The Complete Works of Lysander Spooner
Enriched edition. Essays on Liberty and Individual Rights in 19th Century AmericaBy Lysander Spooner
Length88h 39m
About this audiobook
In "The Complete Works of Lysander Spooner," readers are invited into a vast intellectual landscape shaped by Spooner's radical ideas on liberty, justice, and individual rights. This comprehensive collection showcases his essays, legal writings, and polemics, characterized by a sharp, persuasive prose that challenges the status quo of 19th-century America. Spanning topics such as abolitionism, labor rights, and the critique of government authority, Spooner's works are anchored in a profound commitment to natural law and libertarian principles, offering an essential discourse in the canon of political philosophy and American thought. Lysander Spooner was a 19th-century abolitionist, lawyer, and anarchist thinker whose life experiences deeply influenced his writings. Born in 1808 in Massachusetts, Spooner harnessed his legal expertise to advocate for the disenfranchised, directly opposing prevailing societal norms with his iconoclastic views. His correspondence with contemporaries, including notable figures like Frederick Douglass, reveals a mind attuned to the complexities of justice and human rights, which laid the groundwork for his passionate arguments against the legitimacy of slavery and government coercion. This volume is highly recommended for scholars, students, and anyone seeking to explore the roots of libertarian thought and social justice. Spooner's eloquence and thought-provoking insights not only resonate with modern audiences but also challenge readers to rethink fundamental notions of authority, freedom, and the role of government in the pursuit of a just society.
In this enriched edition, we have carefully created added value for your reading experience:
- A comprehensive Introduction outlines these selected works' unifying features, themes, or stylistic evolutions.
- A Historical Context section situates the works in their broader era—social currents, cultural trends, and key events that underpin their creation.
- A concise Synopsis (Selection) offers an accessible overview of the included texts, helping readers navigate plotlines and main ideas without revealing critical twists.
- A unified Analysis examines recurring motifs and stylistic hallmarks across the collection, tying the stories together while spotlighting the different work's strengths.
- Reflection questions inspire deeper contemplation of the author's overarching message, inviting readers to draw connections among different texts and relate them to modern contexts.
- Lastly, our hand‐picked Memorable Quotes distill pivotal lines and turning points, serving as touchstones for the collection's central themes.
Audiobook details
GenrePolitics and Government
Length88 hrs 39 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateDec 9, 2023
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
99My Private Mails.
2Introduction
100The Action of the Government.
3Historical Context
101First Resolution of the House of Representatives.
4Synopsis (Selection)
102First Report of the P. O. Committee of the House.
5Political Works
103Second Resolution of the House of Representatives.
Show all chaptersShow less
6No Treason, No. I
104Report of the Postmaster General.
7No Treason. No II - The Constitution
105Second Report of the P. O. Committee of the House.
8No Treason. No VI - The Constitution of No Authority
106Report of the Minority of the P. O. Committee of the House of Representatives.
9Vices are Not Crimes: A Vindication of Moral Liberty
107Report of the P. O. Committee of the Senate.
10No. 1. Revolution: The Only Remedy for the Oppressed Classes of Ireland, England, and Other Parts of the British Empire
108Debates in Congress in 1844, and 1845.6
11Natural Law; or the Science of Justice
109The Action of Congress in 1843, Contrasted with that in 1844 and 1845.
12Part First.
110The Example of English Postage.
13Chapter II. The Science of Justice (Continued)
111Hale and Co’s Letter Mail.
14Chapter III. Natural Law Contrasted With Legislation.
112Illegality of the Trial of John W. Webster
15A Letter to Thomas F. Bayard: Challenging his Right
113Chapter I. The Right of Juries to Judge of the Justice of Laws.
16Section I.
114Chapter II. The Trial by Jury, as Defined by Magna Carta.
17Section II.
115Chapter III. Additional Proofs of the Rights and Duties of Jurors.
18Section III.
116Chapter IV. The Rights and Duties of Juries in Civil Suits.
19Section IV.
117Chapter V. Objections Answered.
20Section V.
118Chapter VI. Juries of the Present Day Illegal.
21Section VI.
119Chapter VII. Illegal Judges.
22Section VII.
120Chapter VIII. The Free Administration of Justice.
23Section VIII.
121Chapter IX. The Criminal Intent.
24Section IX.
122Chapter X. Moral Considerations for Jurors.
25Section X.
123Chapter XI. Authority of Magna Carta.
26Section XI.
124Chapter XII. Limitations Imposed Upon the Majority by the Trial by Jury.
27Section XII.
125Appendix. (pt. 1)
28Section XIII.
126Appendix. (pt. 2)
29Section XIV.
127Part I
30Section XV.
128Chapter I. The Law of Nature in Regard to Intellectual Property.
31Section XVI.
129Chapter II. Objections Answered. (pt. 1)
32Section XVII.
130Chapter II. Objections Answered. (pt. 2)
33Section XVIII.
131Chapter III. Perpetuity and Descent of Intellectual Property.
34Section XIX.
132Chapter IV. The Sale of Ideas.
35Section XX.
133Chapter V. The Policy of Perpetuity in Intellectual Property.
36Section XXI.
134Part II: The Common Law of England
37Section XXII.
135Chapter VI. The Common Law of England Relative to Intellectual Property. (pt. 1)
38Section XXIII.
136Chapter VI. The Common Law of England Relative to Intellectual Property. (pt. 2)
39Section XXIV.
137Articles of Association of the Spooner Copyright Company for Massachusetts
40Section XXV.
138Section I.
41Section XXVI.
139Section II.
42Section XXVII.
140Section III.
43Writings on Economics
141Section IV.
44Poverty: Its Illegal Causes and Legal Cure
142Section V.
45Chapter I. Illegal Causes of Poverty.
