No Treason: The Anarchist Classic with a New Introduction

By: Lysander Spooner

Narrated by: Ayrton Parham

Lysander Spooner was one of slavery’s fiercest enemies. As a lawyer, he offered free legal services to escaped slaves, defending them in court. He advocated smuggling guns to slaves, with which to overthrow their masters, and take possession of their property. “Give the Slave-holders, then, a taste of their own whips.”

Yet when the Civil War erupted, Spooner wasted no time in opposing the Union’s war against the Confederacy. After the war, when Northern troops occupied the conquered Southern lands, purging their governments of the warped scaffolding that had propped up slavery for centuries, Spooner called them the enemies of freedom.

What odd logic could harmonize these seemingly dissonant opinions? What philosophy could possibly despise slavery, and despise Abraham Lincoln?

The answer lies in the essay before you, Lysander Spooner’s most influential work: No Treason.

Here you will find many unorthodox, and certainly unpopular, perspectives. Many notions, foundational to our concept of democracy, will be questioned, and the solutions offered will undoubtedly run against the grain of our upbringing, and everything we’ve been told about freedom.

He’ll advocate peace and violence, the rule of law, and anarchy.

You may not be convinced, but you will certainly be interested.

©2019 Ayrton Parham (P)2019 Ayrton Parham

A must listen or read book!

Lysander Spooner explains everything in an eloquent way. A must listen to audiobook for anyone really interested in understanding voluntarism and real freedom.

Great book

This is possibly the greatest book I’ve ever read and I really like to read. Clear and concise, perfectly articulated and well thought out. He uses great examples and analogies to flesh out his points. This is a must read for anyone who truly wants and loves liberty! 5 stars!

This book is a juggernaut.

The ideas espoused by Lysander Spooner shake ones current beliefs to their foundation. If this isnt one of the greatest arguments for anarchism then i dont know what would be.

Amazing

Enlighten yourself and read this incredible book. It will help you see the world from a different perspective.

Superb Audiobook!

It is perhaps of some interest to say that I for many years, marginalized Lysander Spooner. These years were my sojourn in neoconservitism, in which I considered him simply as a antislavery advocate. I emerged from neoconservatism into a libertarian belief system.

Libertarian literature has many citations from Lysander Spooner, and this led me to believe that he was a man dedicated to liberty. And not just a antislavery advocate. With this in mind, I found "No Treason" to be a truly excellent treatise on liberty, and I can highly recommend it. Also, Ayrton Parham did a great job reading, and presenting the text - many, many thanks!

Life changing

This is a must read! This will make you question everything you've been taught about our system of government

An awesome summary of why we need Anarchy

You're telling me there were people like this 150 years ago and we still have government?? This book made me depressed.

Required reading for earthlings

Probably one of the best books i've ever come into contact with. What a slap in the face to be told we have the ability to stop these robbers murderers and frauds by not using their currency and to forge agreements where everyone is responsible!? What an amazing listen. Cannot reccomend any higher.

Before Rothbard there was Spooner

Fantastic piece of criticism in regards to the state and the constitutions validity. Any fans of Rothbard, Mises, and Friedman, should read this.

ancap classic

to narrator is sort of dry and emotionless, but the text is top notch ancap studies.