Hans-Hermann Hoppe
Democracy: the god that failed
Private-law society, traditional order.
Traditional Anarcho-CapitalistOne of 729 ideologies · enter the Anarcho-Capitalist hall →- Role
- Philosopher & economist
- Era
- b. 1949
- Region
- Germany / US
- Social band
- Traditional
- Placement
- +96 · −92 · −55
§ Where Hans-Hermann Hoppe stands
3 axesHoppe favours total privatisation, including of security and law. A Theory of Socialism and Capitalism (1989) argued that every form of socialism, from Soviet-style planning to the welfare state, reduces wealth by redistributing property away from its users and producers, and The Myth of National Defense (2003), which he edited, made the case for private defence. He treats private property as an absolute, a priori norm.
Hoppe is anti-state and anti-democratic in equal measure. Democracy: The God That Failed (2001) argues that democratic rulers, as temporary caretakers of the state, have every incentive to exploit it quickly, and that a private-law society of competing insurers and covenant communities should replace the state altogether. His hostility is to democracy and the state, not to hierarchy, which sets him apart from left-libertarians.
Socially Hoppe is strongly traditionalist. He defends natural elites, the family and culturally homogeneous communities, and Democracy: The God That Failed (2001) argues that covenant communities may expel advocates of democracy and communism and people whose lifestyles conflict with the community's values. He also favours strict limits on immigration while states exist, positions that have drawn admirers on the nationalist right and criticism from other libertarians.
How close are you to Hans-Hermann Hoppe?
Three statements, one per axis. Answer them and we’ll drop you on the compass next to them.
§ The story
LivingHans-Hermann Hoppe (born 1949) is a German-born philosopher and economist of the Austrian school. He earned his doctorate at Goethe University Frankfurt under Jürgen Habermas, then moved to the United States in 1985 to work with Murray Rothbard and in 1986 joined him at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he taught economics until 2008. A longtime distinguished fellow of the Mises Institute, he founded the Property and Freedom Society in 2006, which holds annual conferences in Bodrum, Turkey.
Hoppe's significance lies in welding anarcho-capitalism to cultural traditionalism. His argumentation ethics claims that anyone who argues against private property contradicts himself, and Democracy: The God That Failed (2001) argues that hereditary monarchy, as privately owned government, was a lesser evil than democracy, while proposing covenant communities free to exclude those who reject their values. Critics, including many libertarians, call his views authoritarian and exclusionary, and in 2005 his university dropped a complaint over his classroom remarks about homosexuals and time preference after an academic-freedom dispute.
Notable for
- 01'Democracy: The God That Failed'
- 02Argumentation ethics
- 03Private-law society theory
Key works & moments
- 1970sEarns his doctorate at Goethe University Frankfurt under Jürgen Habermas.
- 1986Moves to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, to work alongside Murray Rothbard.
- 1989Publishes A Theory of Socialism and Capitalism.
- 2001Publishes Democracy: The God That Failed, ranking monarchy above democracy as a lesser evil.
- 2005UNLV drops a complaint over his classroom remarks after an academic-freedom dispute.
- 2006Founds the Property and Freedom Society, meeting annually in Bodrum, Turkey.
§ Minds closest to Hans-Hermann Hoppe
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§ Also in the Anarcho-Capitalist hall
Enter the hall →§ Common questions
4 answersWhat is Hans-Hermann Hoppe's political ideology?
Hans-Hermann Hoppe is an anarcho-capitalist who pairs a stateless private-law society with cultural conservatism: on the 99ideologies three-axis compass, a Traditional Anarcho-Capitalist. Economically he sits at the far market end (+96), favouring the privatisation of everything including law and defence. On governance he is strongly anti-state and anti-democratic (−92), and socially he is clearly traditionalist (−55), defending natural elites, the family and covenant communities free to exclude those who reject their values.
Is Hans-Hermann Hoppe left-wing or right-wing?
Right-wing. Hoppe combines the most radical free-market position, the abolition of the state in favour of private property and private law, with cultural traditionalism, scepticism of democracy and support for restrictive immigration under existing states. That combination places him on the paleolibertarian right, closer to conservatives on social questions than most libertarians, and many left-libertarians and mainstream libertarians reject his views as incompatible with a tolerant free society.
Does Hans-Hermann Hoppe support monarchy?
Not as an ideal, but he ranks it above democracy. In Democracy: The God That Failed (2001) Hoppe argues that a hereditary monarch, who effectively owns the state, has an interest in preserving its long-term value, while elected politicians, as temporary caretakers, are tempted to exploit it as fast as possible. He therefore calls monarchy the lesser evil. His preferred order, however, is neither: a stateless private-law society in which security is provided by competing insurers.
Which minds are closest to Hans-Hermann Hoppe?
On the 99ideologies three-axis compass, the minds closest to Hans-Hermann Hoppe are Joseph Sobran (84% alike), Llewellyn 'Lew' Rockwell (84% alike) and The Covenant Community (archetype) (83% alike). The furthest is Pol Pot (0% alike).