Book excerpt: Anthony de Jasay, one of the most independent thinkers and influential libertarian political philosophers of our time, challenges the reigning paradigms justifying modern democratic government. The articles collected in this book delve deeply into the realm of political thought and philosophical criticism. A reader who is interested in a philosophical, yet clear, jargon-free account of such fundamental topics as the relationship between liberty and justice, the viability of limiting government, the role of property, and the possibilities of the private provision of public goods as well as the private enforcement of public rules will find reading this book rewarding. Most of the articles have been published before in a wide array of publications and are presented here for the first time in one volume. The discussions in this work exhibit the anti-statist line of thought that Jasay consistently pursues in all his writings. For Jasay, the provision of collective goods, including the most central one of social order itself, is much less dependent on the application of fundamental coercive power by centralised authorities than generally assumed. This idea echoes arguments he develops in detail in Social Contract, Free Ride.