--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As I explain in 'What It Means to be an…" description: "\"“As I explain in 'What It Means to be an Anarcho-Capitalist', to be an anarchist simply means you oppose aggression, and you realize the state necessar..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fad/n-stephan-kinsella-110452_anarchism_as-i-explain-in-what-it-means-to-be-an-a_2918517.jpg" --- # As I explain in 'What It Means to be an… ![“As I explain in 'What It Means to be an Anarcho-Capitalist', to be an anarchist simply means you oppose aggression, and you realize the state necessarily commits aggression. If you are not an anarchist, it means you either condone aggression, or think the state does not necessarily commit…” quote by N. Stephan Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fad/n-stephan-kinsella-110452_anarchism_as-i-explain-in-what-it-means-to-be-an-a_2918517.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fad/n-stephan-kinsella-110452_anarchism_as-i-explain-in-what-it-means-to-be-an-a_2918517.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fad/n-stephan-kinsella-110452_anarchism_as-i-explain-in-what-it-means-to-be-an-a_2918517.jpg) > ““As I explain in 'What It Means to be an Anarcho-Capitalist', to be an anarchist simply means you oppose aggression, and you realize the state necessarily commits aggression. If you are not an anarchist, it means you either condone aggression, or think the state does not necessarily commit aggression. As you say you are not an anarchist, can you please tell us which one describes you? Are you in favor of aggression (like socialists and criminals are)? Or, do you think the state does not commit aggression (like children brainwashed by government schools think)?”” [N. Stephan Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-stephan-kinsella/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Anarchism opposes aggression; the state inherently uses force, so true libertarians reject both. **In simple terms:** Anarchists oppose aggression; the state does too. Key Takeaway Recognize and oppose all aggression. Themes Libertarianism Non‑aggression principle Political philosophy State criticism Freedom Mood critical analytical reflective Type Anarchism:1 Anarchist:1 Anarcho-capitalism:1 Anarchy:1 Ancap:0 Freedom:1 Libertarian:1 Liberty:1 Nap:0 Non-aggression-principle:1 Statism:0 Anarchist Means:0 Aggression Anarchist:0 Means Anarcho:0 Say Anarchist:0 When to use this quote - debating political theory - writing manifestos - teaching libertarian concepts - analyzing state policies - personal ethical decisions Key Concepts Anarcho‑capitalism Non‑aggression principle Statist critique Moral consistency Questions to Reflect On - Do you consider any state actions non‑aggressive? - How does voluntary exchange fit this framework? A Different Perspective Complexity of defining state aggression can blur distinctions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aggression Anarchist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aggression-anarchist-3047386/) [Anarchism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anarchism/) [Anarchist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anarchist/) [Anarchist Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anarchist-means-1616747/) [Anarcho-capitalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anarcho-capitalism/) [Anarchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anarchy/) [Ancap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancap/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Libertarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/libertarian/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Means Anarcho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/means-anarcho-4240640/) [Nap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nap/) [Non-aggression-principle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/non-aggression-principle/) [Say Anarchist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/say-anarchist-4240641/) [Statism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/statism/) ## Related quotes > [“Socialism is an alternative to capitalism as potassium cyanide is an alternative to water.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/socialism-is-an-alternative-to-capitalism-as-potassium-cyanide-is-an/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [“If the bulk of the public were really convinced of the illegitimacy of the State, if it were convinced that the State is nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-n-rothbard/if-the-bulk-of-the-public-were-really-convinced-of-the-illegitimacy/) [Murray N. 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In so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-higgs/the-government-enforces-a-monopoly-over-the-production-and/) [Robert Higgs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-higgs/) > [Because the state necessarily commits aggression, the consistent libertarian, in opposing aggression, is also an anarchist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-kinsella/because-the-state-necessarily-commits-aggression-the-consistent/) [Stephan Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-kinsella/) > [“To be an anarchist only means that you believe that aggression is not justified, and that states necessarily employ aggression. And, therefore, that states,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-be-an-anarchist-only-means-that-you-believe-that-aggression-is-not-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To be an anarchist only means that you believe that aggression is not justified, and that states necessarily employ aggression. 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Stephan Kinsella quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-stephan-kinsella/) ## More Anarchism quotes > [I know one thing: that you can do a lot of things but if you don't educate people into conscious anarchism it gets frittered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-bookchin/i-know-one-thing-that-you-can-do-a-lot-of-things-but-if-you-don-t/) [Murray Bookchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-bookchin/) > [In morals as in politics anarchy is not for the weak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mccarthy/in-morals-as-in-politics-anarchy-is-not-for-the-weak/) [Mary McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mccarthy/) > [Anarchism is a definite intellectual current in the life of our times, whose adherents advocate the abolition of economic monopolies and of all political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-rocker/anarchism-is-a-definite-intellectual-current-in-the-life-of-our-times/) [Rudolf Rocker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-rocker/) > [“Do not all theists insist that there can be no morality, no justice, honesty or fidelity without the belief in a Divine Power? 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Anarchism, in my mind, meant taking democracy seriously and organizing prefiguratively- that is, in a way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrej-gruba-i/i-became-an-anarchist-very-early-on-anarchism-in-my-mind-meant-taking/) [Andrej Grubačić](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrej-gruba-i/) [Browse all 388 Anarchism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anarchism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“As I explain in 'What It Means to be an Anarcho-Capitalist', to be an anarchist simply means you oppose aggression, and you realize the state necessarily commits aggression. If you are not an anarchist, it means you either condone aggression, or think the state does not necessarily commit aggression. As you say you are not an anarchist, can you please tell us which one describes you? Are you in favor of aggression (like socialists and criminals are)? 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