Non-aggression principle

The non-aggression principle (NAP), also called the non-aggression axiom, is the legal or moral rule that states that any person is permitted to do everything with their property except aggression, which is in turn defined as the initiation of forceful action, which is in turn defined as 'the application or threat of' 'physical interference (property breach) or fraud (contract breach)', any of which without consent.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6] The principle is also called the non-initiation of force.^[7] The principle incorporates universal enforceability.^[8]

The non-aggression principle is considered by some to be an essential idea of libertarianism, voluntaryism, anarcho-capitalism or minarchism.^[9]^[10]^[11]^[12]

^ ^a ^b Hamowy, Ronald (2008). "Nonaggression Axiom". In Hamowy, Ronald (ed.). The Encyclopedia of Libertarianism. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage; Cato Institute. pp. 357–360. doi:10.4135/9781412965811.n219. ISBN 978-1412965804. LCCN 2008009151. OCLC 750831024. The nonaggression axiom is an ethical principle often appealed to as a basis for libertarian rights theory. The principle forbids "aggression," which is understood to be any and all forcible interference with any individual's person or property except in response to the initiation (including, for most proponents of the principle, the threatening of initiation) of similar forcible interference on the part of that individual.
^ Rand, Ayn (1964). "The nature of government". en:The Virtue of Selfishness. p. 111. Citation (p. 108): "The necessary consequence of man's right to life is his right to self-defense. In a civilized society, force may be used only in retaliation and only against those who initiate its use." Citation (p. 110): "In a free society, men are not forced to deal with one another. They do so only by voluntary agreement and, when a time element is involved, by contract. If a contract is broken by the arbitrary decision of one man, it may cause a disastrous financial injury to the other—and the victim would have no recourse except to seize the offender's property as compensation. But here again, the use of force cannot be left to the decision of private individuals. And this leads to one of the most important and most complex functions of the government: to the function of an arbiter who settles disputes among men according to objective laws." Citation (p. 111): "A unilateral breach of contract involves an indirect use of 'physical force: it consists, in essence, of one man receiving the material values, goods or services of another, then refusing to pay for them and thus keeping them by force (by mere physical possession), not by right—i.e., keeping them without the consent of their owner. Fraud involves a similarly indirect use of force: it consists of obtaining material values without their owner's consent, under false pretenses or false promises. Extortion is another variant of an indirect use of force: it consists of obtaining material values, not in exchange for values, but by the threat of force, violence or injury."
^ Murray Rothbard (1973). For A New Liberty: The Libertarian Manifesto.Citation (p. 27) "... that no man or group of men may aggress against the person or property of anyone else. This may be called the "nonaggression axiom." "Aggression" is defined as the initiation of the use or threat of physical violence against the person or property of anyone else."
^ Hans-Hermann Hoppe. The theory of socialism and capitalism (1989) (PDF). Citation (p. 22) "If ... an action is performed that uninvitedly invades or changes the physical integrity of another person's body and puts this body to a use that is not to this very person's own liking, this action, according to the natural position regarding property, is called aggression." Citation (p. 160)" "... according to the nonaggression principle a person can do with his body whatever he wants as long as he does not thereby aggress against another person's body"
^ Stephan Kinsella https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzHEhMQaKbg&t=1209s
^ David D. Friedman (1989). Machinery of freedom (2nd ed.). Citation (p. 66): "Whether these institutions will produce a libertarian society—a society in which each person is free to do as he likes with himself and his property as long as he does not use either to initiate force against others—remains to be proven."
^ Ayn Rand – Atlas Shrugged ^{[page needed]}
^ John Locke (1689). "Second treatise on government, Book II" (PDF). Citation ("State of Nature", B2,H2,§7): "And if any one in the state of nature may punish another for any evil he has done, every one may do so: for in that state of perfect equality, where naturally there is no superiority or jurisdiction of one over another, what any may do in prosecution of that law, every one must needs have a right to do."
^ "The Morality of Libertarianism". The Future of Freedom Foundation. October 2015. Retrieved 2016-03-16.
^ "The Non-Aggression Axiom of Libertarianism". Lew Rockwell. Retrieved 2016-03-22.
^ "What is the "non-aggression principle"?". Advocates for Small Government. Retrieved 2016-03-22.
^ "Discovering Libertarianism – Non-Aggression Principle". Young Americans for Liberty. Archived from the original on 2016-04-09. Retrieved 2016-03-22.

