The Essential Rothbard - Ludwig von Mises Institute

124 The Essential Rothbard
Cato’s Letters. 323 Also worthy of note is Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr.’s
Speaking of Liberty, 324 a collection of essays which applies the
insights of Mises and Rothbard to contemporary issues.
Many besides Rothbard’s acknowledged followers have been
influenced by him, but one striking example must here suffice.
One of the most influential books of twentieth-century American
philosophy has been Robert Nozick’s Anarchy, State, and Utopia.
Nozick remarks that it “was a long conversation about six years ago
(i.e., in 1968) with Murray Rothbard that stimulated my interest in
individualist anarchist theory.” The entire first part of Nozick’s
book is an attempt to come to terms with Rothbard’s argument and
might have been entitled “Why I Am Not a Rothbardian.”
The “indispensable framework” of life and work of this creative
genius and polymath was his beloved wife, JoAnn Rothbard. His
combination of scholarly achievement and engaged advocacy on
behalf of freedom is unmatched. One can imagine what position in
the academic world his immense talents would have secured for
him had he been willing to adopt a political position more popular
among his fellow economists; but he always stood by his beliefs
above all else. He could say of himself, like Browning’s Paracelsus,
But after, they will know me. If I stoop
Into a dark tremendous sea of cloud,
It is but for a time; I press God’s lamp
Close to my breast; its splendour, soon or late,
Will pierce the gloom: I shall emerge one day. 325
323
Ronald Hamowy, ed., Cato’s Letters or Essays on Liberty, Civil and
Religious, and Other Important Subjects (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 1995).
324
Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr., ed., Speaking of Liberty (Auburn, Ala.:
Ludwig von Mises Institute, 2003).
325Robert Browning, Paracelsus, Part V.