Social Anarchism and the Rejection of Private Property – A Public Lecture by Jesse Spafford

Anarchists of all varieties believe that the state lacks political authority—i.e., a special right to coercively rule its subjects. However, anarchists disagree about whether people have private property rights.

This talk will defend the social anarchist rejection of such rights. Specifically, it takes Michael Huemer’s influential libertarian argument against state authority and redirects it against private property, arguing that both states and property owners lack adequate moral justification for the coercion they employ. In this way, the talk aims to provide a libertarian argument for socialism.

Jesse Spafford is a philosophy lecturer at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington. His research focuses on debates between libertarians, socialists, and anarchists over the moral status of the market and the state.
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Event Proceedings:
6:00 pm – Doors Open
6:30 pm – Introductions
6:40 pm – Talk presented by Jesse
7:20 pm – Intermission
7:30 pm – Audience Q&A

For those unable to attend we will have a live stream on the Wellington Socialist Society Facebook page.

Drinks and food will be available to order from the bar. As always we are thankful to Bedlam & Squalor for hosting us.