[hamowy-1] Hamowy, Ronald (2008). "Nonaggression Axiom". In Hamowy, Ronald (ed.). The Encyclopedia of Libertarianism. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage; Cato Institute. pp. 357–360. doi:10.4135/9781412965811.n219. ISBN 978-1412965804. LCCN 2008009151. OCLC 750831024. The nonaggression axiom is an ethical principle often appealed to as a basis for libertarian rights theory. The principle forbids "aggression," which is understood to be any and all forcible interference with any individual's person or property except in response to the initiation (including, for most proponents of the principle, the threatening of initiation) of similar forcible interference on the part of that individual.

[2] Rand, Ayn (1964). "The nature of government". en:The Virtue of Selfishness. p. 111. Citation (p. 108): "The necessary consequence of man's right to life is his right to self-defense. In a civilized society, force may be used only in retaliation and only against those who initiate its use." Citation (p. 110): "In a free society, men are not forced to deal with one another. They do so only by voluntary agreement and, when a time element is involved, by contract. If a contract is broken by the arbitrary decision of one man, it may cause a disastrous financial injury to the other—and the victim would have no recourse except to seize the offender's property as compensation. But here again, the use of force cannot be left to the decision of private individuals. And this leads to one of the most important and most complex functions of the government: to the function of an arbiter who settles disputes among men according to objective laws." Citation (p. 111): "A unilateral breach of contract involves an indirect use of 'physical force: it consists, in essence, of one man receiving the material values, goods or services of another, then refusing to pay for them and thus keeping them by force (by mere physical possession), not by right—i.e., keeping them without the consent of their owner. Fraud involves a similarly indirect use of force: it consists of obtaining material values without their owner's consent, under false pretenses or false promises. Extortion is another variant of an indirect use of force: it consists of obtaining material values, not in exchange for values, but by the threat of force, violence or injury."

[roth_manif-3] Murray Rothbard (1973). For A New Liberty: The Libertarian Manifesto.Citation (p. 27) "... that no man or group of men may aggress against the person or property of anyone else. This may be called the "nonaggression axiom." "Aggression" is defined as the initiation of the use or threat of physical violence against the person or property of anyone else."

[4] Hans-Hermann Hoppe. The theory of socialism and capitalism (1989) (PDF). Citation (p. 22) "If ... an action is performed that uninvitedly invades or changes the physical integrity of another person's body and puts this body to a use that is not to this very person's own liking, this action, according to the natural position regarding property, is called aggression." Citation (p. 160)" "... according to the nonaggression principle a person can do with his body whatever he wants as long as he does not thereby aggress against another person's body"

[5] Stephan Kinsella https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzHEhMQaKbg&t=1209s

[6] David D. Friedman (1989). Machinery of freedom (2nd ed.). Citation (p. 66): "Whether these institutions will produce a libertarian society—a society in which each person is free to do as he likes with himself and his property as long as he does not use either to initiate force against others—remains to be proven."

[7] Ayn Rand – Atlas Shrugged ^{[page needed]}

[8] John Locke (1689). "Second treatise on government, Book II" (PDF). Citation ("State of Nature", B2,H2,§7): "And if any one in the state of nature may punish another for any evil he has done, every one may do so: for in that state of perfect equality, where naturally there is no superiority or jurisdiction of one over another, what any may do in prosecution of that law, every one must needs have a right to do."

[9] "The Morality of Libertarianism". The Future of Freedom Foundation. October 2015. Retrieved 2016-03-16.

[10] "The Non-Aggression Axiom of Libertarianism". Lew Rockwell. Retrieved 2016-03-22.

[11] "What is the "non-aggression principle"?". Advocates for Small Government. Retrieved 2016-03-22.

[12] "Discovering Libertarianism – Non-Aggression Principle". Young Americans for Liberty. Archived from the original on 2016-04-09. Retrieved 2016-03-22.

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