“The single despot stands out in the face of all men, and says: I am the State: My will is law: I am your master: I take the responsibility of my acts: The only arbiter I acknowledge is the sword: If any one denies my right, let him try conclusions with me.”

American abolitionist, lawyer, and political philosopher

Lysander Spooner was an American abolitionist, entrepreneur, lawyer, essayist, legal theorist, pamphleteer, political philosopher, and writer. He is often associated with the Boston anarchist tradition. Spooner wrote on natural rights and law, and his work placed him among the notable American radical thinkers of the 19th century. He is remembered for his arguments against slavery and for writing in forms that were meant to reach a broad political audience, including essays and pamphlets.