So, the distributed translation of “Mechanics of Freedom” is slowly picking up pace. The first part I received was the third chapter of the book: “Love Alone is Not Enough,” and after some edits, I have just published it.
As a reminder, you can speed up the process or simply express your gratitude by sending bitcoins. On the donations page, I provide various ways to do this.
And, of course, you can always choose a chapter for yourself to translate.
So, I am officially beginning the translation of David Friedman’s “The Machinery of Freedom.” All the English text is posted on the website in the section “The Machinery of Freedom – original”. This includes the text of the second edition, as well as chapters prepared by David Friedman for the third edition, which I took from his website.
Translated chapters will be gradually posted in the section “The Machinery of Freedom – translation”. For now, as a teaser, I have translated and posted the introductory materials, and I am currently working on the first chapter. I have also posted five chapters translated some time ago by Elena Mokeeva commissioned by the Libertarian Party of Russia, but these still require editing to bring them to a consistent style. Anyone interested can take on the translation of a particular chapter and then send me the results of their work; I will edit it and add it to the project. Before starting a translation, it is best to contact me via DM to avoid collisions.
When the translation is fully completed, I will compile it into a single PDF for those who prefer reading on paper, and into an EPUB for those who prefer reading from a screen. The text will also remain on the website, posted by chapter—this is convenient for referencing specific chapters in discussions.
If you think this is a worthwhile endeavor, I kindly ask you not to keep your opinion to yourself, but to support the project with bitcoins or direct participation; together we will finish faster. As new chapters are posted, I will be sure to announce it in the channel.
For donations, my bitcoin wallet is still a great option:
1A7Wu2enQNRETLXDNpQEufcbJybtM1VHZ8. I have also recently discovered the magical world of the Lightning network, which will be the subject of a separate article, so you can send me money directly in Telegram using a special bot. Lightning is great because it allows for the instantaneous transfer of small amounts with extremely modest fees. But you will read more about this a bit later.
Recently, Sergey Ankapov contacted me via Facebook direct messages, inquiring about my ability to assist in organizing the translation of Franz Oppenheimer’s book “The State.” Unfortunately, I didn’t know any translators who were free enough to join the project. And just yesterday, I found out that not only is a translation planned, but also a print edition of the book, and fundraising is underway for this. I know that many people value print editions specifically, so I consider it my duty to inform you how you can help the project. Most of the amount has already been collected; all that’s missing is you.
Also, recently, as part of the “Hyde Park Library” project, the book “The New Autocracy,” which thoroughly dissects the modern Russian political machine, was posted. The book is recommended by Ekaterina Schulmann, who participated in its creation. An activist was found who decided to take on the translation of the book, although the idea of translating a book about Russia, written primarily by Russians, from English into Russian seems a bit strange to me. Regardless, he is assembling a team of like-minded people to tackle this work collectively.
And for dessert. I have begun working on the translation of David Friedman’s book “The Machinery of Freedom” — the most fundamental work on the doctrine of anarcho-capitalism. Unfortunately, the pace is quite slow, as time for work on the project is allocated on a residual basis. I think this can be changed. In the near future, I will create a section on the website where I will post the English text by chapter, and as the translation progresses, I will add the translated parts there. Anyone who wishes can take any untranslated fragment, send me the translation, and I will edit it and add it to the site. Your donations will also be very helpful: practice has shown that I work with significantly more enthusiasm when I see that you are willing to pay for what I produce.
The book will be translated based on the text of the second edition released in 1986, with additions published in 2014 that have not yet gained widespread recognition.
Bitarch (question paid in the amount of 0.01btc)
It is quite easy to imagine how, under conditions of the absolutization of private property rights to land, some landowner demands absolute inviolability of the land, refusing to enter into any negotiations. A person has the right to misanthropy as long as they are willing to pay for it and do not encroach on someone else’s property.
However, it is very difficult to imagine that commercial companies, especially those with multiple owners, would adhere to such misanthropy. As a rule, the goal of a company is to make a profit, not dominance and self-assertion. So, if there is a demand for the installation of utilities across a company’s territory, whether it be a cable or a path, this will generally be perceived as an opportunity to profit by meeting that demand.
Under ancap, any voluntary transactions are legitimate; as for forced ones, they can also easily occur, but apologies and compensation are assumed for them by default.
David Friedman, in “The Machinery of Freedom,” gives as an example of completely justified behavior a lost traveler who breaks into someone’s empty house to make a phone call and call for help, but upon leaving, leaves cash in the house in an amount sufficient to compensate for the inconvenience caused.
But we don’t need to go that far when we have our own taiga nearby. Any winter hut in the taiga is private property, but the doors are not locked, and there is always a certain supply of firewood, grains, and other equipment stored there. Any random passerby can spend the night in a winter hut, and before leaving, they replenish the supplies for the next visitor. This is the established spontaneous order. No one specifically engages in enforcing its observance; these rules of courtesy simply help people live. A society that does not develop such orders is less successful.
Similarly, in Rome, the very concept of easement was invented without any state, within the framework of private law, and there are no grounds to believe that a stateless society of the future would be less sensible than a stateless society of the past.
Thus, under ancap, in sparsely populated areas, the needs of people regarding transit territories will be guarded by a conceptual “bear prosecutor” who upholds the “law of the taiga,” and in densely populated areas—by the desire to obtain market benefit from providing transit through one’s territory. As for the plots of the few misanthropes, who, although they will inevitably be encountered like any other rude people, in the vast majority of cases can be bypassed via some alternative routes.
