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Lysander Spooner
American individualist anarchist (1808–1887) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lysander Spooner (January 19, 1808 — May 14, 1887) was an American abolitionist, entrepreneur, lawyer, essayist, natural rights legal theorist, pamphletist, political philosopher, Unitarian and writer often associated with the Boston anarchist tradition.
![]() | This article's factual accuracy is disputed. (November 2023) |
Lysander Spooner | |
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Born | (1808-01-19)January 19, 1808 Athol, Massachusetts, U.S. |
Died | May 14, 1887(1887-05-14) (aged 79) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
Occupation | Entrepreneur, lawyer and writer |
Nationality | American |
Subject | Political philosophy |
Notable works | The Unconstitutionality of Slavery (1845) No Treason (1867) |
Philosophy career | |
Era | 19th-century philosophy |
Region | Western philosophy |
School | Iusnaturalism |
Main interests | |
Spooner was a strong advocate of the labor movement, anti-authoritarian and individualist anarchism in his political views.[1][2] His economic and political ideology has been identified by some modern scholars with libertarian socialism, left-libertarianism, free-market socialism, and mutualism,[3][4][5][6] while others identify them as right-libertarian, anarcho-capitalist, and propertarianist.[7][8][9][unreliable source?] According to anarchist George Woodcock, Spooner was a member of the International Workingmen's Association (First International).[10] His writings contributed to the development of both left-libertarian and right-libertarian political theory.[7][11] Lysander Spooner also influenced Mutualist Associates as Clarence Lee Swartz who cited him as one of the major liberty advocates in history and a pioneer of mutual banking and competition.[12] Spooner's writings include the abolitionist book The Unconstitutionality of Slavery and No Treason: The Constitution of No Authority, which opposed treason charges against secessionists.[13][14][15]
He is cited for his criticisms of the U.S. Constitution, particularly stating, "The Constitution has either authorized such a government as we have had, or has been powerless to prevent it. In either case, it is unfit to exist."[16] Spooner is also known for competing with the Post Office with his American Letter Mail Company. However, it was closed after legal problems with the federal government.[3][17]