Brian Doherty on RAW

 

As we are about to begin (on Nov. 28) a book group on the Hilaritas Press book Natural Law Or Don’t Put A Rubber On Your Willy And Other Writings From A Natural Outlaw, written by Robert Anton Wilson and edited by Chad Nelson, I thought a bit of background on RAW's relationship with libertarianism might be useful. While I maintain that Natural Law is not really a "libertarian book," in the title essay RAW squares off against other prominent libertarians in an essay originally published in a libertarian journal.

Radicals for Capitalism by Brian Doherty, published in 2007, is a history of the libertarian movement, more than 700 pages long, and it includes about four pages of discussion about Robert Anton Wilson.

Doherty says that RAW is "one of the last of the pure Benjamin Tuckerites" and explains that Wilson "love liberty but held fast to Tuckerite ideas that modern corporate capitalism and banking just weren't any kind of liberty he valued." 

Illuminatus! is described as "the most powerful and widely read libertarian artistic statement of the past thirty years," while also noting that "Wilson's work appeals on so many levels that one can become a Wilson Head without reaching his libertarianism. Through Wilson's influence one might become an Aleister Crowleyan, a Wilhelm Reichian, an old-fashioned Tuckerite, a techno-future-optimist in the manner of Buckminster Fuller or Timothy Leary."

Doherty's book also has a brief discussion of Discordianism and Kerry Thornley. Although it is obviously a bit out of date at this point, it is an interesting discussion of the history of libertarianism for those who might be interested. Doherty covers more recent developments in the movement for Reason magazine. 

Another voice on Ron Paul

Libertarian writer Brian Doherty, who wrote at length about Robert Anton Wilson in his book "Radicals for Capitalism," has posted an interesting blog entry at Reason's Hit and Run blog, entitled "Why I Don't Think the Ron Paul Newsletters Are Very Important."

Here's a quote: "I believe it's less important to beat up on and condemn a certain set of powerless and marginalized people who think and believe some nasty things everyone agrees are wrong than it is to beat up on and condemn the set of incredibly powerful people who actually act to commit crimes and rights-violation and damage to life across the globe who everyone thinks are perfectly right to do so. And Ron Paul is the only candidate with any public traction and fans who condemns and would fight to stop such crimes, from the drug war to non-defensive overseas wars to armed assaults on people because they sell raw milk to rampant violations of American's civil liberties and privacy to an organization in charge of our money supply that uses that power to scuttle the entire world economy and bailout its buddies."

More here.

Doherty has a book about Ron Paul coming out in May, so I suppose he has an interest in whether Paul does well, but I don't think that's what he's about. His "Radicals for Capitalism" book (a history of the modern libertarian movement in the U.S.) emphasized the antiwar views of key figures such as Murray Rothbard, and I believe his interest in Paul stems from sincere support for Paul's views on peace and civil liberties.

I wrote Doherty a few weeks ago and asked if "Radicals for Capitalism" will become available as a Kindle book, but I haven't gotten a reply yet.

Addendum: Interesting Tweet from @normative, Julian Sanchez: "Why not just name the newsletter authors? Jim Henley's theory: http://j.mp/sLeiG0 My guess: Rothbard had a hand in some ugly bits."