• The seizure of values by stealth is a form of force. If Friday were to steal woven thatch from Crusoe's stock during the night, he would thereby interfere with Crusoe's productive activity and hence with his maximization of utility. Such actions are prohibited in the free market.

• Like most other useful concepts and principles (cf. p. 3.4:4), the concept force must not be applied mechanically, but must be interpreted in the light of all of one's relevant knowledge about the context. For instance, when we physically prevent the absent-minded professor from accidentally drinking a glass of poison that was lying next to his soft drink, we do not thereby commit an act of force. We can make the reasonable assumption here that the professor does not intend suicide, and consequently our emergency action is consistent with the professor's own subjective value scale. This situation provides another clear instance of the distinction between physical force and praxeological force.

Human action and human relations can be termed peaceful if force (in the various forms just described) is absent. Only later shall we be concerned with the means by which the element of force is eliminated. Here we merely postulate that the inhabitants of Crusoe's island choose not to engage in the use of force.     

---

Previous