I Chose Liberty - Ludwig von Mises Institute

David F. Nolan 237
(2002). A generally dubious attitude toward the institution of government is pretty much
a corollary of libertarianism. I followed this up to the point of coming to think, at least
abstractly, that anarchism, of the capitalist variety, is the right fundamental view. People
think anarchism impossible or unworkable, but I am doubtful of that. I am not doubtful
that getting from where we are to there is extremely difficult, and not to be expected any
time soon.
In the ensuing years, I’ve been impressed by the depth and breadth of much libertarian
or near-libertarian writing and scholarship—David Schmidtz, Walter Block (whose classic
Defending the Undefendable belongs on every shelf!), Anthony de Jasay, Bruce Benson, Tibor
Machan, Randy Holcombe, and many others have influenced me. Many philosophers,
economists, and others whom I’ve met at Liberty Fund conferences, the ISIL, and other
places—especially the Internet—have also enlivened and enriched my understanding of
these matters. And I remain hopeful that we can really clarify the libertarian idea, and
make it plausible to all.
Jan Narveson is professor emeritus of philosophy at the University of Waterloo.
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DAVID F. NOLAN
DISCOVERING THE LIBERTARIAN WITHIN
As far back as I can remember, I have always been a libertarian. Of course when I was
a child I had never heard the word, but I was one. I had an inquisitive mind, and was always
asking “why?” whenever a grown-up issued a pronouncement. If the answer made sense,
I’d usually accept it. If not, I didn’t.
I learned to read at the age of four, by looking at the words in books my parents read
me. They were quite surprised when I started to “read back” stories like The Little Engine
That Could. This ability provided a natural means for me to learn things for myself, and I
became an avid reader.
The first “political” book I remember reading was George Orwell’s 1984, which I
encountered at the age of nine or ten. My parents were both academics, and there were
always lots of books around our home. I suspect I didn’t really understand a lot of what
Orwell was saying, but I plowed through the book anyhow.