143Section VI.
46Chapter II. Economical Propositions.
144Section VII.
47Chapter III. Economical Results from the Preceding Propositions
145Section VIII.
48Chapter IV. Social, Moral, Intellectual, and Political Results from the Preceding Propositions.
146Section IX.
49Chapter V. The Legal Nature of Debt.
147Works on Religion
50Chapter VI. The Legal Nature of Debt.—(Continued.)
148The Deist’s Immortality, and an Essay on Man’s Accountability for his Belief
51A New System of Paper Currency
149The Deist’s Reply to the Alleged Supernatural Evidences of Christianity
52Chapter I. Outline of the System.
150Chapter I. The Early Spread of Christianity.
53Chapter II. Advantages of the System.
151Chapter II. The Nature and Character of Jesus.
54Chapter III. Security of the System.
152Chapter III. The Alleged Miracles of Jesus.
55Chapter IV. Practicability of the System.
153Chapter IV. The Prophecies.
56Chapter V. Legality of the System.
154Chapter V. The Resurrection.
57Our Mechanical Industry as Affected by our Present Currency System
155Works on Slavery and Abolition
58Chapter I. Explanation of the Author’s New System of Paper Currency.
156Act of Congress of 1793.
59Chapter II. The Author’s System Cannot be Prohibited by the States.
157Act of Congress of 1850.
60Chapter III. The Author’s System Cannot be Taxed, Either by the United States, or the States.
158Chapter I. Unconstitutionality of the Acts of Congress of 1793 and 1850.
61Chapter IV. The State Governments Cannot Control, or in Any Manner Interfere With, the Author’s System.
159Chapter II. The Right of Resistance, and the Right to have the Legality of that Resistance judged of by a Jury.
62Chapter V. Unconstitutionality of the Legal Tender Acts of Congress.
160Chapter III. Liability of United States Officers to be punished, under the State Laws, for executing the acts of 1793 and 1850.
63Chapter VI. Unconstitutionality of the National Bank Act.
161Appendix.
64Chapter VII. Exchanges Under the Author’s System.
162B: Authorities for the Right of the Jury to judge of the Law in Criminal Cases.
65Appendix.
163C.: Mansfield’s argument against the Right of the Jury to judge of the law in criminal cases.
66Chapter I. A New Banking System.
164D: Effect of Trial by Jury, in nullifying other Legislation than the Fugitive Slave Laws.
67Chapter II. Specie Payments.
165A Plan for the Abolition of Slavery, and To the Non-Slaveholders of the South
68Chapter III. No Inflation of Prices.
166Address of the Free Constitutionalists to the People of the United States
69Chapter IV. Security of the System.
167Chapter I. What is Law?
70Chapter V. The System as a Credit System.
168Chapter II. Written Constitutions.
71Chapter VI. Amount of Currency Needed.
169Chapter III. The Colonial Charters.
72Chapter VII. Importance of the System to Massachusetts.
170Chapter IV. Colonial Statutes.
73Chapter VIII. The True Character of the “National” System.
171Chapter V. The Declaration of Independence.
74Chapter IX. Amasa Walker’s Opinion of the Author’s System
172Chapter VI. The State Constitutions of 1789.
75Our Financiers: Their Ignorance, Usurpations, and Frauds
173Chapter VII. The Articles of Confederation.
76The Law of Prices: A Demonstration of the Necessity for an Indefinite Increase of Money
174Chapter VIII. The Constitution of the United States. (pt. 1)
77Gold and Silver as Standards of Value: The Flagrant Cheat in Regard to Them
175Chapter VIII. The Constitution of the United States. (pt. 2)
78Universal Wealth Shown to be Easily Attainable
176Chapter IX. The Intentions of the Convention.
79Section I.
177Chapter X. The Practice of the Government.
80Section II.
178Chapter XI. The Understanding of the People.
81Section III.
179Chapter XII. The State Constitutions of 1845.
82Section IV.
180Chapter XIII. The Children of Slaves are Born Free.
83Law & Constitution
181Chapter XIV. The Definition of Law.
84“To the Members of the Legislature of Massachusetts.” Worcester Republican
182Chapter XV. Ought Judges to Resign Their Seats?
85Supreme Court of United States, January Term, 1839. Spooner vs. M'Connell, et al. (pt. 1)
183Chapter XVI. “The Supreme Power of a State.”
86Supreme Court of United States, January Term, 1839. Spooner vs. M'Connell, et al. (pt. 2)
184Chapter XVII. Rules of Interpretation.9 (pt. 1)
87Constitutional Law Relative to Credit, Currency, and Banking
185Chapter XVII. Rules of Interpretation.9 (pt. 2)
88Chapter I. The Unconstitutionality of All State Laws Restraining Private Banking and the Rates of Interest.
186Chapter XVIII. Servants Counted as Units.
89Chapter II. What Bank Charters are Unconstitutional.
187Chapter XIX. Slave Representation.
90Chapter III. What Bank Charters are Constitutional.
188Chapter XX. Why Aliens are Counted as “Three Fifths.”
91Chapter IV. The Power of Congress Over the Currency.
189Chapter XXI. Why the Word’s “Free Persons” were Used.
92The Unconstitutionality of the Laws of Congress, Prohibiting Private Mails
190Chapter XXII. “All Other Persons.”
93Argument
191Chapter XXIII. Additional Arguments on the Word “Free.”
94The Postmaster General’s Argument
192Chapter XXIV. Power of the General Government Over Slavery. (pt. 1)
95Expediency
193Chapter XXIV. Power of the General Government Over Slavery. (pt. 2)
96Who Caused the Reduction of Postage? Ought he to be Paid?
194Analysis
97Letter
195Reflection
98Statement.
196Memorable Quotes
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