7. Parasitism and the Origin of the State

Exploitative behavior of the state is studied. Brainwashing was required to build states up. Unlike productive activities via division of labor, parasitic activities like cannibalism, slavery, fraud and robbery did not lead to social cooperation.

Stationary banditry described the institution named the state that allowed for some to benefit themselves at the expense of others. The state exercises ultimate jurisdiction in cases of conflict involving itself and the state exercises a territorial monopoly of taxation. This has been motive enough for some to create states, but why do others put up with this? The state must be a small group compared to those they exploit. The small group must base its power over the large on consent, opinion, tacit agreement and acceptance of certain ideology.

The ideology still with us is the Hobbesian myth of war of all against all and the need of a single monopolist ruling over all people. But, this thesis is absurd.

Lecture 7 of 10 from Hans-Hermann Hoppe’s Economy, Society, and History.