Freedom, Society, and State - Ludwig von Mises Institute

6. COMMENTS AND EVALUATION
Before evaluating this argument, two points need
to be clarified. First, although the individualist
anarchist often uses the term "class analysis" to descr
i be hi s pos it ion, that term has not been used here.
Instead the term "caste" has been adopted. This has
been done for two reasons. First, "class analysis" is
C ommo n 1 y 1 inked wi t h Marx ism. But ther e ar e fundamental
differences between the Marxist and libertarian
a n a 1 y s e s .. Wh i 1 e bot h see the capita lis t cIas s, 0 rat
least part of that class, as the ruling group, they
draw quite different conclusions from this. The
Marxists believe that wealth itself confers power and
hence that the only means to end exploitation is to
nat ion a liz e the mea ns 0 f prod uc t ion • The f r e e rna r ke t
anarchist, on the other hand, argues that wealth does
not init s elf con fer power sin c e the capit a lis t ca n
ma i n t a i n his posit ion 0 nthe f r e e rna r ke ton I y by s e r ving
others better than anyone else. Since the state is
the 0 n I y mea n·s for the ins tit uti ona 1 i za t ion 0 f pr 0fit,
the individualist anarchist believes that "the
State, as the institutionalization of force, is the
source of all exploi tat ion, either directly or indirectly."(44)
Thus, while the Marxist sees private property
and wealth inequality as the sources of exploitat
ion the i n d i v i d ua lis tanarchis t s e 'e s. i tin the s tat e .
Con seq u e n t 1y, the Ma r xis top t s for the nat iona liza t ion
oft hem e a n s 0 f produe t ion; the f r e e rna r ketanarchis t
advocates the abol it ion of the state.(45) To avoid
confusion with its Marxian counterpart the anarchist
position is referred to as a "caste analysis."
Second, and more important, the term "caste" more
accurately denotes the anarchist position than "class."
The key distinction between "class" and "caste" is that
the former is characterized by fluidity; the latter by
rigidity. Individuals may move into and out of a
class; such movement is precisely what is missing in a
caste.(46)
The distinction is crucial for grasping the anarchi
s tan a I y sis . I tis a c ha rae t e r i s tic 0 f the rna r ke t
process that wealth is dispersed unevenly. But if the
market is free there are no external impediments preventing
an individual, or even an entire group, from
rising from a lower to a higher economic position. For
e x amp Ie, the vas t rna j 0 r i t Y 0 f i mm i gran t s t 0 Am e rica
we repennil e s sup0 nthe irar r i val. This we s a s t ric t 1Y
t em p 0 r a r y phas e . Aft era d jus tin g t 0 Am e rica n I i fe,
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