Our Enemy, the State

In his opening paragraphs, Nock states that the expansion of the state comes at the expense of social power, shrinking the role of community. Denying that the two are the same, he points out the historic origin of authoritarian government through conquering warlords and robber barons. This reflects the influence of Franz Oppenheimer on Nock, a key proponent of the conquest theory of the state.

"All the power it has is what society gives it, plus what it confiscates from time to time on one p...