Autarchism is apolitical philosophy that promotes the principles ofindividualism and the moral ideology ofindividual liberty andself-reliance. It rejects compulsorygovernment, and supports the elimination of government in favor of ruling oneself to the exclusion of rule by others.
Robert LeFevre, recognized as an autarchist byMurray Rothbard,[1] distinguished autarchism fromanarchy, whoseeconomics he felt entailed interventions contrary to freedom.[2] In professing "a sparkling and shiningindividualism" while "it advocates some kind of procedure to interfere with the processes of afree market", anarchy seemed to LeFevre to be self-contradictory.[2] He situated the fundamental premise of autarchy within theStoicism ofphilosophers such asZeno,Epicurus andMarcus Aurelius, which he summarized in the credo "Control yourself".[3]
Fusing these influences, LeFevre arrived at the autarchist philosophy: "The Stoics provide the moral framework; theEpicureans, the motivation; thepraxeologists, the methodology. I propose to call this package of ideological systems autarchy, because autarchy means self-rule".[3] LeFevre stated that "the bridge betweenSpooner and modern-day autarchists was constructed primarily by persons such asH. L. Mencken,Albert Jay Nock, andMark Twain".[2]
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882) biographerRobert D. Richardson described Emerson's anarchy as"'autarchy', rule by self".[4][5]Philip Jenkins has stated that "Emersonian ideas stressed individual liberation, autarchy, self-sufficiency and self-government, and strenuously opposed social conformity".[6]
