Freedom, Society, and State - Ludwig von Mises Institute

neetion -- ,individualization -- disintegration of int
ere s t s • T he e sse n t iale0 nd i t i on of dis eonnee t ion i s
that that be given to each which belongs to eaeh."(16)
But disconnection should not be construed as implying
isolation. On the contrary, it is argued that only
when society is completely individualized can the individual
parts be free to work in harmony, voluntarily
combining when it is to their benefit, and acting individually
when it is not. "All harmonic unity is a result
of growth from the prior individuality of the
separate monads."(17) Thus, Warren believed that the
individualization of society permits a highly flexible
social structure capable of achieving harmony 'without
either requiring or enforcing uniformity. Individualizat
ion even permits cooperation among people with wide­
I y dis par ate goa Is. " The 1abo r e rsin a rna n ufa c t uri ng
est a b 1 ishmen t ," And r e ws poi n t sout, " ha ve no c ommo n
interest, no partnership, no combined responsibilities.
The ir interests are completely individual ized, and yet
they work together."(18)
In shor t, Warren bel ieved that society could be
harmonious only if every individual were given the
freedom to follow his own interests. But he could be
free only if he were not involuntarily dependent upon
or burdened by anyone else. Hence, the soveriegnty of
the individual required the complete individualization
of society which, in turn, implied that every individ
ualbear the cos t 0 f his own act ions • As Wa r r en put
it:
When one's person, his labor, his responsibilities,
the soil he rests on, his food, his
pro per t y, and all his i n t eres t s are sod i sconnected,
disunited from others, that he
can control or dispose of these at all times,
according to his own views and feelings,
without controlling or disturbing others; and
when his promises are sacred to himself, and
his person is not approached, nor his time
and attention taken up, against his inelinat
ion, thenth e i n d i v i d ua 1 rna y be said t 0 be
practically sovereign to himself.(19)
The crucial concept in Warren's ideas is that of
cost. Individuals can only remain sovereign when each
bears the cost of his own actions. This means that in
any exchange cost is the only just or "equitable l1
p ric e, for i f 0 nere c e i v e s rno ret han the cos t 0 f the
good to him he is shifting the cost of his actions onto
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