(The Initiation of) Force

What do you mean by the initiation of force?
In a political context, freedom has only one specific meaning -- freedom from the initiation of force by other men. By initiation of force I mean those who start the use of force to achieve their ends, i.e., a bank robber. Only the initiation of force against a man can stop his mind, thus rendering it useless as a means of survival. Only by the initiation of force can a man be prevented from speaking, or robbed of his possessions, or murdered. Only through the initiation of force can a man's rights be violated.

Can men use force in self defense?
To use force in retaliation -- in self defense against those who initiate it -- is not a moral option, but a moral requirement. A moral man has nothing to gain when a man tries to kill him, but he has much to lose if he does not defend himself. For this reason it is right, just, and proper to use force in retaliation and self-defense. The use of force, in and of itself, is not evil -- but to initiate (start) force is. Contrary to the vile doctrines of the pacifists, force used in self-defense is a species of the good.

Any man (or group of men) who initiates force against others is a dictator -- a monster -- and should be treated as such, to the extent he initiates force.

Can citizens delegate the right to initiate force to government?
Citizens may not delegate the right to initiate force to government, as they do not possess the right to begin with. As Ayn Rand has commented "there is no such thing as the right to enslave." As no individual in his private capacity, as a citizen, may initiate force against others, neither may he in his public capacity as a state official initiate force either.


Where can I learn more?
Suggested Reading: The Nature of Government by Ayn Rand in Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal (CUI).