist.

Spencer developed an all-embracing conception of evolution as the progressive development of the physical world, biological organisms, the human mind, and human culture and societies. As a polymath, he contributed to a wide range of subjects, including ethics, religion, anthropology, economics, political theory, philosophy, literature, astronomy, biology, sociology, and psychology.

Herbert Spencer’s short essay The Right To Ignore The State was originally born as one of the chapters of the original edition of Social Statics, a work written and published by the English philosopher in 1850. It was then omitted by the author from the revised edition, published in 1892. It was then republished separately, as a pamphlet, in London in 1913.

We can legitimately deduce that this omission indicates a change of opinion. But repudiation is not response, and Spencer never responded to his arguments for the right to ignore the state. Even many anarchists believe these arguments are unanswerable.