ABSTRACT
In the previous chapters it emerged that liberals continuously struggle with the role of the state. The logical question then is: Would society not be better off without a government at all? Or if that seems a bridge too far, with only a minimal government? Libertarians give an affirmative answer to this question. They think this is a far better defense of individual liberty, and therefore also a better route to a just society. 1 A number of libertarians even argue that the state is a criminal organization, because it uses coercion to take away property from individuals. Libertarians point out there is nothing natural about living in states. The state as a form of political organization is merely a historical coincidence. Humanity managed without states for a very long time. Only in 1648, at the Peace of Westphalia, did the modern system of states formally take form, of course after historical developments into this direction in the preceding centuries.
