Political and moral philosophy is linked to economics, and even less furtively to the older political economy. The economist cannot recommend government policy without making or accepting a consistent value judgment about who will be helped and who will be harmed. He must at least believe that politics is within the ethically acceptable functions of government.
Some of the great economists of our time have also been great political philosophers. I think especially of Frédéric Hayek, James Buchanan, and Anthony de Jasay. The latter is not as well known as the other two, both Nobel laureates and academics, but I think he was an equally important thinker, albeit a more radical dissident.
De Jasay defined himself as both a (classical) liberal and an anarchist. On Econlib, I very recently revised his 1997 book Against Politics: On Government, Anarchy and Order. A quote from my review explains its title, “Princess Mathilde and the Immorality of Politics”:
Princess Mathilde, niece of Napoleon Bonaparte, expressed a hedonistic and selfish view of the state when she defended her late uncle by saying that “without this man, I would be selling oranges on the quay of Marseille.” According to de Jasay, government is essentially a redistribution mechanism that some, like Princess Mathilde, use very effectively for their own purposes. Politics helps some at the expense of others. This, he explains, is just as true, if not more true, in a democratic system, where the majority defines what the “common good” or “public interest” is.
Sticking with the times, most people will reject this thesis (I offer some criticisms myself). But it is not possible to rationally reject it without first understanding it. This book is a good way to do that. As a collection of articles, it lacks the unity of de Jasay’s 1985 book. The state but, on the other hand, it offers the choice between more or less technical discussions.
Many chapters are a must-read. De Jasay provides interesting critiques of both Buchanan and Hayek. I conclude my opinion:
Again, Against politics is essential reading for any political philosopher as well as any economist interested in the philosophical implications of what he does. The book may become even more urgent for our descendants to read.
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DALL-E’s rather creative take on Princess Mathilde, with your humble blogger responsible for the orange:
